It’s always a treat when award-winning landscape designer Jay Sifford sends in photos of his fabulous home garden in the mountains of North Carolina. Today we have an extra-special treat:

Many are familiar with my septic drain field turned stylized meadow in the front yard of my house called Rhodwood, which is located in the western North Carolina mountains at 3300 feet. We were Zone 6b; now we’re 7a. Fewer have seen the back garden, accessed by a series of switchback steps. This area is comprised of a large rhododendron maximum forest with a high tree canopy, complete with two natural bogs and a stream with rapids.

The natural plant palette contains mostly spring ephemerals that are gone by the end of June, just about the time the front garden peaks. Hundreds of native skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus, Zones 4–7) , Trillium sulcatum (southern red trillium, Zones 4–7), Veratrum, and marsh marigolds (Caltha palustris, Zones 3–7) form the framework. My goal was to embellish this natural wonderland with native and nonnative plants that look at home in the space.

Jay sent a true treasure trove of spring plant photos, so we’ll be back in his garden tomorrow to see more of what he’s growing.

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

Lee Valley Garden Obelisks

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

Sturdy yet lightweight, these obelisks provide ample support for climbing plants while being easy to install and move. The medium obelisk stands 68 1/2" high overall with a diameter of about 9 1/2", compact enough for smaller containers indoors or out. The large size stands 86 1/2" high with a diameter of 15 3/4", ideal for larger outdoor spaces and containers.

Buy at Lee Valley

Corona® Multi-Purpose Metal Mini Garden Shovel

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

Longer Service Life: The blade of this round small shovel is made of carbon steel, which can effectively improve the hardness by high temperature quenching, and the surface has anti-rust coating to avoid rusting. In the process of use when encountering hard objects will not bend and deformation. Sturdy Structure: The small garden shovel with D-handle, ergonomically designed grip can increase the grip of the hand when using, the handle is made of strong fiberglass, will not bend and break under heavy pressure. Quick Digging: Well-made digging shovel has a sharp blade, and the round shovel head is designed to easily penetrate the soil and cut quickly while digging to enhance your work efficiency.

Buy at Amazon

The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees

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

The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Doug Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area.

Buy at Amazon