Happy Monday GPODers!

We’re starting the week off in Pennsylvania, visiting Silvia Speyer’s lush gardens full of flowers and an array of fantastic foliage.

My 1/4 acre garden is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I have transformed the property in 54 years from a grassy lot into a tranquil oasis. Garden rooms, ponds and unusual trees and perennials add interest.

Paths draw the visitor into the garden and lead you from one garden room into another. A small bridge over a pond next to the deck, steers you into the main garden where an 80 ft. dawn redwood tree (Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Zones 5–10), surrounded by Frances Williams hosta (Hosta ‘Frances Williams’, Zones 5–10), is the star.

I never dreamed that my garden, after digging up every inch, would become such a refuge of peace and beauty.

Some of the plants that add interest: Acanthus, whose spires of blooms are majestic and awe everybody. Blue Wave hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Mariesii Perfecta’, Zones 5–9), with their sea of blue blossoms all summer long, are a real show stopper. Golden Hakone grass (Hakonechloa macra, Zones 5–9) leads you along the paths. Masses of Gold Heart dicentra (Dicentra spectabilis ‘Gold Heart’, Zones 3–9) are cheerful and totally deer resistant. Roses, a great variety of ferns, day lilies and peonies are greeting the visitor with their astonishing beauty. Magnolias, Japanese maples, various tall evergreens, a huge crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica, Zones 3–9) and Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonicus, Zones 5–9) as well as blue roses of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus, Zones 5–9) give the garden a finished look.

My garden is incredibly lush. In the course of 1/2 century, I added at least one foot of enriched soil, as a result, weeds are very rare and the plants are thriving.

Many garden clubs have been visiting my garden.

It has been registered in the Archives of the Smithsonian Institute.

“Incredibly lush” is the exact way to describe Silvia’s garden of treasures. A beautiful mix of hostas, ferns, and what looks like a ligularia on the right bringing in a moody, dark tone.

But there is still plenty of room for color and fun. Ruby Spider daylilies (Hemerocallis ‘Ruby Spider’, Zones 5–9) mingles nicely with the blue rose of Sharon, while a quirky chicken statue stands guard.

You can also see the distinct “rooms” that Silvia mentioned, with each space having a distinct and different feel. While this definitely retains that woodland garden feel, it is much more light-and-bright than the moody setting around the small pond above. Large camas (Camassia leichtlinii, Zones 5–9) explode in spires of light blue flowers that contrast with the massive pink peony blooms behind.

We’re back in a more moody setting, with pops of silver brunnera and Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum var. pictum, Zones 5–8) lighting up the edge. In the left corner we get a glimpse of the incredible dawn redwood tree flanked by fabulous ‘Frances Williams’ hosta.

Though each “room” is distinct, I love that almost none of Silvia’s plantings are. Plantings web around each other, growing close and sometimes through other plants—like one of the ferns have done in this incredible Blue Wave hydrangea.

By the looks of their size and the deep veins on their leaves, I’m guessing the beauties on the right are ‘Empress Wu’ hostas (Hosta ‘Empress Wu’, Zones 3–9). Their tall habit and massive leaves (that grow up to 1 1/2 feet wide and long) are actually creating some shade for the vibrant Japanese Hakone grass to thrive under.

Another little garden pond gets a magical dusting of tiny pink flowers.

To me, pink and green are always a winning combination. This bright pink azalea is absolutely glowing in front of a sea of green.

And finally, even more paths leading on to what feels like endless garden treasures. A lovely dogwood tree and simple bird bath beckoning you to pick your poison and choose a path to follow. Me? I’d circle these paths several times over to see all the wonders Silvia has in store.

Thank you for sharing your gorgeous garden with us, Silvia! Your over 50 years of hard work on this garden is absolutely evident, and I hope we get to see more in the future.

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.

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