Kat in Northumberland County, Ontario, shared some photos and thoughts on gardening with children and embracing color in the garden earlier, and today she’s got a set of photos to share on the theme of shape in the garden.
For me, photographing the garden is almost as significant an experience as working in it. I had a camera as a teenager, and I remember how careful I had to be about how many pictures I took, since development of each roll of film was a major investment relative to my allowance. What an astonishing difference now, to have a powerful digital camera in my pocket all the time, to experiment with light and angles freely, to capture along with every image the day and the time that the plants in the garden looked this way, to follow the same structures through the seasons and to document the impermanent shapes for the moments they exist. And my gardener education has been aided by plant identification apps, giving real-time names and descriptions to what I find in the yard and at the garden center. I love the intersection of science and art in gardening, and photography is the best way for me to enjoy where they meet.
This columbine (Aquilegia hybrid, Zones 4–8), standing at attention, had the most personality of the garden blooms.
Baptisia has been planted throughout my gardens; if I have a signature plant, this is it. The structures change dramatically through the season, from the early colorful spires in spring, to the strong, shrublike growth in summer, and finishing with the Halloween shapes of blackened branches and seedpods in fall.
The wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis, Zones 3–8) is native to our area; I like how its nodding flower looks like a dragon.
Peonies grow beautifully here, and mine came with the house, growing for decades long before we got here. They are late bloomers, and I wait for them eagerly, watching the neighbors’ peonies burst open first. Mine are late to the party but arrive super fancy and huge.
Last year I experimented with growing moon flowers at the side of the deck. Now I’m experimenting with vines, with growing morning glories from seed and hydrangea vines on my garden arch, and with saving the offspring of a transplanted clematis, almost lost in a fit of weeding. This morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea, annual) held off blooming until fall and was one of the last flowers we had this year.
Our giant sunflowers (Helianthus annuus, annual) were hosts to a diverse insect population. I feel like this picture, taken from below, almost shows the weight of the flower and the seeds. The stalks drooped soon after, and we decorated the back stump with the dried heads, leaving a feast for the local wildlife.
Winter in the garden, when the last shapes are those made of metal, for specific functions, and the evergreens and columnar grasses. I’m counting down to next year already.
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
Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Gilmour 811673-1001 Sprinkler
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
RAINPOINT Sprinkler Timer with Brass Swivel
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Comments
Hello fellow Ontario gardener. I really enjoyed looking a the flowers in your garden and your enthusiastic thoughts on gardening. I am not familiar with Baptisia but will certainly write that down and investigate one for my Toronto garden in the spring. The winter photo is amazing too, thanks for including that.
Thanks very much! Enjoy the baptisia when you find it - just make sure you put it where it will stay. It’s a taproot so won’t like being moved later.
Oh wow! Your pictures are stunning and. your plant materials are reproducible here in Minnesota! Thanks so much for sharng your talents both in your garden and behind a lens.
PS -- your writing skills are impressive too. :)
You've inspired me to take more pictures next year. Your close-ups of flowers are stunning. Thank you for sharing.
That was really enjoyable reading along with the great photos.
I got a real feeling for you and your garden from this post.
Nice the way you ended the summer story with the current season and a photo of winter.
I like the concept of "a signature plant" for a gardener...it made me think about what mine would be.
I hope you post again and show us all of your Baptisia in it's various stages.
Again, I really enjoyed your little story and photos on your pretty garden!
Such a lovely garden! I love baptisia and had it in northern NJ. I planted one in my front bed here in NC, but it didn't really do anything so I'll be interested to see what happens in the Spring. Garden gloves fingers crossed!
It takes discretion to operate numerous essay writing services. Look for providers with a proven track record of delivering quality, plagiarism-free content on time. Affordability matters, but never compromise on https://www.topessaywriting.org/finance-essay-writing-service excellence. Trusted customer reviews are invaluable in measuring the reliability of a service. A reliable essay-writing service should prioritize communication, customization, and privacy. Make informed choices to enhance your academic performance without compromising integrity.
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in