Today we’re taking a bittersweet garden tour with Stephanie Edwards in Little Rock, Arkansas (Zone 8a) as she prepares to move to a new garden halfway across the country.
We are moving to Florida in a few weeks, and while I’m excited for new plants and new possibilities, I’m sad to leave my Arkansas garden of three years. Goodbye, clay soil and tons of crystal rock; hello, Florida sand. This garden was my first attempt at growing anything. It started with blackberries. I bought a plant and planted it along the fence, and every day I went out to see what it had done. I realized pretty quickly that I needed more plants to watch! Most of my plants are started from seeds or cuttings or gifted from friends and family. Below are some of my favorite pictures.
Blackberry lilies (Belamcanda chinensis, Zones 5–9) and coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea, Zones 3–9).
I live in Little Rock in a neighborhood called Crystal Valley. Every time I dig a hole I encounter more crystal rock, so I made a rock garden. These are all the rocks I unearthed while planting. The plants are brilliant dianthus (Dianthus deltoides ‘Brilliant’, Zones 2–9) and various sedums.
Close-up of the crystal rock garden and its inhabitants.
A foxglove in bloom (Digitalis purpurea, Zones 4–8)
This was a great year for foxgloves, and this tiger swallowtail butterfly is enjoying them.
Purple top verbena (Verbena bonariensis, Zones 3–11 or as annual), ‘Viva la Vida’ lily (Lilium ‘Viva la Vida’, Zones 4–9), and ‘Cloth of Gold’ yarrow (Achillea filipendulina ‘Cloth of Gold’, Zones 3–10).
My favorite lily, ‘Viva la Vida’.
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Comments
Gorgeous.
Best wishes on your move and your new gardening ventures. 🌿
Your garden is beautiful especially those foxgloves. I can imagine how hard it must be to leave Arkansas------it is a beautiful state. People who have never been there don't seem to realize that.
My sister lives in the northwest corner and she once said that instead of a shovel she really needed a pick ax to do her gardening. Your border of crystal confirms that but is just lovely and a good use of existing material.
Beautiful! And, you will create more beauty in your new garden, I am sure.
Really beautiful. Love the rock garden! Good luck in your new place.
Love, love, love those blackberry lilies & those lilies "Viva la Vida" too
Take your seeds with you! BlackBerry lilies look gorgeous here also. You have a wonderful sense of color—-all of your mixes are stunning.
I like the way you think- using the in-the-way crystal rock you dug out, and making a pretty rock garden with it.
That black butterfly with the orange edging makes a gorgeous photo and memory of your garden...I've never seen one like that before.
You sure know how to grow some healthy and amazing flowers, they must like something in that soil!
Your Foxgloves rival one's I've seen in photos of big gardens in England!
When I moved I took as many plants as I could, with me to my next garden....you should do the same if they can handle Florida's zone....I've seen many gardens/landscaping in my new neighborhood get "un-done" by the next owners.
I can't wait to see what your Florida garden is going to look like...Amazing for sure!
Gorgeous! I am loving that Lily and will have to find some for myself!
You have an amazing garden, made even more so by the fact that you only got the gardening bug 3 years ago! I love the colors and combinations - very unpredictable and quite lovely and enlivening. Thanks so much for sharing, and good luck on your move.
Oh, how I hope whoever purchased your home will love that beautiful garden and care for it! I would be thrilled to find a property with such lovely plantings. Good luck to you in your new home.
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