Happy Monday GPODers!
You can learn a lot about a garden from one submission to Garden Photo of the Day, but I think the full picture really comes into view when we see a space in at least two seasons. This was absolutely the case when I saw this submission from Bonnie Phipps in Boulder, Colorado. Bonnie first shared her gorgeous garden in fall of 2022 (check that post out here: November in Colorado), and showcased the wonderful autumn color that emerges in the late season. Today we get to see her space in its peak spring and summer bloom, with a delicious assortment of textures that bring insane interest to everything from shady corners to foundation plantings. While Bonnie’s first submission was wonderful and gave us a great glimpse into her space, the following photos and descriptions unveil even more personality and perspective.
Hello, I sent some fall photos that you shared a few years ago and I’ve been meaning to send more but time gets away from me. So this time I set aside many hours and days to go through my photos from the last several years. I’ve organized the ones that look nice into various themes. I think I have about 5 future submissions to send so far. I think my favorite part about Fine Gardening is seeing the Photo of the Day submissions.
I gardened in Denver for about 7 years before I moved to Boulder, Colorado (zone 4-5). We live on a 4 house cul-de-sac and our house is set at an angle on our lot so our garden is divided into several sections which is quite nice. It is a quarter-acre plot but feels much bigger because it’s all garden – I only have a small 19’ diameter circle of grass in the back. I’ve been gardening in our yard since 2006, one section at a time. I’m interested in design and texture as I garden.
This submission is an overview of the north side of our garden. In 2006 we had a landscape company put in the hardscape including the walking circle that I designed for my husband to do walking meditation. Nancy Loving of Loving Gardens designed the area near the house and the rock garden but I’ve had to change it quite a bit over the last 18 years as plants get overgrown or die. I learned a lot from Nancy and used what I learned to design other areas of our garden and to make necessary changes to the old areas over the years.
My Garden Angel
Our welcoming rose arch. It’s 18 years old and going strong! Our parking area is just to the front and to the left side of it.
The path that leads into the garden from the rose arch. The plant on the bottom left side of the photo is Matcha Ball® ash leaf false spirea (Sorbaria sorbifolia ‘Levgreen’, Zones 3–7). I just discovered it this year and I love the texture. I’m going to find places to add more this coming season!
About 8 years ago, I tore this whole section up and started from scratch (except the tree). I put yews in the back to create a backdrop for the statue. I used golden creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’, Zones 4–8) to lead up to the statue and planted a line of dark coral bells on each side then added plants to fill in behind. I love creeping Jenny and use it a lot in various sections of the garden. It is easy to pull out when it gets out of bounds. This spring, I will need to shorten the yews to let more light in so the hydrangeas behind the statue bloom more.
My husband’s walking circle. The 3 rocks symbolize Man, Earth, and Sky. The pic is from the fall as the Annabelle hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’, Zones 3–9) are in bloom. That’s Carol Mackie daphne (Daphne × burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’, Zones 3–9) to the right of the hydrangeas, but they died last year and I put more hydrangeas in its place.
Another path that leads into the walking circle. This is a spring pic and the yellow blooms around the walking circle are from Oakleaf sedum (Sedum hybridum, Zones 4–10). They have been there since 2006 and have never died. It must love it there because believe me, I have a lot of things that die!!!
A spring picture. The path leads from the walking circle area to the very backyard. You can see a little of the small grass circle at the end of the path.
A summer picture from last year which shows a metal art I added. The variety of textures here really works for me. That’s what I try for but don’t always get. I learned about creating texture from Nancy Loving.
Another view of the area shows the “rock garden” on the top right and the Itoh peonies on the bottom left.
The walking circle with the Flower Garden on the right. (That’s another submission to come.)
Thank you so much for sharing your gorgeous garden with us again, Bonnie! After seeing the sensational fall color you’ve achieved from your first submission, it was absolutely no surprise that your spring and summer gardens are a filled with endless interest and personality. I’m already eagerly anticipating your future submissions and seeing more of your fabulous designs.
Are you ready for the growth and color that is coming our way this spring and summer? Let’s ring in the growing season by celebrating some color and fun! If the earliest signs of spring are emerging from your garden, or you’re still looking back at pictures from last spring in anticipation of the first blooms of this year, share your spring photos with Garden Photo of the Day! Follow the directions below to submit your photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
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