Goodies for the Garden
We asked Christine Darnell, our go-to gal for all things garden, for some of her favorite finds and sources.
Clockwise from top left:
- Detroit Garden Works: Incredible selection of great garden accessories and containers. Shown here: Plant climbers made specifically for Detroit Garden Works.
- Concrete Wave Design for modern firepits.
- No garden is complete without Bearded Iris. The best source for Irises is Scheiner’s. Try “Dusty Challenger”, a deep dark hardy purple iris. Good to know: a mass planting is so much better than dotting things all around. Plant in groups of fives.
- Terrain’s Gertrude Jekyll Garden Bench inspired by the quintessential English garden designs of acclaimed horticulturalist Gertrude Jekyll. Wow.
- Hand-made garden stakes by Battle Hill Forge create nice little moments in the garden. Check out their Basket stakes, Fiddlehead Stakes, and Shepard’s Crook stakes
- Terrain in Westport, CT also has a great selection of wicker this year. Their Curved All-Weather Wicker Armchair is just the thing. Make it a day and try their fabulous restaurant as well. This is a dreamy place, where one can get loads of ideas.
And a few of Christine’s favorite garden stores:
Ballek’s Garden Center in East Haddam, CT: Everyone should make a pilgrimage to this nursery. Besides plants, Ballek’s has a great selection of containers, pots, baskets—you name it. Be sure to check out their back room for baskets and containers! Nancy Ballek is one of the most knowledgeable plants people in the industry.
Acer Gardens in Deep River, CT: This is a family-owned nursery tucked off of Route 80 in Deep River. You’ll find a wonderful selection of well-priced, hard-to-find plants, a good selection of roses, beautifully planted containers, and knowledgeable sales people. I love this little nursery.
Natureworks in Northford, CT: If you are going organic, this is the nursery for you. The focus here is on all things organic, unusual perennials and shrubs, and help in formulating a more natural approach to gardening. Nancy DeBrule, the owner of Naturworks, is a font of information, as is her expert staff.
