We’re visiting Linda Westmeyer’s garden today.
I bought my little house in Cleveland in 1983. I love flowers and gardening and had visions of creating an amazing landscape of flowers and enjoying a bountiful vegetable garden. Reality check: I was a single 28-year-old female with a very limited income. I started digging little sections at a time and took advantage of the rocks and driftwood on the shores of Lake Erie. I am still here and still planting—moving a little slower, but still looking forward to future planting!
A dauphin violet (Streptocarpus saxorum) is a beautiful relative of the popular African violets that makes a great annual for shaded areas and can easily make the transition to houseplant when frost threatens.
An archway welcomes visitors to the abundant garden beyond.
It looks like Linda’s vision has been achieved! What a beautiful and welcoming garden. The mass of dark blue and pink flowers in the foreground is larkspur (Consolida ajacis), which is a great, easy-to-grow annual alternative to fussier delphiniums.
Another view of the front garden. I love the romantic, informal, cottage garden feel.
A cloud of flowers fills the garden.
True lilies (genus Lilium) and daylilies (genus Hemerocallis) mingle, each bringing its own brand of beauty to the garden.
Spring in the front garden, with loads of tulips and daffodils mingling with carpets of creeping phlox (Phlox subulata, Zones 3–9). The lavender color of the phlox complements the warmer tones of the flower bulbs perfectly, and repeating the same variety of phlox all over the garden pulls the whole space together.
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Comments
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing. I love your gardens.
From another 60ish gardener named Linda in the Cleveland Ohio area: very lovely. I've got phlox subulata, too, around my front yard. It keeps spreading!
Looks like you've had a lot of enjoyment over the years turning your garden dreams into reality. You have a lovely collection of plants that give you flowers galore and lots of fun objects of ornamentation that express your personality. Love the color and draping shape of your dauphin violet...it's quite eye-catching.
What a creative eye you have! And you really have brought forth beauty with all of the varieties of plants and of upcycled 'found' items - it makes your gardens a real trove of delight. I love your color combinations, and the beautiful way your phlox ties everything together. A fun and happy way to start the day!
Your house and garden are like something from a fairytale - must be especially magical for children, as well as adults. That dauphin violet is gorgeous - will look for one!
Looks like a happy cottage sitting in the flowers and so nice that you even planted on both sides of the front sidewalk! Nice to see what Larkspur is capable of- I bought one wee plant late autumn...guess I will buy more next year so it looks like yours!
What an absolutely charming house and gardens! Your love of gardening really shines through and all of your flowers are beautifully planted.
Wow! I love everything about this place. Especially the stones lining the one side of the front walk, beautiful. The old hollow stump in the fourth picture is just gorgeous. The flowers aren't bad at all and have a great cottagie (is that a word?) feel. The house is wonderful, it looks so homey and welcoming.
A great job on your part.
I love how your garden spills over the edges with color! Absolutely stunning!
Everything is just lovely but especially the phlox & lilies.
Well, you did create an amazing garden after all! Love your creativity and the choices of plants - the 2 different lilies are especially marvelous and, of course, your spring garden is "to die for"! Your house and gardens are a portrait in the making! Your neighbors must love you! Thanks for taking the time to share!
Pretty - I would love to live by you to see this evolve throughout the season
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