Today’s photos come from Petra Donnelly. Here’s what she has to say:

I live in Markham, Ontario. Approximately 10 years ago I had a vision of a totally grass-free property filled with trees, color, succession of blooms, and variation in heights and texture. It has since become a serene space that not only is welcoming for us but also attractive to pollinators and wildlife. The garden is part sun and part shade and is in Zone 5. It hosts a total of seven trees, various flowering shrubs, and hundreds of perennials. The addition this year of 12 yards of compost along with a reasonable amount of rain, humidity, and sun has made this the best year ever for the garden.

With countless perennials in bloom, and more showing buds full of promise, it looks like Petra has achieved her goal of succession of bloom.

Variation of texture was another part of Petra’s vision. Here you can see she’s achieved that, with the tall, swordlike foliage of iris providing a strong contrast to the rounded forms of flowering perennials.

Did someone say color? WOW! Brilliant daylilies (Hemerocallis hybrid, Zones 4–10) combined with yarrow (Achillea millefolium, Zones 3–9) and bee balm (Monarda sp. Zones 4–9) to light up this part of the garden. Grouping these similarly hued flowers together keeps their intense colors from clashing.

Petra was also looking for variation in heights. Here she’s achieved that by choosing different perennials and even different selections of the same plant. In the front of this image, you can see a tall purple coneflower (Echinacea sp., Zones 4–9) on the left, and a much shorter selection on the right.

This path is all cool blues and purples. The colors of the flowers are echoed by the dark foliage of the forest pansy red bud (Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’, Zones 5–9) on the right.

Petra’s garden full of blooms. Looks to me like she has turned her vision for the garden into a spectacular reality.

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.

If you want to send photos in separate emails to the GPOD email box that is just fine.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

You don’t have to be a professional garden photographer – check out our garden photography tips!

Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

DeWalt Variable-Speed Cordless Reciprocating Saw

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

You can fit a variety of blades to this saw to cut fallen branches or prune larger limbs from trees in a pinch. It’s fast, tough, easy to use, and extremely versatile.
- 18.31 x 6.13 x 4 inches
- 1-1/8-inch stroke length
- Variable speed trigger with 0-3000 spm

Buy at Amazon

Pruning Simplified: A Step-by-Step Guide to 50 Popular Trees and Shrubs

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

Pruning Simplified shows you exactly how to do it. This must-have guide offers expert advice on the best tools for the job, specific details on when to prune, and clear instructions on how to prune. Profiles of the 50 most popular trees and shrubs—including azaleas, camellias, clematis, hydrangeas, and more—include illustrated, easy-to-follow instructions that will ensure you make the right cut the first time.

Buy at Amazon

The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees

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

The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Doug Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area.

Buy at Amazon