Garden Photo of the Day

Paradise by a Pond

A gardener uses a pond as a focal point

By Fine Gardening editors

Today’s pictures come from Linda Tutwiler in Pell City, Alabama. Here’s what she has to say about her garden:

Our garden every year seems to get better and better. My husband built the pond about 10 years ago, and we started working on the yard slowly, putting in one plant at a time. It is therapy to work on something so rewarding. It is very relaxing to hear the water from the waterfall and all the garden creatures! My husband turned 80 years old this summer, and now we are thinking about selling our property. He just has to convince me first!

(For more of Linda’s garden, check out this earlier post.)

The pond forms a centerpiece of the garden. What a magical spot to grow around!

 

Calla lilies (Zantedeschia sp.,  Zones 8–10) bloom by the edge of the pond. There are many hybrid calla lilies in a wide color range. In cold climates, the bulbs can be dug in the fall and replanted in the spring.

 

A bit of garden art nestled in among a diverse group of ferns.

 

Another view of the pond.

 

Gardening in Alabama means choosing plants that thrive in hot weather. Tropical plants like these bananas and cannas certainly love the heat and look great.

 

This lovely driftwood bench is almost too pretty to sit on.

 

Bright annuals bring color to this corner of the deck. Relying on foliage for color instead of flowers means this planting looks good all year long, with minimal fuss required.

 

The bright yellow-and-orange-veined foliage of croton and the exotic, purple-pink bracts of hidden cone lily (Curcuma sp., Zones 8–10) bring color to this shady spot in the garden. Curcuma is a close relative of the spice turmeric and is a terrific choice for shade gardens in warm climates. Where it isn’t hardy, it can be overwintered indoors in a container.

 

 

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

Gardener's Log Book from NYBG

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

This weatherproof five-year log book includes the following features: · Sturdy waterproof cover to protect pages from rain and muddy soil · Lined pages and gridded paper for plotting beds · Five years of 12-month bloom and harvest grids for recording what you planted and when · Authoritative appendices on composting, pruning, pest and disease control, and container gardening · Useful reminders by season on fertilizing, mulching, and transplanting · Space for listing your favorite sources and suppliers.
Buy at Amazon

Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade, Trenching Shovel

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

Ideal Tool for All Gardeners Use: Our heavy duty trenching shovel is designed by a professional gardening tool designer. Lifetime Durability: This heavy duty drain spade is made of high-quality stainless steel, it is very strong and durable, even if it is used for high-strength work, it will not bend. Ergonomic Wood Handle: The handle of this planting spade is made of ash hardwood harvested from FSC-certified forests and has an ergonomically streamlined design, making it very suitable for everyone's hands. Multi-Use: This digging shovel is generally used for digging trenches, digging holes, transplanting, edging, moving compost, cutting thick turf and furrowing. The sharp blade allows you to cut, scoop, dig, lift and dice in hard soil.
Buy at Amazon
X
View Comments

Comments

  1. User avater
    treasuresmom 07/24/2018

    Totally amazing!

  2. User avater
    meander_michaele 07/24/2018

    What a fabulous garden you and your husband have created and nurtured, Linda. Your pond is the beautiful jewel in a very lovely setting and it looks like it was meant to be there. Your husband did a masterful job with the rock placements and you have naturalized it so delightfully with your plantings. Love your container planting arrangements and that very cool weathered "au natural' looking bench. Good luck with finding the right balance between work and resting so you can stay on there a while longer. Trust me, many of us understand how hard it is to make that difficult decision.

  3. mjensen 07/24/2018

    BEAUTIFUL, I WISH I HAD A POND

  4. cheryl_c 07/24/2018

    Linda, the garden that you and your husband have created is stunning, and just oozes the love you have for your plants and your corner of the earth. The hidden cone lily is a new plant to me, and I love your use of the calla lilies- they have been a pleasant addition to our garden this year. I salute the job you have done getting such variety in your warm zone 7b garden! I hope you share again in the future.

  5. btucker9675 07/24/2018

    Wow... I don't know if I'd ever be able to leave such a beautiful place. If you do, I hope that the new "caretakers" will value and appreciate this garden of Eden. God bless!

  6. sheila_schultz 07/24/2018

    The first photo featuring your pond and surrounding gardens speaks volumes of the love you and your husband have for your property. Stone by stone and plant by plant, you have created your own bit of paradise. It's beautiful.

  7. bsavage 07/24/2018

    What an amazing and beautiful garden! Love it!

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Related Articles

The Latest

How-To
Keep Moth Orchids Happy and They’ll Bloom Year After Year

For many people, picking up a potted moth ­orchid (Phalaenopsis spp. and cvs., Zones 10–12) is like buying cut flowers; they don’t care for the plant once it stops blooming.…
Design
4 Luck® Red Stripes White Variegated Clover Adds a Little Luck to Your Pots

While many gardeners might label white clover as a weed, this fast-filling, variegated selection is cute as a button in containers. With a mix of 3- and 4-palmate leaves, you’ll…
Design
Garden Tour of a Sustainable Native Plant Oasis Bursting with Fall Color

When Jeff Lorenz and Kayla Fell purchased this property in the Philadelphia suburbs, they knew they had their work cut out for them. A front and back yard of mostly…

Video

View All Videos
Design

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be careful when you enter the backyard of garden designer Jeff Epping—not because you’re likely to trip on something, but because you might be dive-bombed by a pair…
Design

4 Midsummer Favorites From a Plant Breeder's Garden
Design

Garden Tour of a Sustainable Native Plant Oasis Bursting with Fall Color
Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants

Episode 170: High-Impact Native Plants with Uli Lorimer  
Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants

Episode 169: Great Foundation Plants