A casual stroll around the gardens at Fearrington on a typically April afternoon will reward the observant with numerous sightings of our native columbine (Aquilegia Canadensis). A short-lived perennial which readily seeds about, native columbine emerges from the ground in early spring, with delicately lobed foliage of soft bluish green. Quickly rising above the foliage, several stalks up to 2 feet tall, each bearing multitudes of red and yellow spurred flowers appear, hovering like butterflies and lasting anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks.

Adaptable to many conditions, native columbines are happiest in a partially shaded, woodland setting, where they will quickly establish a delightful colony. Here at Fearrington, we like to thin the young seedlings, as they transplant more readily than the older plants. Once flowering is completed, we cut the flower stalks back, and scatter any remaining seeds in areas where we would like more of these beauties. This is also the time to perhaps cut back the old foliage, which is often marred by leaf miners in the summer, but will return fresh in time for summer's end. More...

One of the most admired and remarked-upon features of the late winter gardens at Fearrington is the astounding collection of hellebores or Lenten roses (helleborus x hybridus) to be found in the dry rock garden near the sign to Fearrington House Restaurant. Starting from a collection of just 12 plants - vegetatively propagated from the famous strain grown by Ashwood Nurseries in England - our plants have multiplied over the past dozen years to become a veritable carpet of bloom. Usually beginning their show near the end of February and continuing well into May, this year's mild conditions have brought them into full bloom at the very start of February. More...

Sometimes as garden plants die back for the season, bare or unattractive garden hardscape features emerge, like unwelcome guests. It could be a bare trellis where vines once grew, a fountain devoid of water, or exposed planters or hanging baskets.

However with a little effort and locally sourced cuttings, there are ways gardeners can cover up these features and add some winter cheer. And it costs nothing! Here's what we've done recently in Jenny's Garden, behind the Inn Building.

For the holiday season this year, we decided to experiment by decking out some of the feet tall irrigation towers with Fraser Fir branches that were pruned from some of our Christmas trees.  They were then topped them with holly twigs pruned from some of the exuberantly berried trees and shrubs around the gardens. To hold the greenery in place, long whips were pruned from an Eleagnus and were wound around the fir greens, using the sometimes bothersome hooked spines spaced along the Eleagnus twigs to fasten them to themselves. More...

Whether you're a kid or adult, PumpkinFest at Fearrington always seems to attract the same high level of curiosity and fascination. And, like clockwork, it's back again this year - this upcoming weekend in fact. Learn more details about the event here. For us, PumpkinFest has already started. The gardeners have made two trips to a local farmer's fields - the first to hand select the 60 large gourds that will on display, and then yesterday to pick them up. And those objects are heavy!

For weeks the gardeners have been reminating about the sorts of designs and carvings they, along with the talented chefs from the Fearrington House Restaurant, will create. Then Friday is the day they all assemble and carve, carve, carve. Carving any sooner means the pumpkin flesh has more time to dry out and sag. It's a carefully orchestrated event.

We hope you'll stroll around the Village Center this weekend and enjoy the scenery - there's live bluegrass, grilling at the beer garden, ghoulish treats at The Belted Goat, spooky story time at McIntyre's Books, and much more. Check the schedule out for full details.

Beautiful, dramatic, and exotic, Brugmansia - or "Devil's Trumpet" - are the Sophia Lorens of the plant world.  Often confused with their relative, "Angel's Trumpet", or Datura, the huge, fragrant blossoms of Brugmansia hang downward, whereas Datura's tilt toward the sky.  Technically, Brugmansias are soft-wooded tropical trees, growing 5 to 10 feet in height in a single season, though in our climate they are only marginally root-hardy.

Here at Fearrington, we have been experimenting with several cultivars of Brugmansia for the past couple of years. Since they are only reliably hardy to zone 7b, and were planted late in the season in 2010, we potted up our three new cultivars, "Cherub", "Antique Lace" and "Double White", and overwintered them in our glass house. More...

One of our most eagerly-awaited moments in the gardens at Fearrington each Fall is the re-appearance of the Colchicums. These delicately-toned and delicate-seeming Fall bulbs signal for us the end of a long, hot summer and the return of cooler days ahead. While members of the Lily family, Colchicums are in fact, poisonous to critters, and thus quite deer-proof.  The large, goblet-shaped blooms emerge from the ground like magic each September, and flower leafless for weeks before dying back and finishing their show. In the Spring, deep green, Hosta-like leaves appear in their place.  Coming in a variety of colors, from purest white to rosy and lilac, Colchicum prefer rich, well-drained soil and partial shade. Here at Fearrington, we like to tuck them under the edge of shrubs and along pathways, where their appearance will surprise and delight passers-by. An added plus: many varieties are fragrant as well! More...