Anna Tsai in Bayside, Wisconsin, is welcoming us into her garden today.
The backyard was only some overgrown bushes and hostas when we moved in 24 years ago. I opened up flower beds, worked on the soil, and then started planting different plants that grow well in wet and shady areas. l also replaced the old and sick trees with my favorite evergreen trees. It’s a lot of work, but I enjoy seeing my garden completely changed.
High summer in the garden, with dahlias (Dahlia × variabilis, Zones 8–10 or as a tender bulb)
This garden is overflowing with beauty now, so it’s hard to believe it was just overgrown bushes before.
Huge leaves of elephant’s ear (Colocasia esculenta, Zones 7–11) make a dramatic textural contrast to the rest of the garden.
Bearded irises (Iris hybrids, Zones 3–8) steal the show in early summer.
Clematis (Clematis hybrids, Zones 4–8) drape an arbor in flowers.
A sea of brilliant pink astilbe (Astilbe hybrid, Zones 4–9)
Yellow Heliopsis helianthoides (Zones 3–9) takes center stage, backed up by beautiful astilbe.
Beautiful foliage in contrasting colors and textures makes the perfect setting for a brilliant tower of lily (Lilium hybrid, Zones 4–8) blooms.
Glowing orange daylilies (Hemerocallis hybrid, Zones 4–10)
A final view of this magical garden
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.
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
The Regenerative Landscaper: Design and Build Landscapes That Repair the Environment
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade, Trenching Shovel
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Comments
Your garden is spectacular, full of groups and layers of interesting plants, and all so healthy and thriving! Refreshing to see on this February day!
Wow, Anna! Full, lush, colorful, and flowers at different heights.
Love the layers and the consistent use of blue spruce shrubs and trees throughout. Lovely! Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely beautiful and enchanting!!!!
Your garden is spectacular. Love the way you have mixed in the evergreen trees. One of the best gardens in this series.
Your garden makes my heart happy!!
So many fabulous vignettes! We share a mixed garden approach using conifers with tropicals, perennials and annuals. Great job!
SPECTACULAR! Love all your hot colors among the many beautiful shrubs. That lily is just gorgeous!
This garden made me eager to start planning my garden additions, subtractions, transplants, etc. It's so well-appointed! Love it! As you can see I still have it up!
Thanks!
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in