Today we’re visiting with Erin Sweeney.

Hello! We began building our house and garden in 2003 in northern New Hampshire. It is all hand-built and has expanded over the years to include a large vegetable garden, a 75-foot stone wall–backed border garden, and a terraced slope. We are in Zones 3–4, with some microclimates that have supported Zone 5 plants.

This weeping cherry (Prunus hybrid, Zones 5–9) is one of the plants listed as being only hardy to Zone 5 that thrive in this garden thanks to placement in sheltered microclimates. Below, carpets of creeping phlox (Phlox subulata, Zones 3–9) fill the garden with color. This phlox is native to eastern and central North America, and though not common in the wild, it is a wonderful addition to gardens, thriving especially in well-drained soils.

The perennial border is backed by a beautiful stone wall. It’s hard to imagine a New England garden without a stone wall of some kind.

A pink hollyhock (Alcea rosea, Zones 2–9) is just coming into bloom. Hollyhocks are classic cottage-garden plants but are not as commonly seen in gardens today. Most varieties are biennials or short-lived perennials and are usually best grown from seed. As long as you don’t lay down too thick a layer of mulch in your garden, they will usually self-sow so that you have some every year.

Creeping phlox in the foreground echoes additional plantings visible in the background, which ties the whole garden together. Dense plantings cover every inch of the ground with foliage, giving a lush, full sense to the garden and making it much harder for weeds to get a toehold.

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