Anna Tsai in Bayside, Wisconsin, is welcoming us into her garden today.
The backyard was only some overgrown bushes and hostas when we moved in 24 years ago. I opened up flower beds, worked on the soil, and then started planting different plants that grow well in wet and shady areas. l also replaced the old and sick trees with my favorite evergreen trees. It’s a lot of work, but I enjoy seeing my garden completely changed.
High summer in the garden, with dahlias (Dahlia × variabilis, Zones 8–10 or as a tender bulb)
This garden is overflowing with beauty now, so it’s hard to believe it was just overgrown bushes before.
Huge leaves of elephant’s ear (Colocasia esculenta, Zones 7–11) make a dramatic textural contrast to the rest of the garden.
Bearded irises (Iris hybrids, Zones 3–8) steal the show in early summer.
Clematis (Clematis hybrids, Zones 4–8) drape an arbor in flowers.
A sea of brilliant pink astilbe (Astilbe hybrid, Zones 4–9)
Yellow Heliopsis helianthoides (Zones 3–9) takes center stage, backed up by beautiful astilbe.
Beautiful foliage in contrasting colors and textures makes the perfect setting for a brilliant tower of lily (Lilium hybrid, Zones 4–8) blooms.
Glowing orange daylilies (Hemerocallis hybrid, Zones 4–10)
A final view of this magical garden
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