Garden Photo of the Day

A Year Into a New Garden Space

A new garden is already coming together

By GPOD Contributor
blue Adirondack chairs in front of garden beds along a wooden fence

Lynda Truelove is sharing her new garden with us today.

I am an avid gardener, and we moved to our new home on a 7000-sq.-ft. unlandscaped lot a little over a year ago. I have enjoyed Fine Gardening magazine and certainly get lots of enjoyment and ideas from the lovely photos.

I thought I could share my little garden with other gardeners. We live on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, which is Zone 8 and gives me lots of flexibility with choices of plants.

small pink flowering tree next to a bird bathPink flowering dogwood (Cornus florida, Zones 5–9) blooms over the birdbath.

dry stream bed cutting through a garden with ornamental grass and treesDespite being only a little over a year old, the garden is already looking remarkably full and mature! A small footbridge crosses the gravel dry streambed.

close up of blue ceramic fish on small stonesThe dry gravel streambed even has fish in it—elegant, blue ceramic fish that look perfect half-hidden by an ornamental grass.

small shade garden next to seating area in the gardenA planting of shade-loving perennials dominated by hostas (Hosta hybrids, Zones 3–8) adds greenery to this seating area.

pink hibiscus next to ornamental grassMexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima, Zones 7–10) makes an airy cloud in the foreground with a hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus syriacus, Zones 5–8).

garden gazebo with immature trees and shrubs aroundAs this is a new garden, there is plenty of room for the trees and shrubs to grow and fill in to their mature size, with perennials providing color and texture in between in the meantime.

pink and purple hydrangea with a stone pig statue in frontA very happy-looking pig luxuriates under a hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla, Zones 5–9) nearly completely covered with blooms.

blue Adirondack chairs in front of garden beds along a wooden fence These chairs provide a spot to sit and enjoy the garden, and their bright blue color means that they also serve as a beautiful focal point for this part of the garden.

gazebo with white and red geraniums in the foregroundThe little gazebo looks like a perfect spot for a morning cup of coffee. Zonal geraniums (Pelargonium hybrid, Zones 8–11 or as an annual) provide a blast of color in the foreground.

wide view of the new garden with a garden shedIt’s hard to believe this garden is just over a year old! It already looks amazing, and will just get better as it matures.

small wooden bridge over the dry steam bedA final look across the little foot bridge in the garden path

 

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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Comments

  1. User avater
    treasuresmom 08/30/2022

    So very pretty

    1. lynda_t 08/30/2022

      Thanks!

  2. btucker9675 08/30/2022

    Your little garden is a perfect example of making wonderful use of space - it doesn't seem at all small, but lovely and charming. Kudos!!!

    1. lynda_t 08/30/2022

      Thank you!

  3. rosebudal 08/30/2022

    It’s very instructive to me to see a young garden that’s been planted by someone who knows what they’re doing. Mature, overflowing gardens are abundant online but this helps me to see how those gardens should look when they are in infancy. The density of plantings is important. I’ll continue to study the pics for more ideas. Thanks for sharing.

    1. lynda_t 08/30/2022

      My pleasure of sharing! I love to make areas that you can sit & enjoy little scenes or focal points within the garden with a spot to relax.

  4. [email protected] 08/30/2022

    LOVE your garden! Can't believe it is so young, and I look forward to seeing more pictures as it matures. I live in 8b, so I can grow most all of the plants you have. Thanks for sharing!

    1. lynda_t 08/30/2022

      👍

  5. User avater
    simplesue 08/31/2022

    That was a very busy and productive gardening year!
    Such a nice place to enjoy yourself now!

    1. lynda_t 09/01/2022

      Thanks! I enjoy wondering around & their is always something that needs a tweak 😊

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