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Dorothy Gilman

Dorothy Gilman

Dorothy Gilman writes about gardening and the outdoors for The Belmont Voice.

Garden Gems: Aster Season Arrives with Autumn

October 8, 2025
As fall comes to New England, asters come into their own, blooming from August into October in a range of colors–blues, pinks, purples and white–with some varieties flowering after frost. They can be tall or short, thrive in sun or shade, and…

Garden Gems: Container Gardening With Native Plants

April 28, 2025
Using native plants in containers brings a bit of nature to your doorstep. The mini-habitat you create will benefit pollinating insects seeking food and shelter. Native plants are relatively pest-free, they can live for years, and the planting process is no different…
A bench under a tree

Garden Gems: March Dos and Don’ts

March 13, 2025
As the sun climbs higher and the days grow longer, gardeners get fidgety. We want to do something – anything–in the garden. We want to see if our earliest perennials are up yet. Or we may become obsessed thinking of a plant…

Garden Gems: My Gift List for the Gardener in Your Life

November 25, 2024
A Broom Around the house, a whisk broom comes in very handy for tidying up after a seed starting or repotting session. Elevate the task with a beautifully made, hand-tied, “turkey wing” whisk broom from Havencroft, $35, or find them on Etsy.com.…

Garden Gems: A Drought-Tolerant Shade Tree

November 18, 2024
As dry weather persists nationwide, nurseries are turning their attention to drought-tolerant plants. On a list extolling the virtues of five drought-tolerant trees, I was pleased to see a favorite denizen of my garden, Acer rubrum, the red maple. Previous Columns Red…

Garden Gems: Purple Love Grass is the Perfect Perennial

August 26, 2024
In this summer of extremes—drench, drought, horrible heat—many plants in my garden have struggled. But one of them, purple love grass, Eragrostis spectabilis, has taken it all in beautiful stride. Purple love grass is an easy to grow, low-maintenance, perennial bunchgrass. It…

Garden Gems: You Can Grow Cactus in New England

August 9, 2024
Years ago, when shopping for rock garden plants at my local nursery, I was surprised to find a cactus, eastern prickly pear, Opuntia humifusa, on offer. The notion of growing cactus in my east coast garden, some 2,500 miles from the nearest…

Garden Gems: Mayapples, Bumblebees, and Box Turtles

June 9, 2024
Mayapples, Podophyllum peltatum, are an interesting native woodland plant. Their wide (around one foot) deeply lobed leaves are carried singly or in pairs on 12 to 15-inch stems; a group of them resembles an encampment of green umbrellas, rather like an illustration…
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