Sandra Hung, in West Chester, Pennsylvania, sent in today’s photos.

I have learned about gardening since I was little, about four or five years old, and have always enjoyed it.

I moved to the United States in 2001 and never really got the opportunity to do much gardening, since I have always lived in townhomes and life has been busy. Last summer, though, during the pandemic, I paid more attention to our little patch. The builders planted an evergreen tree that grew up to 20 feet and needed to be taken down last summer. Now, I have a bed full of possibilities. I am an avid bird watcher and love bringing in fresh flowers from my garden. I am experimenting with different perennials this year to see what works well with our climate, sun location, and soil, and what plants grow well with each other and what plants come up first during each season. I would love to have a small cutting garden and also make it a pollinator garden.

I am also experimenting with what crops I can grow other than my usual herbs, which I dry and use a lot for cooking. I am now enjoying learning about how to create a sustainable garden even if it is just a few simple plants. I started growing seeds indoors as well and have brought some out in my small deck. It is satisfying to watch the little seedlings sprout and watching nature do its thing.

This is one of the magnolias that grow in my neighborhood (Magnolia stellata, Zones 4–8).

This bud of a hybrid magnolia (Magnolia hybrid, Zones 4–9) is just about to open.

A rich pink hybrid magnolia bloom

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