Bill and Eileen Elliott found their way to self-sufficiency with more than a little help from their vegetable garden. Without precise directions, you’d never find Bill and Eileen Elliott’s house. But with some guidance, you’d find yourself standing before a rustic hand-hewn archway gate, and through that, a curving, colorful path lined with astilbe, geraniums, […]
trees and shrubs
The best nurseries and garden centers in New England, as chosen by gardening expert Tovah Martin. Tovah Martin, author of more than a dozen gardening books, including The New Terrarium (Clarkson Potter, 2009) and Tasha Tudor’s Garden (Houghton Mifflin, 1994), cruises the countryside on periodic reconnaissance missions, finding ingredients to stuff into her already jam-packed […]
No other arboretum in North America is so old. Few boast more trees and shrubs gathered from around the globe. Arnold Arboretum, Harvard’s magnificent library of trees, 281 acres between South and Centre streets in Jamaica Plain, has always had two tasks: first, to provide a museum of well-ordered woody plants; second, to provide random […]
Tower Hill Botanic Garden in the inviting town of Boylston, Massachusetts, earned a spot on Yankee’s “Best Public Gardens” list in the Mar/Apr 2014 issue, and was also named an “Editors’ Choice” selection in Yankee’s May/June 2014 issue. Hmm. Seems it must be worth a drive over to investigate, which is what I did, albeit […]
Looking for fun in the Nutmeg State? You won’t have to look far! Read our picks for the best attractions in Connecticut for 2014. BEST SMALL ART GALLERY: THE ARTISTS’ PATH, Bantam A compact gallery packed with juried mixed-media shows, including art quilts. Sign up for carving and drawing workshops, or step through an open […]
Over the past 30 years, a famous garden designer and his wife have transformed a dilapidated Vermont farmhouse into a study in harmony between indoors and out, where garden views are always in focus. Town life never suited Gordon and Mary Hayward. They found that out firsthand in 1981, when they bought an 1850s-era white […]
As much as I love art, it is rarely possible for an artist to improve upon the beauty of the natural world. The myriad forms of teeming, swarming, walking, winged and rooted life are just so impossibly intricate and overwhelming that just paying attention to what’s drifting and floating by in the air, in the […]
Our family enjoys watching birds from our windows, and we want to landscape with the best plants to attract them around our home. What do you suggest? S.C., Tiverton, RI A wide range of trees and shrubs produce fruit that persists and appeals to birds. Among the favorites throughout New England are blueberry (Vaccinium), evergreen […]
Massachusetts
Top 20 Massachusetts Events for 2011
MAY 6-7: STOCKBRIDGE, Annual Plant Sale. Thousands of annuals, perennials, herbs, rare and unusual plants, and trees and shrubs go on sale at Berkshire Botanical Gardens. Vendors offer potted herbs and vegetable starts, tropical plants, garden ornaments, furniture, compost, and more. 413-298-3926; berkshirebotanical.org MAY 10-15, JULY 12-17, SEPT. 6-11: BRIMFIELD, Brimfield Antique Show. Running more […]
Rhode Island
SLIDE SHOW: Rhododendrons at Gleaner Gardens
The lovely folks at Gleaner Gardens in North Scituate, RI, have been working hard for the past 12 years to restore one of the largest rhododendron collections in the region. The gardens are over 50 years old, with over 100 varieties of rhododendrons, as well as numerous other trees and shrubs. These gardens, which have […]
As the earth warms, color and spring flower festivals follow the season. Our picks for the best flower shows and festivals in New England to help celebrate the new season.
Massachusetts
Top 20 Massachusetts Events
Call ahead to confirm dates, times, and admission prices. For hundreds of fairs, festivals, exhibits, shows, and other fun activities, go to: YankeeMagazine.com/events JULY 31-AUG. 7: WOODS HOLE, Woods Hole Film Festival. With daily screenings, workshops, panel discussions, staged readings, parties, and an awards ceremony, this nonprofit, eight-day showcase of more than 100 independent films […]