My name is James Hughes, and I garden in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. My focus tends to be on using coastal natives in creative (hopefully) ways. Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica, Zones 3–7), beach plum (Prunus maritima, Zones 3–8), goldenrod (Solidago spp.), cedar (Juniperus virginiana, Zones 2–9), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium, Zones 3–9), and blueberry
Garden Design
Throughout 2020 and 2021 many things have changed. We have learned new ways to greet each other, how to read eyes instead of smiles, and how to simply communicate differently. One of the best things to come out of this terrible time is the ability to more easily connect with and learn from gardeners all
One of the nice things about having perennials in your garden is that the yearly maintenance is easy; simply cut them to the ground in spring when new growth begins to emerge. You do not have to worry about one of the main maintenance issues we deal with when it comes to shrubs: getting the
Today we’re in the town of North East, Pennsylvania, visiting Charlene Kerr’s garden. We are located on the south shore of Lake Erie, in northwestern Pennsylvania (even though the town is named North East!). The lake provides cooler springs and warmer falls, making it ideal for grape vineyards and cherry and apple orchards, and our
Today we’re in Memphis, Tennessee, visiting Renee’s garden. My name is Renee, and I’ve been gardening about 11 years. We’ve been at our current property six years. I did all of the design and a majority of the work myself. I also do most of the upkeep myself. When people ask me who I am,
Mary Spencer is sharing her garden with us today. I have lived in Westminster, Maryland, for 22 years and have been gardening the entire time. My garden has been a lifeline for me this year. I have a lot of shade. Nothing says spring like pansies and violas (Viola × wittrockiana, cool-season annual). With an
Today we’re visiting with Tina Bemis in Spencer, Massachusetts. This is the front of my house: the yellow, orange, and red garden. It has been in for seven years, but I doubled the size of it last year. I took this picture last summer. I sprung for a palm tree (at the far right of
GPOD regular Cherry Ong (Cherry’s Containers Day 1 and A Clean Slate Transformed) is inviting us back to her garden in Richmond, British Columbia. It is a bit cold here still right now, so half of my annuals are stored in the garage (sadly). Hope it warms up, but we’ve had some years where the
Have a small outdoor space or just not ready to commit to a permanent garden? Container gardens are a simple and easy way to transform your outdoor space into an oasis. The LECHUZA BALCONERA helps make your container dreams come true. Thanks to the sub-irrigation system, frequent watering is no longer necessary, allowing for more
Like a blank canvas, a new container presents limitless opportunity and options for form, color and texture. But before letting your imagination run wild with garden container designs for over-the-top plantings and robust spillers, fillers, and thrillers, there are a few questions you should ask yourself. Location Consider your environment and the microclimate of the location
My name is Clare Oliva, and I live and garden in northern New Jersey. Photos of my garden have previously been featured on Garden Photo of the Day (Clare’s Garden in New Jersey Day 1 of 2). Since the spring garden was glorious this year, I thought I would share some pictures. This is one
My name is Sandi Marriott, and I have been gardening for about 30 years. I live in northern Vermont, Zone 4B. The soil is sandy, but over the years I have amended with compost and shredded maple leaves, so it’s much better. I have mostly perennials in my main garden but reserve a space for
Lynne from the Midwest is a longtime gardener, but these pictures are all from a new garden (Zone 6) Lynne has been working in for the past three years. A weigela (Weigela florida, Zones 4–8) shrub is loaded down with pink flowers. Newer breeding on weigela have focused on colorful foliage and compact growth habits,
We’re seeing photos of Deb Fitzgerald’s garden today. I live close to the buckle of the snowbelt in northeastern Ohio. I’m blessed with a woodland, a wetland, and a pollinator bed, plus sun for perennials, which adds a zone in spots close to the house. Spring vetchling (Lathyrus vernus, Zones 5–9) is a beautiful little
Today we’re headed to Westerville, Ohio, to see a beautiful display created by Marlene Suter. When she emailed in these photos, she introduced them by saying simply, “I love spring bulbs, and plant about 2,000 each year in my gardens.” Two thousand each year! That’s pretty incredible—and a LOT of work putting all of those
In issue 200, Lisa Roper demonstrated how hand-cast leaves can create artful niches for drought-loving plants like succulents (“Staging a Container Display,” p. 39). If you would like to create a planter of your own, follow these excellent step-by-step instructions from Lisa. Cast leaves are made from a mix of portland cement, builders sand, and
Being more conscious of the water we use in our gardens is not a responsibility left only to those that experience extreme droughts. If you live in an area that gets regular rain, you might think water is an abundant resource, but this isn’t necessarily the case. Less than 1 percent of the water on
Today we have some fun photos from Kathy Schreurs in Sheldon, Iowa. I’m going to submit some photos taken last summer. They are not your typical GPOD, although every flower pictured did indeed come from my garden. I love playing with freshly picked flowers from our borders, tucking them into my vintage vases and teapots,
Today we’re headed off to Angeln in northern Germany! Tracy Asmussen is sharing some shots of a beautiful home garden while eagerly anticipating the arrival of summer. I love how every petal on this lovely rose flower seems to be shaded a different color. I wonder if it smells as beautiful as it looks? Nothing
Today Kris Campbell-Defoe from New Paltz, New York (in the Hudson Valley region) is sharing some garden beauties. I love these photos because they focus in on small details, finding the beauty in little things I often overlook. They make me want to walk around my garden and take a closer look at each of