Today we’re visiting Heidi Dollard’s garden.

I have been gardening for 35 years in western Massachusetts. My gardens were always in the shade until four years ago, when we moved into a new house. The new house is on a slope and has dramatic views of the Connecticut River Valley and Holyoke Range. I now have all the sun I could ever want, and I’ve had to learn about a whole new plant palette. I’m creating a low-maintenance, bird- and pollinator-friendly yard. A landscape architect designed the hardscape and land contours, including a welcoming pebble patio under a pergola, surrounded by a mostly perennial bed that also sets the house nicely into slope. Below the perennial garden is a mown swath, and below that is a native plant meadow over our leach field.

My initial plant choices for the garden were mostly “pollinator friendly” but not necessarily native species. Since I retired two years ago, I have been volunteering with the Massachusetts Pollinator Network and have learned the importance of planting “straight” natives, not cultivars. In addition to providing nectar and pollen for adult bees and butterflies, they also provide food for early life stages and nesting and overwintering habitat. Some specialized native bees can only feed from specific native plants. I now follow Doug Tallamy’s advice to plant at least 70% natives, which allows plenty of scope for my favorite nonnatives. The foraging bees and butterflies provide endless entertainment and a sense that the garden is truly thriving.

The garden area has excellent topsoil and has been a pleasure to fill with flowering plants; nearly everything is happy there. The meadow, by contrast, has lean soil that dries out quickly, and it has been slow to establish. This year it’s finally coming into its own as the little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium, Zones 3–9) becomes dominant, with red-hued wild rye (Elymus canadensis, Zones 3–8) around the edges. The subtle colors and textures of the grasses are complemented by bright pops of color from seasonal flowers scattered in the meadow and are a special delight.

Most of these photos were taken by my friend and neighbor Marvin, who is an amazing photographer!

This first photo shows the patio and pergola, with its surrounding flower garden and the meadow below.

The flowering pollinator meadow lies over the leach field. In addition to the bluestem, which I planted both from seeds and plugs, currently flowering are volunteer goldenrods (Solidago canadensis, Zones 3–9; Solidago altissima, Zones 5–10; and Euthamia graminifolia, Zones 3–9), fleabane (Erigeron strigosus, annual), boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum, Zones 4–8), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, Zones 4–9), prairie coneflower (Ratibida pinnata, Zones 3–8), New York ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis, Zones 5–9), green-headed coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata, Zones 4–9), and Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum, Zones 4–9).

This is a view from the patio. I’ve planted lots of annuals to make sure the patio is always surrounded by flowers, and I make sure they are airy enough not to block the view. Seen here: Verbena bonariensis (Zones 7–9 or as an annual), orange cosmos (Cosmos sulphuerus, annual), zinnia Queen Lime (Zinnia elegans, annual), and Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota, annual or biennial).

Zinnia and Queen Anne’s lace are growing together with Verbena bonariensis.

This view of the meadow includes an orange gladiolus (Gladiolus hybrid, Zones 7–10 or as a tender bulb) in the background.

Butterfly weed (Asclepius tuberosa, Zone 5–9) looks great with little bluestem in the meadow.

Another favorite in the meadow (from earlier in the season) is blazing star (Liatris spictata, Zones 3–9). Even the dried seed heads look cool.

Penstemon digitalis (Zones 3–8) is one of my favorite plants. It is decorative in all seasons. Here the seed heads look great, especially with the purple coneflower.

Here is one of Marvin’s perfect photos of the garden, the meadow, and the mountains in the distance.

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

Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden, Revised and Updated Second Edition: A Natural Approach to Pest Control

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

This revised and updated edition of Jessica Walliser’s award-winning Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden offers a valuable and science-backed plan for bringing balance back to the garden. With this indispensable gardening reference—now updated with new research, insights, and voices—learn how to create a healthy, balanced, and diverse garden capable of supporting a hard-working crew of beneficial pest-eating insects and eliminate the need for synthetic chemical pesticides.

Buy at Amazon

Bee Watering Station with Vivid Flower Design

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

Thoughtful Combo: You will receive a bee feeder and 30 glass marbles. This thoughtful combo can provide clean water for the bees, you just need to put the marbles into the bee watering station, add water (note: the water level should not exceed the height of the marbles) and hang them in the right place. The round, colored marbles can provide a place for the bees to stand and prevent them from falling into the water, effectively keeping the bees safe. Fine Material: This exquisite bee bath is made of high quality iron material, smooth surface, rust and weather resistant, not easy to fade, sturdy and reliable. Bee cups for garden can well meet the drinking water needs of lovely bees, and it can also provide food for bees, such as sugar water, nectar, etc., attracting more bees to your outdoor area and making your garden full of vitality. Perfect Size: The butterfly watering station has an overall height of 13.4 inches, a bowl diameter of 9.4 inches, and a weight of 0.44 pounds. The bee cup serves the needs of the bees well without plunging them into dangerously deep water or taking up unnecessary space in your garden, and this compact and efficient design makes it a practical addition to any outdoor space. Elegant Design: Our bee watering cups are designed in unique flower shapes with vibrant and realistic colours to attract lovely bees to your garden and patio, bee feeders for outside are not only functional but can also be used as a landscaping element, their vibrant floral patterns enhance the beauty of your garden. Multicolored Decoration: Colorful bee water stations look like flowers in a garden, flower bed or pot and attract bees and butterflies. They can drink or bathe in bee feeders, which are highly decorative and practical.

Buy at Amazon

Corona® Multi-Purpose Metal Mini Garden Shovel

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

Longer Service Life: The blade of this round small shovel is made of carbon steel, which can effectively improve the hardness by high temperature quenching, and the surface has anti-rust coating to avoid rusting. In the process of use when encountering hard objects will not bend and deformation. Sturdy Structure: The small garden shovel with D-handle, ergonomically designed grip can increase the grip of the hand when using, the handle is made of strong fiberglass, will not bend and break under heavy pressure. Quick Digging: Well-made digging shovel has a sharp blade, and the round shovel head is designed to easily penetrate the soil and cut quickly while digging to enhance your work efficiency.

Buy at Amazon