Today we’re enjoying Deidre’s beautiful garden.
Hello from upstate New York, where I’m mixing herbs and veggies into my flower gardens. You’ll always find fresh herbs growing on my patio, such as a variety of basil and oregano, bay laurel, chives, thyme, and rosemary. In my side garden I’m growing lavender, which I use to make sugars and iced teas all season long. There are also raspberries and roses growing side by side enjoying the sun. I’ve also built a few raised garden beds for veggies and more herbs, and it’s been wonderful walking down the garden paths and seeing the bees hard at work, along with the butterflies enjoying the big sunflowers. You can always find me sitting in the garden enjoying nature.
This nice spot to sit and enjoy the garden is backed up by a flowering ninebark shrub (Physocarpus opulifolius, Zones 3–8).
A monarch butterfly stops for a snack on a double sunflower (Helianthus annuus, annual).
Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida, Zones 4–9) are the epitome of summer.
A wall of contrasting foliage colors and textures is formed from the big bold leaves of a hosta (Hosta hybrid, Zone 3–9) paired with the narrow, grasslike leaves of a daylily (Hemerocallis hybrid, Zones 4–10) next to it, while diverse shrubs and trees form the backdrop.
No flowers needed here—foliage and stones have created a perfect garden scene.
I love the towering mass of ferns on the left side of the path. They look like ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris, Zones 3–7), which can spread vigorously when happy, a trait used to great effect here.
Pots of herbs are beautiful clustered together here in the garden. Of course, they are wonderfully useful in the kitchen as well.
Raised beds are used mostly here for veggies and herbs, but some tall sunflowers make a garden that feeds all the senses.
A big mass of purple lavender (Lavandula sp. Zones 5–8) flowers tumble over into the path. I bet Deidre’s lavender iced tea is delicious!
It is hard not to love zinnias (Zinnia elegans, annual). They are so easy to grow, so pretty in the garden or a vase, and so great for pollinators.
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Comments
It’s beautiful! Thank you for sharing.
Love all the foliage but really like the blue gate. Makes me think maybe I need to do that as well.
Deidre - I enjoyed reading your gardening story and seeing wide views and close-ups in your garden! The shot of zinnias with the blue handle was a nice surprise and and so was the way you captured the sunflower leaf cradling the butterfly.
Just lovely! Thanks for sharing. Nice clean hardscaping - love the curving path - and beautifully arranged beds.
Such artistic garden photography on the Black-eyed Susans with the focusing and the Zinnias with the shovel handle in the photo!
Really like that area with all the herbs in pots and the little circular laid paver patio area!
Your garden has such a nice vibe and nice mix of edibles and ornamentals!
So enjoyed your pictures but what zone are you in! I am also upstate in zone 6. Also how do you keep deer from the hostas? If your garden is fenced how high is it?
Love this garden - so very pretty and charming!
I love the plants and impressive collection of textures and green colors but what really impresses me is the effort and design time to create the hardscaping that is the framework for your beautiful garden.
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