Surprises and Lessons From Barbara’s Garden

Looking back at the past year in the garden

Today ’s photos are from Barbara Owen in Wellesley , Massachusetts .

I ’ve been savour the entry from many gardeners picture their “ good in show ” or “ summer highlight . ” As I reviewed my photos from the retiring gardening season , I was reminded of the surprises and lessons my garden had for me .

Sargent cherry(Prunussargentii , Zones 4–7 ) is so beautiful for about three week . Take time to appreciate its lulu while it ’s blooming .

Hellebores(Helleborushybrid , Zones 4–9 ) are such workhorse , starting early in the season , blooming like this mid - April in Massachusetts . It ’s fantastic to have plants blooming in the garden for other bees . Plant more !

We had a blizzard on April 16 . Mother Nature is full of surprise . Gardeners live with a invariant admonisher to be springy and capable to adapt to whatever happens .

Self - seedingcolumbine(Aquilegiahybrid , Zones 3–8 ) . These peak grow where they choose , moving around the garden with episodic encouragement from me , sometimes storm me with their choices . Sometimes the garden is best apprise from a sitting - in - the - dirt level .

Rhododendron ( Zones 5–9 ) . As I take heed to my California family unit reckon each raindrop , I ’m extra appreciative of the pelting that fall in my garden , even when it seems like more than necessary in one storm .

This is ‘ Strawberry Candy ’ daylily(Hemerocallis‘Strawberry Candy ’ , Zones 3–9 ) . I implant , sometimes it rain ; often it ’s sunny and this enthusiasm find . I am so grateful for the delight of the garden flowers .

Remember to be appreciative of the visitors who come out .

Monarch butterfly alight on zinnias(Zinniaelegans , annual ) grow from collected ejaculate . Monarchs , painted ladies , viceroys — all are welcome visitors . Next summertime I ’ll implant even more old maid as well as other industrial plant important to pollinators .

Sometimes the most cautiously plan color schema do n’t work out . My “ red ” garden did n’t look right until I added some accents of purple and white . I think I needed to watch from the range of colors in the old maid and establish from that .

I put a randomly purchased cryptic burgundy coleus(Coleus scutellarioides , Zones 10–11 or as an yearly ) in an out - of - the - way piazza behind a red - orange dahlia(Dahlia variabilis , zone 8–10 or as a legal tender electric-light bulb ) and zinnia frame in by blood-red salvia(Salviasplendens , zone 9–11 or as an annual ) . It decided to grow to have a major space in the color schema , plunk up the colour of the dahlia leaves and contrasting with all the flowers . Sometimes the plants have their own message to share .

Today the garden is hatch with a blanket of 8 inches of snow , a reminder of the dramatic and beautiful variety in our New England landscape from one season to another .

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