Holmes Fine Gardens

The Botanica

Explore our library packed with landscape design projects, informative articles, garden tips and more.

Reimagining Outdoor Spaces: How Winter Inspires Garden Design

February 2, 2025

As a garden designer during the winter in the Northeast, I have more time to contemplate things as we are not busy with the rush of the growing season. Time spent planting, picking up materials, coordinating crews, meeting with clients, and working from sun up until sun down can now be used to work on […]

Clustered Mountain Mint: The 2025 Perennial Plant of the Year

February 2, 2025

  The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) has named clustered mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) its 2025 Perennial Plant of the Year, and it’s easy to see why! This native beauty is a garden superstar, offering stunning looks, low-maintenance care, and incredible benefits for pollinators. Features & Benefits of Clustered Mountain Mint Attractive Silvery Bracts The plant’s […]

Wild and Thriving: A Native Meadow at it’s Best

October 24, 2024

As you step into this backyard meadow in Newtown, CT, your stress melts away as you become immersed in a symphony of sights and sounds. The tall, swaying grasses create a soft rustling, while bursts of wildflowers add vibrant pops of color at every turn. Butterflies and bees dance around you, drawn to the abundance […]

How a Beaver Pond Leveler Saved the Day

October 15, 2024

Our first step was to maneuver the device into the open water, positioning it carefully to ensure optimal flow and stability.   We recently tackled a unique challenge at McLaughlin Vineyard by supporting Dianne Honer, Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator with Beaver and Wildlife Solutions out of Chester, CT. A large beaver dam caused significant flooding, making the […]

Gardening: A Workout, Meditation, and Social Opportunity

July 2, 2024

Many people also report feeling a sense of meaning and purpose when they garden, which is an important contributor to well-being. “Working with plants, people kind of see where they fit in the world,” said Emilee Weaver, the program manager of therapeutic horticulture at the North Carolina Botanical Garden. “They see why they’re valuable because of […]

A Fairy Tale Discovery in Vermont: The Return of False Mermaid-Weed

July 2, 2024

For many, searching for misplaced keys or phones is the extent of their explorations. However, botanists, like Molly Parren and Grace Glynn, dive into fields and riverbanks in pursuit of elusive plants. This poetic life was exemplified when Vermont announced the rediscovery of false mermaid-weed, thought to be locally extinct. The discovery began on May […]

Exploring the Secret World of Fungi to Combat Climate Change

July 2, 2024

  ALERCE COSTERO NATIONAL PARK, Chile — Dr. Toby Kiers, an evolutionary biologist from the Free University of Amsterdam, is on a groundbreaking mission to study underground fungi, which could play a crucial role in addressing climate change. Dr. Kiers and her team collect soil samples to analyze the fungal networks beneath our feet. These […]

Best New Perennials of 2024

April 10, 2024

Let’s dive in!  Echibeckia Summerina series If you lean toward the new and different, consider the Summerina series of echibeckias, a recently developed cross between coneflowers (Echinacea) and gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia). This newcomer was also showy enough to win a couple of awards in 2023 and is touted as being the most interesting plant in […]

A Winter Meadow: Full of Life and Art 

January 23, 2024

In the heart of winter, a meadow trades the bright purples, yellows, and shades of green of the growing season for softer shades of sepia and brown. These muted tones could fool us into thinking not much is happening this time of year, but in reality, life is everywhere when you look for its clues […]

Beautiful and Bucolic…with a View

October 11, 2023

The ultimate New England backyard landscape. My backyard landscape has evolved over the last 17 years. Whether viewed from my kitchen window, sitting at the ornamental fish pond, or strolling the mowed paths of the lawn, I want my yard to represent a love of shape, color, and whimsy. It’s not just about plants! Every […]

6 Must-Read Tips For Planting Bulbs In The Fall

October 5, 2023

Fritillaria meleagris – also known as guinea hen flowers Planting bulbs now is a great idea for spring flowers later. But check out our valuable tips before you start digging.Bulbs are one of the best ways to have a colorful spring garden, but when it comes to fall bulb planting, there are a few things […]

A Three Year Old Meadow Comes Into its Own

July 26, 2023

“It was February 2020, and the pandemic had just begun. I was working from home, looked out at my property, and realized my beautiful woodlands were slowly getting strangled by a relentless invasion of non-native plants – aka invasives. I was almost in tears when I decided to reach out to Dan Holmes to see […]

Water Wisely

May 24, 2023

When it comes to watering new plants and shrubs, it’s important to strike a balance to promote healthy growth without over-watering or under-watering your new plant material. Here are some general guidelines to follow: Watering frequency: New plants and shrubs typically require more frequent watering than established ones. In the first few weeks after planting, […]

Introducing Our New Designer

April 10, 2023

  Darylynn joined Dan’s design team last season after moving here from Manhattan where she recently traded fashion for flowers. She comes to Holmes Fine Gardens with a background in designing shoes and accessories. Designing gardens is a natural transition she’s just as passionate about. As they say…once a creative, always a creative. Her newest […]

A Focal Point For All Seasons

April 10, 2023

Basic firepit ring in place and ready for planting. As part of the front yard renovation of this beautiful property in Newtown, the homeowners wanted to creatively hide the top of their well cover while adding interest and color. The house itself is perched high up on their land with a pastoral view that draws […]

6 Steps for Installing a Native Wildflower Meadow

February 1, 2023

Wildflower Meadow – Holcombe Hill, Newtown, CT. We’ve been talking about meadows for many years. And yes, we’re passionate about planting them here at HFG. Why? There are many benefits to you, the homeowner, and even more to Mother Earth. By planting natives, the foundation plant of a meadow, you become part of the ever-important […]

Tranquil Space – an Invitation to Presence

October 10, 2022

The precise placement of stepping stones invites one to deliberately slow down one’s pace. For 19 years, the land placed in our stewardship lay untouched and silent with respect to its purpose.  Aside from a few photo ops in the snow and the occasional round of catch or frisbee, the land remained a peripheral witness […]

10 Ways to Create a Secret Garden

July 11, 2022

You can design your garden to feel like a secluded backyard retreat, a world apart from the hustle of daily life No matter where your plot of land is — in the heart of a bustling city or down a quiet lane — there’s an opportunity to make your yard feel like a secret, secluded […]

One Fantastical Garden

July 7, 2022

For Susan McLaughlin, her wooded, lakeside house in Newtown, CT plays an influential role in her artistic vision as a magical realist painter. By providing her with an environment that comes alive with the sights and sounds of nature, she’s able to closely study as an explorer would by uncovering, recording, and rearranging the beauty […]

The Dog Days of Summer To-Do List

July 5, 2022

A Water-Wise Focus: A saturating inch per week is optimal for most plants. Allow lawns to go dormant during a period of drought and regularly water only new annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees. Saturating plants about an inch a week is optimal for most plants. Plan to water early and on windless days to prevent […]

Poolscaping 101

July 5, 2022

Before you start planting, consider the following: Color: Ensure you have continuous color from spring through late fall. Pines, ferns, and hostas provide a relaxing, cool feel, while black-eyed susans, echinacea, and lilies add pops of color. Mulch adds a finishing touch and the earth tone accentuates the plants from the hardscape area of your […]

A Deep Dive into Invasive Plants

March 29, 2022

  As the owner of Holmes Fine Gardens, I spend a lot of time driving through the neighborhoods of Newtown and its surrounding towns. And since this region is void of skyscrapers or big cities (ok, we have none!), the world around me is clearly in view at all times. I observe lakes, forests, sterile […]

Welcome Fall & the Wonders of Water Features

March 27, 2022

Welcome to the Fall Edition of our Quarterly Newsletter!  The Pumpkin Spice Everything season has arrived, and that means a busy time in the garden on all fronts. Fall is a great time to get to work on the usual end of season checklist but it’s also a time to move forward with your wishlist… from […]

The Importance of Rewilding Our Landscapes

January 20, 2022

As a landscape designer, I’m constantly taking in elements of the surrounding landscape, both in my many travels throughout the U.S. and at properties, I visit locally. I often slow my car down to a crawl, sometimes parking on the shoulder with hazards blinking, just to get a better view of a visually appealing landscape […]

It’s Time to Start Planning!

March 5, 2021

  Welcome to the Winter Edition of our new Quarterly Newsletter!  Winter may seem like a quiet time in the landscape – in actuality, it’s anything but. Along with keeping an eye on plants and prepping garden tools for use in spring, taking a closer look at invasive plants while they’re in a dormant state […]

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