Welcome Spring! I caught up quickly yesterday with my friend and landscape architect, Susan Cohen. I mentioned her in my post yesterday on the fabulous tree boxes at Versailles and I thought it appropriate to include her again today since Spring is officially here.
I have known Susan for six years now - she is my landscape architect. She is also an authority on gardening. She's been in practice for over 25 years and is the Coordinator of the Landscape Design Program at the New York Botanical Garden and has her own busy design business in Riverside, CT (part of Greenwich). Last year she was inducted as a
Fellow into the American Society of Landscape Architects, which was well deserved because of her design merits. She also leads a Landscape Design Portfolio Series in New York City, in which she organizes presentations with renowned landscape architects and the public. She has also helped to re-establish the landscape design program at Smith College. Aside from her talents in the garden, she is an all around lovely woman and we couldn't think of anyone better to give you all some Spring gardening tips!
We asked Susan for a few quick tips on getting your garden spaces ready for warm weather!
Now that Spring is here, what are the first things we should do now to prepare for a nice season of gardening? Susan: Make a general plan of action for each part of your garden, with notes of plants to divide or move, spaces to rearrange, and shopping lists of new plants and supplies to have on hand. Vow this year to pay special attention to color schemes in your garden -- and give away plants that no longer work well for you.
What are your favorite flowers to plant now? Susan: 'True Blue' Pansies. I plant them in all my pots every year, and they bring joy from March through May.
Can you share a photo from your garden now? Susan: This photo is my garden, with the 'True Blue' Pansies under the flowering crabapple, Malus floribunda.
I planted True Blues in my pots on her advice! Enjoy and welcome Spring! -Melissa Hawks
