Garden Photo of the Day

Elle’s Garden

A look back at the gardening season

Elle Ronis in Stamford, Connecticut, has a stunning garden that we’re always excited to see. If you’ve missed previous visits to this garden, start here!

Today’s photos look back at some highlights from the past gardening season.

In the spring, a saxifrage (Saxifraga hybrid, Zones 4–8) puts out clouds of bloom. Saxifrages are classic inhabitants of rock gardens, often grown mostly for their beautiful foliage, but the flower display can be wonderful as well.

weigelaA beautiful weigela (Weigela florida, Zones 4–8) shows off in spring. The flowers on this one open a pale pink and darken as they age, giving a multicolored effect on each branch.

variegated dogwoodA beautiful variegated dogwood (Cornus kousa ‘Woof Eyes’ or a similar cultivar, Zones 5–8) is just coming into bloom here, but the variegated foliage puts on a show all season. Variegated varieties like this will always be a bit less vigorous than their all-green counterparts, so it’s best to give them a little extra TLC to get them looking as beautiful as this.

HydrangeaThese hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla, Zones 5–9) are just coming into bloom. The new buds are almost yellow before unfolding and beginning to show their mature colors.

This huge, soft-yellow flower looks like Abelmoschus manihot (annual), a close relative of the edible okra, grown for its huge, beautiful blooms. Each flower lasts only a single day, but flowers are produced all summer.

white RhododendronThis dwarf, double-flowered white Rhododendron welcomes spring with a profusion of beautiful blooms.

Jeffersonia dubiaJeffersonia dubia (Asian twinleaf, Zones 4–7) greets spring with masses of lavender flowers, followed by attractive foliage. It is a wonderful perennial for a shaded garden.

A pretty incredible magnolia with huge, dark red flowersThis pretty incredible magnolia with huge, dark red flowers looks like it might be the variety ‘Vulcan’ (Magnolia ‘Vulcan’, Zones 5–9), which is a hybrid magnolia with some of the darkest red flowers in the genus.

It is always fun this time of year to look back at the highlights of the gardening year. I hope you’ll send in some shots of your garden through the past year!

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Comments

  1. User avater
    treasuresmom 10/27/2021

    Just so very lovely

  2. User avater
    user-7007816 10/27/2021

    A treat to look back over the gardening year. So many beautiful and unusual plants. Thanks for sharing.

  3. btucker9675 10/27/2021

    Love everything about your garden!

  4. User avater
    simplesue 10/27/2021

    Some beautiful and new to me perennials in your garden.
    You really got my attention with the Jeffersonia dubia (Asian twinleaf) and the lavender Campanula-like flowers towering behind the pretty yellow Abelmoschus manihot.
    Really pretty garden!

  5. user-6861263 10/27/2021

    What is the cultivar of campanula in the 6th photo? Beautiful!

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