Fred Gonsowski would like to share his gardening wisdom

June 18, 2018 9:23 AM

Fred Gonsowski has been sharing gardening tips at Fred Gonsowski Garden Home since 2010 based on his experience building a beautiful garden at his upstate New York home.

Fred has a talent for explaining foundational concepts in a simple, easy to understand way through his words and sketches. Lessons include: Staggering plant heights when planting | Focus on the shapes of leaves when designing a perennial garden | What to consider with evergreens | Garden design: mass vs. specimen planting | How to design a shade garden | Colored foliage adds the WOW | Designing and planting a hosta garden | Designing and laying out flower beds | Designing and planting foundation plants in front of your home

Enjoy the gardening content? Fred also offers lessons in interior design and shares his road trips / garden tours.

posted by imabanana (5 comments total)

I came across this site recently when Googling how much space I needed to leave between my house and a new garden bed, and it gave me an "old school internet" feeling I haven't felt in a long time. An individual person diligently sharing their hobby and experiences with no aim towards monetization, seemingly just doing it out of love.
posted by imabanana at 9:26 AM on June 18, 2018 [5 favorites]

Ok, after 10 minutes on Fred Gonsowski's blog, I must say I'm right in love with Fred Gonsowski.

For several reasons, the first being that he lives with great style in a modest ranch. Also, he re-painted his mother's chain link fence posts when they started looking scruffy. Also, he decorates for Easter with multitudes of plastic eggs and they're perfect. And most of all, his garden blogs answer many questions I'm wrestling with trying to establish my own modest dwelling's garden spaces.
posted by Gnella at 10:11 AM on June 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

Take a number, Gnella. The charming website, the modest ranch Gonsowski tricked out with trompe l'oeil doors, the extravagant garden... That he named the whole homestead enterprise "Whimsey Hill House" is just icing.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:19 AM on June 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Didn't even pick up on the doors! So much to explore. Imabanana, thanks for this - wisdom indeed!
posted by Gnella at 1:02 PM on June 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Hilariously I just planted a hosta garden in my front yard, and as the plants matured it looks like I purposed planted a giant side view penis and testicles. I will be reading his "Designing and planting a hosta garden" immediately.
posted by lstanley at 2:50 PM on June 18, 2018 [2 favorites]