Garden Photo of the Day

Cindy’s Spring in Dallas

An array of colorful and variegated foliage pairs perfectly with spring flowers in this Texas garden

By GPOD Contributor
purple foliage plant next to foliage plant with white veined foliage plant

Happy Monday GPODers!

We continue our expedition to spring gardens today by heading south to Dallas, Texas with Cindy Bolz. Cindy has shared her garden twice in the past (check those submissions out here: Spring in Dallas and Collecting Japanese Maples), and she always has something colorful and lush to share despite the intensity of Texas heat. A variety of flowers are sprinkled throughout her landscape, but it’s her incredible assortment of glorious foliage plants that really shine.

As I read about Rhonda’s beautiful hellebores (I too have lots of them and they are spectacular this year) I decided to submit some garden photos.

various Japanese maples in a spring garden
In the first photo you see a six-foot tall weeping Ryusen Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Ryusen’, Zones 5–7), with Big Blue liriope (Liriope muscari ‘Big Blue’, Zones 5–10) below it on the left. The peek of purple flowers are the Chocolate Chip ajuga (Ajuga reptans ‘Chocolate Chip’, Zones 4–9) you will see again in photo five. To the right of the tree, on the stand made of concrete pavers (12” between 18” pavers) is another weeping Japanese maple. This tree was recently introduced by a grower who has not yet named the cultivar. There are only six of them and mine, for now, is named “Number 5”.

large foliage plant in container
The second photo shows an ordinary coralberry plant (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, Zones 2–7) that I placed in a container when I was attempting to control a runaway patch of coralberry in a perennial bed. It has become such a hit in the container that I shall continue to keep it there.

container planting next to house
Here is an even better photo, which demonstrates the size of the container.

variegated foliage with fernsI love variegated plants and the next three photos each include at least one. First, a variegated Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’, Zones 3–8) with wood fern (Dryopteris crassirhizoma, Zones 5–8).

purple foliage plant next to foliage plant with white veined foliage plant
The fourth photo shows purple oxalis (Oxalis triangularis, Zones 6–10) with white-veined pipeline (Aristolochia fimbriata, Zones 7–9). Each summer I get at least two full cycles of the beautiful black pipevine butterfly (Battus philenor) laying her eggs in these leaves. This is shortly followed by a tribe of little black caterpillars munching their way through every single leaf right down to the roots. Then the leaves grow back and the full cycle repeats.

ground cover of purple flowers and small tree with white foliage in the middle
Next is a bed of Chocolate Chip ajuga in bloom this spring with a small First Ghost Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘First Ghost’, Zones 5–9) growing amidst them. I collect Japanese maples and currently have almost sixty.

Little Henry sweetspire
Also, here is my Little Henry® sweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Sprich’, Zones 5–9) if you want to include it.

Thank you so much for sharing your spectacular spring garden with us again, Cindy! Your selection of plants have created a true oasis in a big city and it’s a pleasure to witness its evolution.

As the season continues on, we need photos from more gardens to get the full gamut of spring plant life. If you’re looking out on your spring garden in bloom, getting outside to complete spring chores, or seeing the signs of spring in public gardens and parks around you, please consider taking some photos and sharing them with Garden Photo of the Day! Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.

 

We want to see YOUR garden!

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

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.

Featuring gorgeous photography and advice for landscapers, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can nourish in our cities and suburbs.
Buy at Amazon

ARS Telescoping Long Reach Pruner

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

Telescopes from 4 to 7'. Cut and Hold (160) Blades. Drop forged blades for unsurpassed long lasting sharpness. Lightweight, 2.3 lbs., for continued use. Perfectly balanced for easy pruning.
Buy at Amazon
X
View 2 comments

Comments

  1. User avater
    treasuresmom 04/21/2025

    All is so very lovely.

  2. btucker9675 04/21/2025

    Caterpillars munching - that phrase brought a smile this morning!

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Related Articles

The Latest

How-To
All About Garden Pest Management – Webinar with Dr. Janna Beckerman

Join Fine Gardening for a free engaging live webinar featuring Dr. Janna Beckerman, a renowned plant pathologist as well as professor emerita at Purdue University and the ornamentals technical manager…
Design
Online Plant Poaching: The Growing Problem of Botanical Theft

When I spotted a particular sand dollar cactus (Astrophytum asterias) at the Philadelphia Flower Show a few months ago, I knew I was in trouble. With a delightful color pattern…
Regional Reports
Low-Maintenance Plants for Your Region

When we only prioritize plants we want over plants our landscape needs, each season is filled with a never-ending list of chores: pruning, pinching, watering, treating, amending, and fertilizing, with…

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
Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants

Episode 181: Plants You Can’t Kill
Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants

Episode 180: Plants with Big, Bold Foliage 
How-To

4 Steps to Remove Invasive Plants in Your Yard