Garden Photo of the Day

Peak Season in Heidi’s Connecticut Garden

During the peak of summer this New England garden is looking anything but tired

multi colored bigleaf hydrangea

Hey GPODers! Today we’re back in the flower-filled garden of Heidi Weirether. We first saw her garden a little earlier on in the summer (you check check out that post here: Heidi’s Colorful Garden in Fairfield County) and it’s incredible to see how much has changed in a month’s time! As with much of the northeast this year, Heidi is experiencing incredible hydrangea blooms—but that is just the tip of the floral iceberg in her sensational garden:

shasta daisy with blue hydrangeaLooks like it’s a banner year for all of Heidi’s flowers. We’re getting the first peaks of beautiful blue hydrangeas (love the combination of mophead and lacecap), but the shasta daisies (Leucanthemum × superbum, Zones 5–9) are giving them a real run for their money.

mass planting of shasta daisiesFlowers for as far as the eye can see! The way Heidi massed these plants at different heights allows you to see the various layers of color, but I’m also transfixed by the way these beds look like rolling waves of flowers crashing against the side of her garden shed.

pink and red poppiesIn Heidi’s earlier submission we saw a sprinkle of oriental poppy blooms (Papaver orientale, Zones 3–7) sharing the stage with spires of foxglove and pops of pink peonies, but here some breadseed poppies (Papaver somniferum, annual) are doing all the heavy lifting. Though this is light work for a plant in so many gorgeous colors and with a second-show in the form of their incredible seed heads.

long border at its peak in summerWhile Heidi’s speciality is definitely flowers, she doesn’t skimp on the fantastic foliage. This long border features just about every color in the rainbow, but it’s all anchored to a base of bold foliage from two incredible ligularias. The dark color of Britt-Marie Crawford (Ligularia dentata ‘Britt-Marie Crawford’, Zones 4–9) provides a nice contrast while ‘Bottle Rocket’ (Ligularia x ‘Bottle Rocket’, Zones 4–9) adds exciting texture with its serrated leaves.

multi colored bigleaf hydrangeaYet another hydrangea I’ve seen this year absolutely covered in the biggest blooms. With its multitude of colors all coming from one plant, I’m assuming this is the always impressive L.A. Dreamin’ bigleaf (Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Lindsey Anne’, Zones 5–10). And what can be more classic than placing it behind a bright white picket fence? It’s the perfect hardscape pairing for a shrub sporting so many colors.

butterfly and hummingbird visiting bee balmWhere flowers abound, pollinators are sure to follow. This bright bee balm appears to have been a fan favorite with a hummingbird and swallowtail butterfly both paying a visit. What an incredible moment to capture, Heidi!

small child helping to water flowers in the gardenFinally, an adorable helper giving some bight pink impatiens a much-needed drink during the hot July days we’ve been experiencing in Connecticut. A true mini gardener in the making!

Thanks for sharing your incredible garden with us again, Heidi! It’s such a treat to see what you have blooming, and I hope we get to see your space continue to transform through the seasons.

 

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Comments

  1. User avater
    simplesue 08/01/2024

    You have such an impressive flower garden, blooms everywhere! Wow!
    And you have the BEST photo of a hummingbird AND butterfly I have ever seen and I've seen a lot!
    And the child watering the garden was so darling!
    I'm having Hydrangea envy just looking at the photo of all those shades of pink, lavender, blue!

  2. btucker9675 08/01/2024

    You have created a perfectly fabulous garden - experiencing garden envy here! Wow...

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