My name is Linda Gelinas and I live in Orange, Massachusetts. I have been retired for about 10 years and have been gardening for about 35 years. I have about 25 perennial gardens on about an acre of land. I am definitely an amateur gardener. What I have learned about gardening is from reading and just plain experimenting with a variety of plants. I have a small greenhouse and plant perennials and annuals to sell in front of my home. I also separate my perennials each year for resale.
This picture is of my side and back gardens. I grow lots of coneflower (Echinacea), daylilies (Hemerocallis), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), zinnia, and sedum. In the middle of the garden is a rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus, Zone 5–8).
This is my garden in the front yard. The center is a white hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata, Zone 3–8), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, Zone 3–9), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), zinnia, fall asters, and coral bell (Heuchera).
This is a view of my backyard with my rustic shed in the background and lots of hostas and black-eyed Susan in the foreground. This garden is mostly shade.
This planter is in my side yard and has lots of shade. I fill it with coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides, annual), impatiens (Impatiens walleriana, annual), begonias, and Vinca major ‘Variegata’ (Zone 7–10 or as annual).
This planter filled with bright red impatiens is in my back side yard. I have lots of shade and lots of shade-loving plants.
This garden gets lots of sun, so it is filled with sun-loving flowers. There are balloon flowers (Platycodon grandiflorus, Zones 4–9), daylilies, liatris (Liatris spicata, Zone 3–9), black-eyed Susan, and coneflowers. I am sure I have forgotten something.
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Comments
beautiful gardens, you have done awesome
Thank you for sharing your beautiful garden. It is an inspiration to me!
Hi, Linda, I really enjoyed seeing all the festively colorful blooms that fill your gardens. Looks like you have lots of varieties to cut and offer for sale. Do you usually combine things to make an already put together bouquet for someone to buy or do you always keep things separate and group like with like? I'd love to see a photo of your front flower stand when you are "open for business"...I'll bet it's quite fun and charming.
I don't usually do bouquets for sale but I have done a few garden wedding with flowers from my gardens. I will gladly post my flower stand in the spring! I have quite a few repeat customers. Thank you for your interest.
Everything is so pretty but that front yard garden is so amazing! Love those combinations.
A thoroughly enjoyable look into your gardens Linda! You have done a great job with your combinations and settings. How nice to have an acre of land and mature trees as your backdrops. I too, would like to see photos of your road side flower business this spring/summer. Wonderful! Best Wishes!
Well done. Your love of plants and hard work comes thru as a beautiful garden. Thank you for sharing.
I just had to save your last photo to Pinterest- the one with those healthy established Balloon Flowers which I'm also trying to get established in my garden.
Love the way the forest meets the flowers in your garden- the best of both worlds.
Your garden is an amazing accomplishment- it's huge! and a very professionally done work of art!
No way can you refer to yourself as an amateur gardener- you have years of experience and a garden to show it!
What a beautiful garden and setting. I love all the colors, especially in the gardens backing up to the woods. Your hours of work are evident in these photos. But, how do you cope with the rabbits and deer?
Your beautiful, colorful gardens sure don't look "amateur" - you are a pro! Thanks for sharing your wonderful shade and sun gardens. I had several varieties of balloon flowers in my gardens in northern NJ, but haven't had much luck with them here in NC. I will not give up because I just love them!
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A new app in the Google Play Store will quickly analyze a location and tell you exactly how much sun or shade it will get.
Try it out. Share with your friends! Give feedback!
click here: SASHA
Have Fun!.
Wow, that sounds like a fascinating app. Does it have a specific name?
Have to echo all the above compliments and comments, and add that your Coleus is just striking! I like coleus but have kind of gotten to where I can take them or leave them, but that one in your container, I want! Great pix, great gardens. Thanks!
Thank you for posting your garden photos, its obvious you are doing a wonderful job creating a great space. :)
Just love your gardens!!! I love the colors, the groupings, the variety and the photos!!! I was about to say that I particularly liked the photo of the black-eyed Susans but then, I went back and decided that I simply loved them all. And, I never thought about using that very large leafed coleus in a planter! I sure am stealing that idea this coming season! Thank you for taking the time to share!
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