Before You Garden...

View of Kelmscott Manor looking down the front stone path flanked with standard roses

2025-09-07

Notes From English Country Gardens – Part 3 –Kelmscott Manor, Lechlade, Oxfordshire

Kelmscott Manor was the home of William and Jane Morris and their two daughters Jenny and May. The house and garden is open to the public. The gardens are in the Arts and Crafts style.

2025-08-06

Notes From English Country Gardens – Part 2 – Kiftsgate Court, The Cotswolds – Roses and Views

Jenny Rose Carey explores Kiftsgate Court Gardens in the Cotswolds, England. This garden of rooms has views over the neighboring Malvern Hills. In the garden the French blue chairs pair with the limestone walls and lush plantings including roses and peonies.

2025-07-07

Notes From English Country Gardens – Part 1 – Forde Abbey

Forde Abbey in Somerset, England has extensive gardens that are open for visiting from March to October. This article is Jenny Rose Carey’s personal view of her May visit.

2025-06-10

Chelsea Flower Show 2025

My Favorite Garden – The Glasshouse – Jo Thompson – Gold Medal My favorite garden was the first exhibit along Main Avenue for The Glasshouse and designed by Jo Thompson. I met Jo earlier in May when she had spoken at the Andalusia Symposium here in Philadelphia. Somehow she managed transatlantic travel and a stunning…

2025-05-10

A Mother’s Day Tradition – Planting Seedlings out

Traditionally American Mother’s Day – the second Sunday in May – was the time to plant out your seedlings. Gradually harden the seedlings off and read my 4 tips to safely plant your seedlings out into the garden Cheers, Jenny Rose Carey

Jenny Rose Carey at the bulb garden - Keukenhof in the Netherlands with Tulips behind her.

2025-04-02

The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring – Tra La…

Spring flowers make me so happy that I could sing! Learn what ways you can make your garden in spring more flowery by looking for inspiration in these photos by Jenny Rose Carey, expert gardener, author, garden historian, and garden traveler.

Nasturtium seeds coming out of a seed packet

2025-02-28

4 Easy to Grow Cutting Flowers from Seeds

Grow these four easy cutting flowers from seeds. Sweet peas, nasturtiums, marigolds, and cornflowers are so simple to grow at home from a packet of seeds. They produce plenty of flowers that you can cut for arrangements in your home. All are great for pollinators too.

2025-02-12

5 Plants with Heart-shaped Leaves for Your Garden-Loving Valentine

Jenny Rose Carey, garden author, loves plants with heart-shaped leaves. She selects five plants with the heart-shaped theme to give to your valentine.

2025-01-05

A Quartet of Flower Histories for Winter Reading

Four books about flowers and their histories that are so different. Some are more about illustrations and others are language of flowers, or the historical stories. Read one or all to learn more about the flowers that you grow and love

2024-12-10

Munstead Wood – Gertrude Jekyll’s House and Garden

Munstead Wood – a horticultural and architectural treasure Gertrude Jekyll was an amazing gardener, garden writer, photographer, and garden designer who lived in England from the 1840s to the 1930s. She is a personal garden mentor for me especially for the way that she combined the artistic and practical approaches to gardening. Gertrude’s gardens at…