Jenny Rose Carey
Dazzling Plants, Design Ideas, and Proven Techniques for Your Shady Garden
Resolve to Garden These prescient words were written by the well-revered 20th Century British garden designer, Sylvia Crowe, in the 1950s in the wake of World War II. The world was “noisy“ then, but maybe not as noisy as it is now. These words remind us that gardens have many functions. We …
Continue Reading about April 2026 Newsletter: Resolving To Garden This Year
Chicken Grit is Not Just for Chickens If you read plant tags they often say – ‘plant this plant in moist, well-drained soil’. As a beginning gardener I was really confused by this statement. How can the soil be both moist and at the same time well-drained. I figured out that the organic part of …
Poetic Cursings for Gardeners? Oh, what beautiful writing! “Threadbare sayings” and “poetic cursings,” such great phrases by Karel Čapek, the Czech writer in 1929. I agree with Karel’s sentiments, especially after the cold and snowy winter that we have had here in Southeast Pennsylvania this …
Continue Reading about March 2026 Newsletter: Follow Along With My Cut Flower Journey
Seed Starting Options – Indoors or Outdoors The snow is still laying around on the ground and many gardeners – like me – have had enough of it. We are waiting and waiting for it to be time to plant our seeds. I have arranged and re-arranged my seed packets by color and by planting time. It is …
Continue Reading about Seed Starting Time is Here – Spring will be Here Soon!
A New Book from an Old Friend What hopeful words from the wonderful new book by my lovely English-American friend Pam Hubbard. It is published TODAY, so we are going to celebrate. The full title of the book is The Contemporary Cottage Garden, Climate-Friendly, Mindful Methods for Growing Flowers …
Continue Reading about February 2026 Newsletter: Exploring The Future Of The Cottage Garden
An English-American Cottage Garden for Today The front cover of Pamela Hubbard’s book that celebrates The Contemporary Cottage Garden. If you have ever wanted to know how to make a difference in the world through your gardening practices look no further than Pamela Hubbard’s book “The …
I Love Winter Best? The esteemed and prolific mid-20th century American garden writer, Helen Van Pelt Wilson, is a fan of cold winter gardens. As she clearly states in the quote above, she loves "winter best." She enjoys "the unique quality of winter" and thinks that "this fourth season is …
Continue Reading about January 2026 Newsletter: Finding Joy Through Winter
Learn Six Tips from Jenny Rose Carey about gardening for Winter Interest – With Inspiration from the Winter Garden at Wakehurst. Fragrant flowers – such as this Daphne – enhance the winter garden. Wakehurst – Kew’s Country Garden in Sussex, England There are winter and early spring …
Continue Reading about Notes from English Country Gardens – Part 5 – Winter Walk at Wakehurst
Connecting to the Past - Through Plants! Our quote at the top of this newsletter was written over 75 years ago by Louise B. Fisher, who was one of the early flower arrangers at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. I love the way that she thinks about certain plants and flowers as touchstones …
Continue Reading about December 2025 Newsletter: Is It Too Late To Plant Spring Bulbs
Colonial Williamsburg represents gardens and gardening in Virginia in the 18th Century. Colonial Williamsburg Duke of Gloucester Street is the main route through Colonial Williamsburg. It is lined by some old houses and others that are restorations. The first time I visited Colonial …
