Since the launch of Quick Takes last year, we’ve noted quite a few of our featured experts have lamented the ubiquity of wildflower meadows. Not that there’s anything wrong with them, they say, but they’re not right for every landscape, nor are they the only way to grow native plants. For one thing, natives can be used in refined ways in formal settings—and, arguably, nowhere is this more beautifully executed in the US than at Stoneleigh, a 42-acre former estate turned public “natural garden” in Villanova, PA. At Stoneleigh, which is overseen by conservation non-profit Natural Lands, the hedges are neat and clipped, but rather than a monoculture of, say, boxwoods, they’re a mix of wildlife-benefiting shrubs. 

Today, we have the pleasure of sharing Stoneleigh director Ethan Kauffman’s Quick Takes answers. He’s not only a master of transforming private gardens into public spaces and “creating experiences that inspire others to garden for beauty, biodiversity, and the health of our planet,” but, as it turns out, he’s also a great storyteller. Read on to learn the plant he finds “boring and musty, like tassels on furniture”; the flower that caused him to “avert his eyes”; and that time he used tiger pee (yes, tiger pee) in a garden.

Photography courtesy of Stoneleigh.

Your first garden memory:

When I was in nursery school there was this large bleeding heart that poked through the iron fence into the playground from the neighbor’s garden. The overlapping pink and white flowers were absolutely spellbinding, and I still remember peeling them apart and bringing the pieces home to my mom. When my birthday came around, she took me to the nursery, and I picked out my very own bleeding heart. We planted it together the same day in the front yard, which is the memory I cherish the most. Thanks, Mom!

Describe in three words your garden aesthetic.

Eclectic, spontaneous, expressive.

Plant that makes you want to run the other way:

Personally, I find boxwoods incredibly boring and musty, like tassels on furniture. The really big and old gnarled ones are cool, though.

Favorite go-to plant:

If I had to name one, maybe Yucca. They are so unique in form, and there are few better plants for contrast and texture. I love the icy blue, super chilled steel look of the straight species foliage and the variegated ones are electric. Everyone forgets about the flowers (except for yucca moths!), but they are incredible.

Hardest gardening lesson you’ve learned:

Take care of that girdling root as soon as you see it—it will save you some serious heartbreak ten years later.

Unpopular gardening opinion:

Many probably disagree with this take, but I don’t mind the practice of topping crape myrtles—aka “Crape Murder.” If you like it, then go for it. Just garden the way it makes you happy and don’t always worry what the experts say.

Gardening or design trend that needs to go:

The first time I saw a blue-dyed Phalaenopsis orchid, I wanted to avert my eyes. There is just something jarring about taking a white flowered masterpiece and making it look like it was doused in Gatorade.

Old wives’ tale gardening trick that actually works:

Back in the late ’90s, I worked at a zoo and it was at the beginning of my gardening career. We had these species tulips that were constantly being munched on by rabbits. My more experienced co-worker suggested “predator urine.” Whaaat?? I thought there is NO WAY that will work. After sweet-talking a sympathetic zoo keeper, we proceeded to slather our precious bulbs in grade A tiger pee. And guess what? It worked….at least until it rained.

Favorite gardening hack:

If you’ve been stuck in a drought, spend hours thoroughly watering every plant in your garden. You’ll be rewarded with an unexpected torrential downpour the next day. Trust me.

Favorite way to bring the outdoors in.

A simple and cheery bouquet always does the trick.

Every garden needs a…

A sweet little fox just to keep things in balance.

Favorite hardscaping material:

It all depends on the context, but the best thing about hardscaping is the greater access it provides for people to enjoy gardens.

Tool you can’t live without:

Kusakichi Bachi Gata hand hoe. This is both a weed smasher and plug planter extraordinaire. The downward motion is powerful and efficient, and the long wooden handle means you don’t have to stoop all the way to the ground.

Go-to gardening outfit:

I like to keep it pretty simple. Well-worn jeans, boots, and a comfy T-shirt will do most days. The feel of plants and soil in my hands is requisite, so I never wear gloves.

Favorite nursery, plant shop, or seed company:

If you like rare and unusual perennials, then Plant Delights Nursery is the choice. Yes, the plants are a little expensive. Yes, the plants can be on the smaller side. But no other mail-order nursery has offered as many unique, hard to find, and downright thrilling plants over the years—and it’s not even close.

On your wishlist:

A watering wand that doesn’t leak all over my boots.

Not-to-be-missed public garden/park/botanical garden:

Chanticleer in Wayne, PA, which is only three miles from us. It’s famous for a reason—the entire garden is a stunning work of art. Jenkins Arboretum, which is also nearby, is another favorite. It’s a warm, community-driven space with a sheltering canopy of trees and a show-stopping display of rhododendrons come spring.

The REAL reason you garden:

There is nothing quite like nurturing a piece of land and dreaming about what’s to come, but sharing it with others is the best part.

Anything else you’d like us to know? Future projects?

We are in the process of designing a stylized thicket to install in the spring. Thickets are well known for their wildlife benefits, but they aren’t often appreciated for their ornamental qualities. . . at least not yet. We plan to incorporate numerous species in drifts to create a shifting tapestry of texture, color, and verticality that will be just as appealing to a flock of kinglets as it is to us.

Thank you so much, Ethan!