Linden Hill Gardens

2/22/12

It’s time for placing your orders for snowdrops. We mail order many great varieties, you can check them out at: http://lindenhillgardens.com/about-jerry/galanthus/

On Thursday, March 1st, Be sure to check out Jerry on the Martha Stewart Show talking about succulents. As a little preview, the following are a few planted hypertufas we have in the greenhouse:

February 2012: The mild winter has encouraged Helleborus orientalis into bloom. Here is a preview of a few of the lovely varieties that we have at Linden Hill and that we will have at the Philadelphia Flower Show (March 4-11). 

See us in NYC! On January 31st we will be an exhibitor at Plant-O-Rama, a horticultural trade show and symposium at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. 

THE OTTSVILLE INDOOR FARMERS’ MARKET in the greenhouse at Linden Hill

Visit Linden Hill and great local vendors on winter Saturdays from Jan. 7th- Feb. 25th, 2012

December Seasonal Plants- Helleborus niger ‘Josef Lemper’, Ilex verticillata, Cyclamen

http://lindenhillgardens.com/events/ottsville-holiday-festival-2011/

10/22/11 Bulbs are in! Choose from a variety of tulips, daffodils, muscari, scilla, and allium to add spring color to your garden.

OTTSVILLE FALL FESTIVAL 

OCT 8th & 9th 10am-4pm

Join us in the barn for fresh, delicious food, artisan wares, seasonal plants and community fun. Interested in being a vendor?-OTTSVILLE FALL FESTIVAL

on Friday, Sept. 30th–Be sure to stop by the Ottsville Farmers’ Market at Linden Hill for Jose Garces’ Guapos Tacos Food Truck!

8/25/11 Silver and Gold

Humulus lupulus 'Aureus'

8/14/11  Click to view AUGUST IN PICTURES

7/30/11 Hot weather-time for a ‘Mango Popsicle’!

Kniphofia 'Mango Popsicle'

Lotus in bloom in Linden Hill pond

The Lindens in the courtyard are in bloom

6/15—My favorite time of year is here, the weeks of early summer, and it is time for our annual celebration and homage to one of summer’s best shrubs- HYDRANGEAS. This weekend, June 18th + 19th we will have many varieties of hydrangeas available. My personal favorite is a close tie between Hydrangea anomala petiolaris (Climbing hydrangea) and Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf hydrangea). 

This weekend, June 11th and 12th, is dedicated to our FRAGRANT FAVORITES. A few of our scent-sational picks are:

Aromatic perennials: Hosta plantaginea (in the office bed), Lilium orientale ‘Casablanca’ (in the Courtyard bed), Peonies (at the Front Entry)

Sweet-smelling shrubs: Abelia mosanensis (in the Deer Resistant Garden), Clethra alnifolia (in the parking lot bed), Calycanthus floridus and Philadelphus coronarius (both in the Cottage garden)

6/1/11 Hydrangea anomala petiolaris growing on LHG office

5/25/11 Happy Memorial Day Weekend-An ideal weekend for GARDENING!

Iris 'Immortality'

We have several events this weekend:

Saturday and Sunday 8am to 4 pm: OUTRAGEOUS ANNUALS. Now is the time to liven up perennial beds and containers with exotic and dramatic annuals. My top outlandish, bold choices are Gunnera manicata with iresine herbstii and passiflora.

5/17/11 If you live in New Jersey or PA, consider attending Earthly Delights, a garden fair with 40 vendors of rare and unusual plants, art, antiques and garden tools and accessories. There will also be lectures by distinguished horticulturists and authors. And….Linden Hill will have a booth there!

New this week: Handmade Hypertufa planters! My top pick was a heart-shaped hypertufa planted with Thymus ‘Highland Cream’ by my superb coworker, Carole Vanden Berghe.

5/11/11 We are looking forward to participating in Trade Secrets, a rare plant and garden antique sale at Lion Rock Farm in Sharon, Ct on Saturday, May 14th

This weekend’s Plant Event is Living Patios: Discover plants that bring patios and walls to life! We can advise and suggest plants that will grow in between stones or cascade over walls, and on the edge of patios.

The Living Patio

5/2/11 A New Shade Section and Six Rooms

An enlightening and practical way to browse and select plants is to see them with companions that prefer the same conditions, or plants that have features in common. In addition to our A-Z section of perennials, we have created a new area for shade plants in the cedar cove next to the right entry. With the same intention we have set up six plant rooms to help visitors easily choose plants: 

1. Oh Deer- A selection of deer resistant perennials and shrubs

2. Color of the Month- Blooming variations of one color. May is BLUE.

3. Works for Walnuts-Perennials, shrubs and trees that can be planted under and near Black Walnut trees

4. Butterflies and Cutting- Perennials that attract butterflies, hummingbirds and bees, and also make superb cut flowers.

5. Native Plants-PA and US natives

6. Collector’s Corner- A selection of new, unusual and rare plants

This weekend,  we are having a Mothers’ Day Tea in the Garden. Come by Linden Hill with your family to enjoy tea and flowers:

Or see us at Ladew Garden Festival in Monkton Maryland:

Prunus ‘Hally Jolivette’ with Camellia ‘Lemon Glow’ and Viburnum ‘New Dawn’

Tulip Mixtures

Tricks with Tools, an informal and informative demonstration will be held this Saturday, April 16th at 10:30 am and Sunday, April 17th at 1:30 pm at Linden Hill Gardens. The discussion will focus on the correct use of gardening tools and how select the best tool for your project.

3/11 It may be cold outside, but, it’s SPRING at Linden Hill. The greenhouse is filled with blooms and bright colors!

Join us this Saturday and Sunday, March 26th and 27th at Linden Hill Gardens, for our annual Hellebore Festival. We have many blooming hellebores, including selections from: the Gold Collection, Heronswood varieties, and the Winter Jewels series and more.We will have early blooming bulbs such as galanthus, scilla, narcissus, puschkinia and choice perennials. We are open from 8 am to 4 pm both days (and every day).

Also, new this season: we are carrying organic vegetable seeds from High Mowing Seeds

See you soon!

2/24/11 Stay tuned:

Be sure to tune in on Thursday, March 3rd to The Martha Stewart Show on the Hallmark channel and watch Jerry Fritz discuss galanthus cultivation, history and obsession.

Calling all gardeners! If you would like to arrange a tour of Linden Hill Gardens this year for your garden club, professional group, or as part of an educational program, we would be delighted to host you. We can also assist you by suggesting other local gardens and nurseries, eateries and locations of interest in Bucks County. If you would like to plan a date, please complete this Garden tour request.

2/10/11 Today at Linden Hill, in the greenhouse, we have a little promise of and peek at spring: almost blooming galanthus nivalis!

Last fall, in preparation for the Philadelphia Flower Show, Luke, Jerry and I planted thousands of galanthus bulbs in several locations at the farm- many in the ground, and many more in aged terracotta pots.  We have been meticulously checking their progress and watering them (as snowdrops do not like to dry out). The galanthus are now in various stages of growth, from just poking out of the soil to blooming.

One of Jerry Fritz’s passions and favorite plants are Galanthus (Snowdrops). ‘Galanthus mania’ began when he first saw the wonderous and stunning masses of them at the Royal Horticultural Society in England. He has now started a dedicated club: The Galanthus Group of the Delaware Valley, to discuss and enjoy all things galanthus.

Galanthus (snowdrops) look spectacular when planted with eranthis hyemalis (winter aconite) and helleborus (Linden Hill will be having a Hellebore Festival on March 26th & 27th. More Events here).

A few of the varieties growing at Linden Hill are:

Galanthus nivalis, Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’ & ‘Sam Arnott’ & ‘Viridapice’, Galanthus ikariae, Galanthus elwesii, Galanthus ‘White Dream’

If you are interested in joining The Galanthus Group of the Delaware Valley or in pre-ordering snowdrops, send an email to info@lindenhillgardens.com

Saturday, February 5th at 10:00 am - A Horticultural Chat Room

Announcing: The Ottsville Indoor Farmers’ Market

Barn Entrance at Linden Hill

begonias and rosemary

Iris Gerald Darby

The first monochromatic planting at Linden Hill is complete: The Blue Garden is situated on the right side of the entry drive amongst five Dawn Redwoods, and features a walking path.  We planted every blue/purple- blooming perennial at the nursery, beginning with several varieties of Salvia, Nepeta and Veronica. Other plants include Aster, Camassia, Thalictrum, Campanula, Iris, Kalimeris and those with blue foliage such as Sorghastrum nutans and Rosa glauca. We invite you this spring to enjoy the many different hues and variations within the spectrum of “Blue”.

The critters are hungry!….This week, We have been occupied cutting back perennials in the gardens..the mice and voles have been eating, nesting and tunneling more than ever this year. Their first choice was Iris ensata ’Variegata’ in the front beds. (Thank goodness we had divided and potted up some in the summer!). We have been cutting the remaining iris down to the ground level, as well as most other perennials (especially low ground-hugging plants)- hopefully, this will deter the critters. It is an important  time in the season to spray deer repellent, too -our top choices are Neptune’s Harvest Fish Fertilizer or Liquid Fence.

We encourage you to come over to Linden Hill and make a terrarium to enjoy over the winter, or to give as a holiday present to a friend or family member. We have all of the supplies- beautiful cloches and vessels, super plants and an ample and comfortable work space in our greenhouse.

Three  upcoming events of note:

• Nov. 20th from 11am to 4pm: Bridgeton Hill Holiday Bazaar at The River Valley Waldorf School, 1392 Bridgeton Hill Rd., Upper Black Eddy. Stop by our display and shop for gifts.
• Dec. 4th and 5th from 10am to 4pm: The Ottsville Holiday Festival at Linden Hill Gardens -Join us in the barn and select handmade gifts and enjoy scrumptious food!
• March 6th-13th, 2011: Plan ahead to visit our display at the Philadelphia Flower Show and watch a video of Jerry Fritz planting galanthus bulbs in preparation for the show and spring.

Heuchera sedum and pansy

Last weekend, Jerry and I planted and “refilled” the Courtyard bed, choosing from many of the great perennials we still have in stock. (A reminder -we are still open daily and our half price sale continues- if you, too, are filling in spaces or planning a showy garden for next year). Jerry, as always, quickly conjured up several excellent plant combinations, including  the near metallic Heuchera ‘Sugar Plum’, Sedum ‘Angelina’, and purple pansies. I cannot wait to see the spectacular new combos next year!!

Cardoon

If you planted Cardoon this year as we did, you may be interested to know that they are not only a dramatic addition to your garden, but, they are edible, too!! (And, luckily, not to deer). Check out these recipes that our daring customer, Joanne Isaac sent us, after eating cardoon leaves from Linden Hill.

Also, if you are craving a revisit to summertime gardening, or want to see Phlox ‘Nicky’,: Take a look at this video of the Kiosk Garden that Jerry designed on 7th Street in Allentown,PA. Also starring Matt Yoder,head foreman at Jerry Fritz Garden Design, and Rich Wasiuk.

Happy Planting, and Happy Fall!

Jessica

Jerry and Martha

Last Monday, it was such a treat to accompany Jerry to The Martha Stewart Show. A week prior we had gathered all of the chartreuse plants at the nursery, including a few irresistible specimens from the display beds. We put them into aged terracotta pots, and groomed them for television. We also cut flowers and interesting foliage from the gardens which included Aster tartaricus ’Jindai’, Salvias, Spirea thunbergii ’Mellow Yellow, Grasses, Amaranth, Hydrangeas, Itea and Cardoon. We departed from Linden Hill Gardens with two car loads full of plants. My vehicle carried the cut flowers and pumpkins (Reid Fritz gave each person in the audience a homegrown ‘Jack be little’ pumpkin), and Jerry’s transported all of the potted plants – a rolling, glowing sea of chartreuse!

Full Plant Elevator

We arrived in NYC and the plants were swiftly unloaded and brought up to the set. I was excited to  see the behind-the-scenes workings and bustle of a show such as Martha Stewart. The staff at the show are so friendly, helpful and sweet! They artfully arranged plants and coordinated plans for the show the next day, October 19th. There is even a permanent plant area on the set, a beautiful nook with orchids, begonias, ferns and other specimens, cared for by the show’s gardening expert Andrea Mason.  The other sections such as the kitchen and craft sets were spotless and tastefully decorated (is this a surprise?). The ceiling was totally covered in lights, and the cameras were huge and on wheels.

Jerry with script

The next morning at a coffee shop, Jerry rehearsed the script with fervor and noticed a patron in a full length chartreuse coat with a white flower print. On the way to the show, we accidentally walked in the wrong direction, quickly corrected the mistake, and were right on time.

Chartreuse Plant Display

The show is live, and Jerry did the segments with ease and charisma.  Martha seemed to love all of the chartreuse plants, and commented that her guests often inquire about the Lonicera nitida (Boxleaf honeysuckle). The second segment on Creating a Fall Arrangement was especially fun to watch, and I hope that it encouraged others to make a fall bouquet. The cardoon leaves didn’t make it into the final arrangements, but they do last a long time after being cut, and make a bold and unexpected addition to a composition. (We have plenty of mammoth cardoons growing here at Linden Hill).

Along with some attractive plants, Jerry gave Martha a gift basket of…-Chartreuse hedgehog gourds!!!

For more photographs click here and watch the segment on Chartreuse Plants here.

See you soon,

Jessica

10/15/2010

We are all set for our Season Finale this weekend ‘Time in the Garden’ from 8-9:30 am and our Cart Sale from 10am-4 pm and look forward to our customers enjoying a great sale opportunity. The ‘Time in the Garden’ is a fun and exhilarating chance to gather all the plants that you can within a limited time (5 or 10 minute time slots). If you prefer to take your time, attend the Cart and Carry sale.  Also, special guest Mike McGrath of ‘You Bet Your Garden’ will be here to offer planting tips and answer gardening questions on Sunday October 17th at noon.

I am excited to go to NYC on Monday and Tuesday to the Martha Stewart Show, where I will speak about…. my favorite….CHARTREUSE PLANTS!! Click here to find the airtime of the live show on Tuesday, October 19th on the Hallmark channel.

I look forward to seeing you this weekend!

Jerry Fritz

10/6/2010

Wow! Autumn has arrived and we are packing as much as possible into October before hibernating for the winter season! We are grateful to Tovah Martin, renowned garden writer and author of The New Terrarium, for providing a Terrarium Workshop (click for photos) to a sold out crowd last Saturday! The lecture featured the numerous ways to use plants in glass and highlighted the limited amount of care required to receive maximum amount of beauty and enjoyment from terrariums. After watching Tovah’s ”how to” demo, guests quickly scurried to find their perfect plant combination to bring back to their workshop stations. We had spent the past few weeks preparing for the event so there was no shortage of materials. Reid and I explored the woods for velvety green moss-covered rocks and twigs.  Luke and I collected seed pods from our gardens and waded in the pond to cut the funky looking lotus pods. I connected with suppliers who specialize in the perfect size and cultivars for a terrarium environment and were able to offer a variety of plants. Jess set up the plant and cloche display, and workshop tables in the barn. The variety of vessels were found by scouring yard sales, thrift stores and home goods stores. Unique designs were created by all and beautiful cases were made to take home and enjoy.

If you were sorry to miss the event, please do not hesitate to stop by the barn and use the workshop space that we have set aside with all of the tools, ingredients, vessels and terrarium plants to create your own terrarium. Several of the attendees have come back to visit a few times and my wife, Amy has now made about 4 terrariums for our home. Perhaps a “terrarium therapy” group is in order!

Now I am getting excited for my next addiction, GALANTHUS. More on that later, but, in the meantime, check out our website for our SEASON FINALE surprises in store for the weekend of October 16th and 17th. We will have “Time in the Garden” for those who have their eye on specific plants AND “Cart & Carry” for general gathering for end of season planting. Special guest, Mike McGrath of You Bet Your Garden will also be here to answer your questions on Sunday, October 17th at noon. So find your comfortable hunting shoes and visit our nursery to scout out your favorite plants!

See you soon-I am off to plant bulbs,

Jerry

9/24/2010 Happy Autumn!

Wow, what a rain – we needed it oh so much. I can see our gardens greening up already with a sigh of relief.  Happy first week of fall! This is my favorite time of year with cool evenings and crisp sunlight during the day. Our bulbs have arrived here at the farm, I hope that we can inspire you to plant bulbs and enjoy them next spring. Join us for our Farmers’ Market (Fridays 3-7 pm) and don’t forget to visit our friends at oWow Cow Creamery just one mile north of our gardens. Have fun in the garden,

Jerry Fritz

We have a striking array of spring-flowering bulbs to choose from: dramatic tulips from dark maroon to orange to bright reds and yellows, as well as daffodil  mixes! We also have classic favorites such as Muscari armeniacum, Allium christophii, Scilla siberica and Crocus tommasinianus. Many of these bulbs are critter-resistant, too. The bulbs are available for sale individually, so you may select the exact number that you need or create your own unique mix. As always, I look forward to your visit. -Jessica

The summer season has officially ended and we want to thank all of our loyal customers for supporting us during such a hot and dry season. To thank you, I have decided to reveal my succulent soil mixture secret that you have all asked about. Enjoy!

-small handful of potting mix

-Grain-Grit (chicken grit)

-coarse sand

-Nutricote or other granular fertilizer

Remember to bring your succulent planters inside before the first frost and place them in a south-facing, sunny location. -Luke

What a great weekend at the Garden Writers Annual Symposium! Not only was it an honor to receive an award for our first book, Lessons from Linden Hill, but it was also wonderful to be with passionate plant people from across the country. Who knew that we also share an interest in karaoke?!

I’ve returned home (with a little sore throat) and I am glad to be back in cooler temperatures with welcomed threats of rain. We are enjoying the onset of fall with beautiful gourds and bulb plantings. I hope to see you soon at the nursery or our Friday farmers market!

Join me this Saturday at 10:30 am or Sunday at 1:30 pm for a Garden Walk on Clever Combinations. We will discover many thrilling plant and color pairings for fall. Also, we are gathering plants and supplies for the upcoming Terrarium Workshop with Tovah Martin on October 2nd. Register at info@lindenhillgardens.com -Jessica

Grab those seed packs and a nice flannel shirt, it’s time for fall crops! Last week we planted lettuce, radishes, carrots and other autumn edibles. Now is an ideal time to plant with the cooler weather and early morning moisture. It won’t be long before you can spice up a dull sandwich with some fresh radishes and greens! Some of my favorite varieties are ‘New Red Fire’ Lettuce, ‘Amethyst’ Radishes, ‘Hercules’ Carrots and ‘Gypsy’ Broccoli.

On your next visit, you will notice a beautiful new, yet rustic looking sign at the front entry.

After eight heat waves and only a few inches of rain, summer is almost over. With the fall season right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking of planting gardens for autumn and next spring. Be sure to stay tuned for more fall tips and plant recommendations as the temperature starts to cool down. Below are some of my favorite plants for fall.  -Luke

Dryopteris erythrosora and Carex elata ‘Aurea’

Lespedeza thunbergii ‘Gibraltar’ (closeup)

Anemone ‘Robustissima’

Anemone ‘Whirlwind’

8/25/2010  Deer Resistant Combos for Late Summer

It’s planting time again! This week at Linden Hill, we have been adding many plants to our Deer Resistant Garden. While planting, I noticed several striking combinations:

Kolkwitzia amabilis ‘Maradco’ or Dream Catcher (Beauty Bush)

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian sage)

Asclepias curassavica (Scarlet Milkweed)

FIRE and ICE

Pennisetum setaceum ‘Fireworks’ (Fountain Grass)

Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’ (Japanese Painted Fern)

Coleus ‘Saturn’

Super BOLD leaves!

Yucca filamentosa ‘Color Guard’

Acanthus mollis (Bear’s Breeches)

Caryopteris x clandonensis (Bluebeard)

Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’  (Tiger Eyes Sumac)

Geranium wlassovianum (Wlassov’s geranium)

♦ Linden Hill Gardens Deer Resistant Plant List

-Jessica

The vine itself is very elegant, with wispy foliage, and tiny delicate white flowers which produce  thin, lime green papery globes. When the globes begin to turn brown, you can open them to find three identical black seeds with a perfect white heart on each one. The white heart is raised, and appears as though it  has been enameled on with a tiny paintbrush. This vine is also known as Balloon Vine or Love-in-a-Puff (zones 9-11).

It is a joy to open these globes, and a great surprise to give to others! -Jessica

8/14/2010 A Horticultural Roadtrip

Jerry, Luke and I have just returned from an inspiring road trip and tour of gardens, nurseries and farms (LUCKY, I know!). Our trip began on Wednesday. Our first planned stop was to be Old Farm Nursery in Lakeville, Connecticut. However, while driving through Millbrook, NY, we made a frantic U-turn in order to visit Innisfree Garden, a stunning and dramatic mix of plants, rocks (and plants ON and IN rocks), moss, shade plants at their best, waterfalls and Asian statuary all surrounding a 40 acre lake. Jerry was especially enthusiastic about the moss and stone, Luke about the sedums and stone, and I was drawn to a grouping of old and rambling climbing hydrangea on a stone wall.

Next was Old Farm Nursery in Lakeville, Connecticut, which I found to have a similiar aesthetic sensibility as Linden Hill…a perfect mix of formality and creativity. At the entrance, many sculptural elements and planters were arranged around a pillared dome. We continued to wander, noticing many lovely and practical design decisions.

Back on the road, we headed to Campo de’ Fiori in Sheffield, Massachusetts, makers of hand-crafted, aged pottery and garden decor. Campo de’ Fiori goods are popular and coveted at Linden Hill, so it was extremely exciting to visit their headquarters and showroom (we even got a peek at a stockroom (a hoop house, actually) full of one-of-a-kind creations. Luke, Jerry and I also perused the cloches, and glass containers  for ideas for our upcoming Terrarium Workshop.

In very close proximity to Campo de’ Fiori is an expansive and scenic orchard and nursery called Windy Hill Farm. Luke and I commented on the great health and variety of the plants. We also admired a continuous, curved line of espaliered apple trees.

With great anticipation, we headed to Cady’s Falls Nursery in Morrisville, Vermont, owned by Don and Lela Avery. Cady’s Falls grows almost all of their plants, which is so impressive, everything from conifers to aquatics to Rodgersias (which we brought back, Rodgersia podophylla to be exact, along with Adiantum pedatum ‘Billingsae’ and a few interesting succulents). The display and retail areas are meticulously maintained, and expertly labeled. In the display gardens, I enjoyed the contrast of  the architectural conifers with meandering succulents. The place itself has so much heart, and you can feel the ambition and dedication.

Our last destination on our whirlwind tour was Rockydale Gardens in Bristol, Vermont. It seemed like the sister nursery of Linden Hill Gardens…artful retail displays and signage, friendly staff, marvelous and rare plants, a gift shop in an old barn…..and, ♥ All of us loved the green roof on the checkout barn!

The tour concluded  back at Linden Hill Gardens, (which I must say, looks spectacular!), on Friday, just in time for the Farmer’s Market. I look forward to your visit! -Jessica

8/9/10

This summer has been characterized by no rain, extreme farmer’s tans, and HEAT. I would like to describe a wonderful perennial that beats the heat and provides excellent flowers: SEDUM. Sedum benefits any garden by:

• Providing summer and fall flowers
• Acting as a groundcover
• Displaying fall color (Sedum ‘angelina’ turns a brilliant orange!)
• Showcasing interesting foliage

We have a wide selection of sedum here at Linden Hill Gardens so come and get ‘em while they’re still hot!!

-Luke

8/4/10

Many of you have been interested in Butterfly Gardens and have inquired about the best perennials to provide  a habitat for them. Today, while walking through the gardens, I noticed an abundance of butterflies on Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed), Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan), and Echinacea (Coneflower). Nature provides such a beautiful palette of colors even in the midst of a drought.

-Luke

This page has the following sub pages.

• Fall Internship