Garden Photo of the Day

A Passion for Growing From Seed

Growing outside of Washington, D.C.

By GPOD Contributor
two small dogs in a garden seating area surrounded by potted plants

Today’s photos are from Lesley Golenor.

For the past 10 years, since I started gardening, growing flowers from seed has been my passion. I love experimenting with different varieties, colors, and texture combinations. Lately I’ve been growing a lot more for drying purposes. Who doesn’t want flowers in their home and to share all year round? Up until 2020 I was gardening out of a small urban rowhouse lot in Washington, D.C. Now I’m in the ‘burbs and have a lot more room to play with, so I’ve been expanding my plant palette with more trees, shrubs, and perennials, fitting in as many native plants as I can and focusing on supporting wildlife—and dog-life, as my garden companions Ripley and Max remind me to maintain a chasing circuit for them as I carve out new beds. While I continue to build out the design of my new garden, packing in annuals grown from seed is a rewarding and inexpensive way to fill in the gaps, both for me and for the pollinators. I know it will take years to achieve the lawn-free, layered, and mature garden of my dreams, but I could not be more thrilled for the journey ahead!

section of the garden with lots of tropical foliage plants
Big banana (Musa sp.) leaves set the tone in the background, while a diversity of bright foliage and a few flowers fill in the gaps.

bouquet of pink and yellow flowers on a table in the garden
A bouquet from the garden includes some beautiful rudbeckias (Rudbeckia hirta, Zones 3–7), gomphrena (Gomphrena globosa, annual), and the flowers and showy purple seedpods of hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus, Zones 10–11).

gardener holding a large harvest of white flowers
Lesley is almost hidden behind just a small harvest of statice flowers (Limonium sinuatum, Zones 8–10 or as an annual). They look just a good dried as they do when fresh.

a wheelbarrow and watering can seen in the garden through purple flowers
This garden is full of tools for a gardener ready to get to work.

bouquet of red, pink and yellow globe-shaped flowers
The round blooms of both gomphrena and Craspedia globosa (Zones 8–11 or as an annual) dry beautifully for long-lasting flower arrangements.

pink and orange flowers planted in pots on a patio
Pots of zinnias (Zinnia elegans, annual) and hyacinth bean on the fence bring color to the garden and are easy to grow from seed.

two small dogs in a garden seating area surrounded by potted plants
Ripley and Max approve of this seating area surrounded by lush garden goodness.

bouquet of various dried flowers
Bundles of dried flowers to share and enjoy all year.

small bowl of harvested strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries
Lesley’s garden doesn’t just have flowers. How delicious does this harvest of berries look?

wide view of the garden with lots of pink and blue flowers in the foreground
Ripley and Max are ready to make use of the garden paths for their games.

seedlings growing in soil blocks
The next generation of plants for Lesley’s garden is growing from seed on soil blocks.

If you want to see more from Lesley, check out her instagram: @floralhighground

 

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 Knife

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

These knives have a trowel-like blade with a sharp edge to let you use the same tool for digging, planting and cutting. The blade is sharpened on both sides, with serrations on one edge to help with cutting tough roots or dividing perennials. Deeply stamped markings on the blade (in 1/2" and 5mm increments) help you set the correct planting depth for seeds and bulbs.
Buy at Lee Valley

Pruning Simplified: A Step-by-Step Guide to 50 Popular Trees and Shrubs

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

Pruning Simplified shows you exactly how to do it. This must-have guide offers expert advice on the best tools for the job, specific details on when to prune, and clear instructions on how to prune. Profiles of the 50 most popular trees and shrubs—including azaleas, camellias, clematis, hydrangeas, and more—include illustrated, easy-to-follow instructions that will ensure you make the right cut the first time.
Buy at Amazon
X
View 14 comments

Comments

  1. btucker9675 01/16/2023

    Delightful! Everything is so pretty - that dried arrangement, those berries, Max and Ripley!!

    1. Lesley_G 01/16/2023

      Your are so kind, thank you!

  2. starvnmarvn 01/16/2023

    Absolutely outstanding!

    1. Lesley_G 01/16/2023

      Thank you for the kind words!

  3. User avater
    treasuresmom 01/16/2023

    So very pretty!

    1. Lesley_G 01/16/2023

      Thank you so much!

  4. gardenconcierge 01/16/2023

    Dear Lesley,

    Your garden is gorgeous! The beneficial wildlife must love it. Your photography skills are wonderful too.

    1. Lesley_G 01/16/2023

      Thank you! Once the pollinators and birds start showing up, all you want to do is provide more for them. They help me out with pest control too, so everybody wins!

  5. User avater
    cynthia2020 01/16/2023

    Lesley - I enjoyed reading your gardening story and looking at all the photos. Your portrait with the bouquet of statice is lovely.

    1. Lesley_G 01/16/2023

      Thank you for the kind words. I have my lovely mom to thank for that photo :)

  6. slepskip@comcast.net 01/16/2023

    resolution: sow more seed! May I suggest Godetia as a fairly easy one to try?

    1. Lesley_G 01/16/2023

      Oooh, great suggestion. Always looking to fold in something new. I will put it on my shopping list!

  7. User avater
    simplesue 01/18/2023

    Your garden is a pretty little paradise!
    Love the way you made paths for your dogs to chase, the dried flowers are just amazing!
    The bowl of berries grown in your garden is as gorgeous to see as the flowers! Beautiful!

    1. Lesley_G 01/22/2023

      Thank you! I love to see the dogs having just much fun as I do in the garden. And yeah, that bowl of berries did not make it back into the house!

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