Hi GPODers! Today we’re off to Wisconsin to get an update from Anna Tsai’s garden (you can check out earlier posts of Anna’s garden here: 21 Years of Hard Gardening Work Pay Off, Anna’s Wisconsin Paradise, and Anna’s Wisconsin Garden). Despite dealing with the harsh winters in Wisconsin, Anna is able to create timeless garden beauty with a multitude of fabulous flowers.

We bought this property in Bayside, Wisconsin 26 years ago. The yard then was only some overgrown bushes and trees with no flower beds. We cut down 6 trees and bushes and opened up flower beds, and worked on the soil and then I started planting different plants that grow well in wet and shady areas. In 2022 my garden had a garden tour by Garden Conservancy.

Stepping stones lead you into this garden oasis and world of color. From foliage to flowers, Anna has managed to meld all of these colors and textures into one cohesive landscape.

There are, of course, some flowers that rise above the rest (literally and figuratively)! This almost highlighter-yellow foxtail lily (Eremurus stenophyllus, Zones 6–9) is so bright and striking that it makes a show-stopping focal point.

But subtler colors and shapes still have a beauty of their own. Deep, red roses are always garden worthy, and stone makes for a natural but interesting piece of garden art.

And an old garden arbor can be transformed into something spectacular with the help of a couple of climbing plants. The various shapes and colors of the conifers behind make you feel like you’re walking into a enchanted forest.

Anna manages to create garden scenes that are distinctly different, but some how all weave together wonderfully. These shade beds full of fantastic foliage and bright pops of betony flowers makes for a lush woodland garden—and a perfect extension of the enchanted forest above.

Continuing on in the shade, we see layers upon layers of low-light classics. Deep pink astilbe, golden-colored rodgersia, more big-leaved hostas, and even some ferns peaking out from the back of the bed.

Anna has some absolutely delightful irises in her garden. This light peachy-pink variety is subtle but sublime.

But this bolder variety, looks like ‘Caesar’s Brother’ Siberian iris (Iris sibirica ‘Caesar’s Brother’, Zones 4–9), really backs a punch in front of bright yellow barberry.

Lastly, two garden flower classics paired to perfection: Common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea, Zones 4–9) backed by glowing yellow and bright pink peonies.

Thank you for sharing your sensational garden with us again, Anna! Always a treat to see what you have blooming.

And I would love to see more gardens in full bloom this season. Get out there and capture your garden at its peak, and be sure to submit your photos to be featured by following the directions below!

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.

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

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