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.

 

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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.

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