Garden Photo of the Day

Blooms in Maxine’s Garden

Transforming a weedy space

By GPOD Contributor
white daisy with variegated foliage

Maxine Brisport in Rotterdam, New York, is welcoming us into her garden today.

I started this garden four years ago. It took hours of cutting down very thick foliage (weeds, vines, small trees), as well as removing very large roots, before we could get to the point of preparing the soil for planting.

garden bed with pink, purple, and yellow flowers in bloom
All the hard work clearing this space has paid off! It is now full of beautiful flowers.

white daisy with variegated foliage
This variegated foliage is from a different plant than the shasta daisy (Leucanthemum × superbum, Zones 5–9), but they sure look amazing together!

close up of bright pink roseThis pretty spectacular rose looks like it might be the classic grandiflora variety ‘Love’. These classic roses can be a bit fussy to grow, but the incredible blooms sure are a good payoff.

light yellow and white lilies
And here’s a huge Oriental lily (Lilium hybrid, Oriental group, Zones 3–9). Oriental lilies have some of the biggest, most beautiful, and most fragrant blooms of the lily world. They thrive the best in rich soil and in areas with summers that don’t get too hot. Clearly Maxine is giving this one everything it could want!

close up with large red flower and dark foliage
Perennial hibiscus are huge-flowered plants bred from species native to North America. As you can see from this gorgeous example (Hibiscus hybrid, Zones 5–9), they make an over-the-top statement in the summer garden.

close up of giant light pink hibiscus flower
Another hardy hibiscus

dark hibiscus foliage in front of red bee balm
Many hardy hibiscus—especially newer breeds and those with darker flowers—have beautiful red-tinted foliage. Even without flowers, this one looks great complementing the bright red monarda (Monarda didyma, Zones 4–9) behind it.

peach colored lily flower covered in water drops
It’s hard to beat daylilies (Hemerocallis hybrid, Zones 4–9) for durable, reliable beauty.

summer garden bed in front of woods
Formerly a patch of weeds, this garden is now filled with beauty.

 

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 gpod@taunton.com 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.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

SHOWA Atlas 370B Nitrile Palm Coating Gloves, Black, Medium (Pack of 12 Pairs)

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Lightweight and close-fitting for excellent dexterity. Machine washable. Breathable back of hand to reduce perspiration. Designed for easy movement and continuous wear. Ideal for aerospace, assembly, automotive, construction, final fix, gardening, manufacturing, operating machinery, packaging, precision handling, tiling, warehousing.
Buy at Amazon

Corona E-Grip Trowel

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Handle Material: Aluminum. Handle Length: 14-1/2 in. Overall Length: 14.5 in. Head Material: Aluminum. Handle Color: Red.
Buy at Amazon

Scotts Cordless Grass-Shear/Shrub-Trimmer Combo

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

With a built-in 7.2-volt lithium-ion battery, this little guy weighs less than 2 lb. and can zip through all your minor pruning tasks quickly and easily.
- 13.5 x 3 x 5 inches
- Uses a 7.2-Volt 2Ah high-capacity built-in lithium-ion battery; Includes a fast charger
Buy at Amazon
X
View 10 comments

Comments

  1. User avater
    treasuresmom 08/08/2022

    GPOD, page admin. I am no longer receiving the daily emails. Have they been suspended?

  2. User avater
    treasuresmom 08/08/2022

    Maxine, everything is so lovely.

  3. starvnmarvn 08/08/2022

    Outstanding design & material!

  4. slepskip@comcast.net 08/08/2022

    Beauty everywhere! Great job, and thanks for sharing and inspiring us. Would love to see the "before" view!

  5. btucker9675 08/08/2022

    Such a pretty garden!! The photo with the hardy hibiscus foliage and the vivid red monarda is particularly lovely.

  6. fromvirginia 08/08/2022

    I’m not getting the daily emails either…..

  7. fromvirginia 08/08/2022

    Love the hardy hibiscus and that rose is gorgeous!

  8. Maggieat11 08/08/2022

    Great job! Your gardens look fabulous! ✨🍃✨

  9. User avater
    simplesue 08/09/2022

    A beautiful accomplishment!

  10. delancey 08/09/2022

    Maxine, the rose and the red hibiscus are stunning!
    I’d love to have the name of the plant with variegated foliage (behind the daisy), if you know it (or, does anyone else?). Thanks.

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Related Articles

The Latest

Design
Gardening: The Original Outdoor Living | Letter from the Editor

Let’s talk about a phrase that never fails to make me laugh: “outdoor design and living.” As if gardening isn’t, at its core, the ultimate act of designing an outdoor…
Design
Is No Mow May a Good Idea?

No mow may, a movement that started in 2019 in the U.K., has challenged how we think about lawns. For at least one month of the year, we are encouraged…
How-To
Easy Ways to Make Any Lawn More Eco-Friendly

Replacing your lawn with a matrix of native plants might not be an option for you, but you can still move the ecological needle in the right direction in your…

Video

View All Videos
Design

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be careful when you enter the backyard of garden designer Jeff Epping—not because you’re likely to trip on something, but because you might be dive-bombed by a pair…
Design

4 Midsummer Favorites From a Plant Breeder's Garden
How-To

4 Steps to Remove Invasive Plants in Your Yard
Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants

Episode 179: Most Beautiful Flowers  
Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants

Episode 178: Best Interview Moments from Let's Argue About Plants