Happy Monday GPODers!

You can learn a lot about a garden from one submission to Garden Photo of the Day, but I think the full picture really comes into view when we see a space in at least two seasons. This was absolutely the case when I saw this submission from Bonnie Phipps in Boulder, Colorado. Bonnie first shared her gorgeous garden in fall of 2022 (check that post out here: November in Colorado), and showcased the wonderful autumn color that emerges in the late season. Today we get to see her space in its peak spring and summer bloom, with a delicious assortment of textures that bring insane interest to everything from shady corners to foundation plantings. While Bonnie’s first submission was wonderful and gave us a great glimpse into her space, the following photos and descriptions unveil even more personality and perspective.

Hello, I sent some fall photos that you shared a few years ago and I’ve been meaning to send more but time gets away from me. So this time I set aside many hours and days to go through my photos from the last several years. I’ve organized the ones that look nice into various themes. I think I have about 5 future submissions to send so far. I think my favorite part about Fine Gardening is seeing the Photo of the Day submissions.

I gardened in Denver for about 7 years before I moved to Boulder, Colorado (zone 4-5). We live on a 4 house cul-de-sac and our house is set at an angle on our lot so our garden is divided into several sections which is quite nice. It is a quarter-acre plot but feels much bigger because it’s all garden – I only have a small 19’ diameter circle of grass in the back. I’ve been gardening in our yard since 2006, one section at a time. I’m interested in design and texture as I garden.

This submission is an overview of the north side of our garden. In 2006 we had a landscape company put in the hardscape including the walking circle that I designed for my husband to do walking meditation. Nancy Loving of Loving Gardens designed the area near the house and the rock garden but I’ve had to change it quite a bit over the last 18 years as plants get overgrown or die. I learned a lot from Nancy and used what I learned to design other areas of our garden and to make necessary changes to the old areas over the years.

Thank you so much for sharing your gorgeous garden with us again, Bonnie! After seeing the sensational fall color you’ve achieved from your first submission, it was absolutely no surprise that your spring and summer gardens are a filled with endless interest and personality. I’m already eagerly anticipating your future submissions and seeing more of your fabulous designs.

Are you ready for the growth and color that is coming our way this spring and summer? Let’s ring in the growing season by celebrating some color and fun! If the earliest signs of spring are emerging from your garden, or you’re still looking back at pictures from last spring in anticipation of the first blooms of this year, share your spring photos with Garden Photo of the Day! Follow the directions below to submit your photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.

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 gpod@taunton.com 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.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

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