Jeanne Cronce is keeping busy with her lively, colorful garden.
"Good morning from Winter Springs Gardens. Here are some pictures taken this morning of a day soon to be in the 80s. Mornings are always a special time with the cool air, singing birds, and beautiful colors. It has been a spring of tremendous growth for conifers, deciduous, and all kinds of perennials which means more things to do around here. I enjoy every moment of it!"
Have a garden you'd like to share? Email 5-10 photos and a brief story about your garden to [email protected]. Please include where you are located!
Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on 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
A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Comments
Jeanne - Your plants sure look like they appreciated the good growing season! Love the hydrangea (especially the blue flowered one), contrast in the foliage and the excellent photography. Nice to see that innovative boat again.
Hi Frank... The growth has been quite big this year. Its something while gardening thru the years to see the different weather conditions and how they affect the gardens. Its been a good year! We are hoping for some warmer weather now. Glad you like the boat. It is full of pollywogs right now!
Jeanne, your garden always always just makes my jaw drop. No matter the times I have seen overviews, the details keep me searching the photos for new things . So many of your plants I lust for (Gunnera especially) and the diversity, lushness and drop dead gorgeousness of it all just blows me away. I thought I was a plant nut until I met you! You are the Queen of all things gardeny.
Jeff! the queen huh! That means there is a king! That be you! Its all fun and so rewarding isnt it! Iam so sorry you guys cant grow gunnera back there. How did your ornamental rhubarb do for you?
Always a treat to see your garden Great plants, great combinations!!! Lovely containers, too! The Gunnera is awesome! Love it all!
Thanks Margaret!
Jeanne, where do you live? What zone are you? Everything is so lush and beautiful! It's difficult in the heat of July, to have things looking so perky! I learn so much from my fellow gpoders! God bless you all!
I live in Port Orchard, Washington. Our zone has been said to be 7 or 8 but i find zone 8 plants die from being too cold and wet. Glad you learn from others here! Iam still learning about plants and growing them!
Oh I forgot to ask, are those little box woods rooting in front of your white hydrangea? Will they stay there, or will you move them when there bigger?
Hi Rhonda... yes these are little boxwoods that i started from the trimmings when being hedged. They start quite easily! I will probably move them next spring. The white hydrangea has really gotten quite huge this year.
I have growing Hydrangeas that are bare and leggy during the Winters. I'm experimenting planting evergreen shrubs cuttings underneath them to soften the Winter look. I'm trying Skimmea, Aucuba, Boxwood, Hebe. It's great that you're able to be with your beautiful and mature 35yo garden. Mine is only 8yo, so I won't have that privilege.
Ahh, Jeanne, pictures of your garden always give me that happy "zippity-do-dah" feeling... that all is right with the world. Your decadently lush foliage specimens are jaw droopingly gorgeous What is the variety of hydrangea with the eye catching dark red stems? It's so striking. And is that a barberry in the 5th picture down with the extra vibrant orange leaves? Each leaf is quite delicate and yet, en masse, what a wallop of color! And, yes, my boat is floating high with wondrous delight at all the wonderful sights in your garden.
Hi Michaele... Well as long as iam concentrating on the gardens all is well with the world here. Isnt gardening such an escape! It centers me again. Yes, that is a barberry. Great color they came up with! Orange seems to be my favorite color once again this year. And that hydrangea is called Serrata Preziosa according to someone on facebook. I purchased it at a small plant sale unnamed so i hope this is right. Its a beauty though! Have a great summer!
Jeanne, such a delightful surprise each time your garden comes up on the forum. I just love the fullness of your garden, and the amazing blend of plants. In pic 4, is that the seed head of a foxtail lily arching over the shot? And I'm always gonna wince with envy every time that Gunnera makes the scene. Beautiful photos. And a day in the 80s!...oh I wish I was there...I'm melting here in a nasty heat wave. Enjoy.
Hi NC... yes they are foxtail lilies. They are the apricot color and they sure dont last long but i enjoy the dried stalks anyway, a reminder of what will be again. Yes we had a really warm week early on and now it is cool and everything is growing so fast and huge. Hope we will have some warmer weather though. Hope it cools off for you over there but i have seen some wonderful plants grown back there that struggle here because of the lack of heat!
Seeing your garden is a wonderful way to start the day.
Thanks Chris! So true with any garden and a cup of coffee or tea!
What a beautiful space, obviously you are a passionate gardner!
Thanks Katie... yes iam addicted and i always find new plants i never knew existed.Have a great summmer!
Until I stumbled on GPOD I never realized how beautiful plants are for their foliage & textures alone. Your gardens open up a whole new world of gardening possibilities. Jeanne, your garden is spectacular to say the least. Good luck , Joe
Thanks, Joe! I do want to inspire and give others ideas if i can. I hear of people saying that they cant garden because everything dies but there are so many variables to that so i like to always encourage others to keep trying dont give up and eventually the garden bug will bite!
You & lots of other GPOD'ers are creative to the max & know how to follow thru with your ideas. Another concept I never thought of is the way you use colorful containers in the gardens each with it's own distinct mini garden. If your goal is to inspire you've achieved that & more. Good luck, Joe
Hooray. A Greenjeanes update! Such a treat. Is that your Scrophularia in the photo labeled 'A shot looking back toward the inner gardens'? Still on my list since you introduced me to it in another post. I love how you've put your castor bean and a purple kale in that container. The tall shot with the gold-dust plant (healthiest I've seen) and Phygelius leading me in to the container on the grass has me ready to leave work and get outdoors as a substitute for not being in your garden. Wish I were there!
Hi Tim... I have been so busy that i havent had much of a chance to post pictures until recently. We have been doing some work with the backhoe and new areas so it was kind of hard to keep up with all the pruning and weeding. Yes, that is the varigated figwart. It is a great plant to light up a dark area. You can keep it pruned modestly or just let it go to become quite large. The castor bean pot was supose to be the red banana but i couldnt find it at the nurseries around here. The phygelius this year is so healthy and full. If you ever get to this side of the pond you are welcome to stop in!
Thanks, Jeanne! Sorry I misspelled greengenes: memory. I have Phygelius African Queen, that is marginally hardy here in zone 6. It is a spreading monster this year! I love it. What are you using a back hoe for? Making rolling hills? A pond? Love your style and garden.
Hey Tim... well we use our backhoe for digging up new ground for an area for more trees, plants and rock. After taking off the top sod we add compost, mix it in and then when i plant i add more. It takes a couple of years to get good ground but with added compost it seems to make things grow well. I sure would like to make a pond area. We have been talking about it for this one area that really floods in the rainy season. There is a lot of brush, salmonberry and salal which is a lot of work to rip up. We are getting older and iam seeing the need to slow down. But there is so many things to do and not enough years left! Hope you have a wonderful summer! Its going by so fast!
That sounds like the way to really make a garden bed! It's hard to believe it is July already. It's hard to slow down, but as long as we're not injuring ourselves, let's keep on doing what we enjoy! Cheers.
tap me out Jeanne, your garden is always amazing. i love how you use the lawn to set off the beds. Count me in as a big fan of your gunnera. Howard
Hi Howard... the lawns are really full of weeds but we dont have the time to put into them nor do i want to use a lot of chemicals to keep it free of weeds. Id rather have the worms and birds around. It does frame the gardens nicely though. Iam trying to get rid of some of the "lawn" in an area but not sure how to incorporate a gravel path. Iam still studying this transition and placement. The gunnera is a great stately plant isnt it! I love it! I saw a garden one time where the gunnera was so tall that you could walk under it and it seemed like you were in another world. Thats where i fell inlove with it and had to have it in the gardens. Now i have it in three different places. Have a great summer!
Beautiful and sophisticated gardens, Jeanne. Your hydrangeas look so lush. How in the world can you provide enough water for your grand enormous leaves? Love the purple kale in your container. Glad your gardens bring so much joy. We all agree that this is a marvelous hobby!
Hi MD... We have a great well here. But this year it has been cool and wet early on so this gave everything a lush start. Isnt the purple kale a great filler! That seed came from a lady from Romainia. Gardening is quite a wonderful hobby or passion to have for sure! Happy gardening to you this summer!
Jaw dropping gorgeous Jeanne. You have such an eye for combinations, color and texture. I keep jumping from one photo to another, captivated by each unique scene. Wow. I think we need a GPOD retreat at Winter Springs Gardens!
Great Idea. Do you think we could crowd-fund it with a go-fund-me?
:)
Ha! Worth a try...
Hey birthday girl! Yes, wouldnt that be fun! Wish i had some little cabins in the woods and a huge campfire area. We could roast marshmallows!, sing songs and watch the bats fly around at night!
Sounds like my kind of party!
So beautiful and lush. Great job!
Thanks Lori!
You have a beautiful garden. I am also one who loves foliage as well as flowers and you have a lovely blend of both. Do you know the name of the Hydrangea in the 8th picture down? I have one like this, that I rescued from around a house that was to be demolished, and have never been able to find a name. In the next picture, is that a lily on steroids reaching to the sky behind the white blooming Hydrangea? I really enjoyed touring your garden today. Vikki in VA
Hi Vikki...The name of the hydrangea is serrata preziosa according to someone on a facebook site. I got it at a plant sale unnamed. Iam so glad you were able to salvage yours! They are so beautiful and the colors in the late summer and fall are gorgeous! Those are lilies that are towering above the hydrangea. They keep getting taller and taller! I have them in other places and those are also. Some of my lilies this year has turned to yellowish orange. I dont know why but I need to find out! Have a great summer!
Thanks so much for the Hydrangea ID! It sure looks like the one I have. Vikki in VA
Jeanne your garden is always amazingly lush and gorgeous! I see an Eremurus looking like it will be blooming soon and am in awe of your green thumb. I tried again this year and mine is just barely alive, no way will it bloom. Love it all!
Hi GrannyMay! So sorry about your foxtail lilies. They can be fussy. But when i purchased them at the flower and garden show the man selling them said to not cover them with deep compost, just a couple of inches or they wont bloom. And you are not supose to disturb the roots at all. Hope this helps!
Thanks Jeanne! I think mine got too dry because I was trying to avoid them being in a water-logged situation. Maybe I'll try a different location if they survive.
In my climate with ample moisture, I planted three Eremurus with sand in the bottom of the hole and on a slope to keep them dry. I got some blooms the first couple of years and then they just stopped blooming. They never multiplied either, even though they send up decent foliage. I guess Jeanne just has the magic touch!
The sand may have been the culprit--it creates a perched water table if you put coarser material under finer material.
Oh, interesting, Tia. I can't remember where I read to do that, it's been so long ago. I really appreciate your comment because as much as I love those plants, and as much as I move plants around, it never occurred to me (until just this moment) to dig them up and move them. They're dormant now: why not?! Thanks!!
Tim if you have decent foliage, you probably have a reasonably good location for them. Maybe it is the weather that has been keeping them from blooming recently. Apparently they need full sunlight.
I think you are pointing out another issue: they are in a spot that is getting crowded. They tend to get pretty covered up before they can really ripen. I'm all excited to give at least one of them a new spot to try-if I can find them and not kill something in the process!
So yours are already dormant but Jeanne's are about to open their blooms. We do seem to have very different schedules. Maybe I'll just leave mine where they are and see what happens next year.
We are on different seasonal schedules, but you guys are a bit ahead of me. I'm fairly certain Jeanne's are seed heads in the photo. Cheers and good luck with the foxtails!
Yes, they are seed heads, don't know why that didn't occur to me. If you get your foxtails to bloom next year, please post photos and instructions.
Fish compost, 2 inches on top!
I got a little foliage to emerge from one of 6 bulbs, which quickly retreated. Never a bloom. And never saw anything from them again. Figured my garden and/or climate just wasn't suitable.
Jeanne are yours new this year? Were they already growing in a pot when you purchased them?
Hi GrannyMay! I have had these for three years now. They bloomed the first year that i planted them. I bought them as bare root and they were huge! They looked like a shriveled up octopus!
Hi Diane... thanks for your kind comments. It is a labor of love for sure. Only the gardener themselves know about the imperfections in ones garden which i have quite a few. It is quite big that iam not able to keep up with it all. But its all fun and full of experiences i wouldnt trade for anything else. Enjoy your summer!
Ah, Jeanne, your estate is truly gorgeous! Gardening in the PNW is quite rewarding and yet a challenge, at least for me, keeping the weeds and the woods at bay. Especially this year with all the cool weather and rain, everything is growing like weeds, including the weeds! I love all the texture and color in your garden. And the gunnera is magnificent. Great job.
Hi Shirley! Yes we have had quite a growing time this spring havent we! Iam dealing with the woods and weeds too. Even the rabbits and voles have seemed to increase this year! We have had coyotes living behind our house and they have seemed to keep the deer away for a time. Have a wonderful summer!
Yes we also have rabbits, moles, deer, raccoons and coyotes! The coyotes never bothered anything until my new neighbors moved in with their free run chickens and ducks - now there are half as many birds and they are gunning for the coyotes. You have a great summer too. (I hope we have summer...)
Jeanne, every photo is absolutely stunning! We've had just the opposite here in Duluth, GA. Major drought going on but, we had a nice thunderstorm today! Can't wait to get home and check things out. What do you do to keep the voles and rabbits from eating everything! My neighbor has a game hen that knows no bounds and loves one of my flower beds for scratching :( ! Happy gardening!
Glorious...Absolutely Glorious.....ahhhhhhhhhhh
Cenepk10... Hi! Our garden is about 35 years old. But Iam still planting trees which i will never see their full potential! We have five acres here.
The food garden.....ahhhhhhh. Everything is so perfectly tended. Such a feast for the soul
Jeanne - how old is your garden & how many acres ?
Jeanne, your garden is exactly what I strive to achieve. It looks very PNW but since I'm relatively new on GPOD, I don't remember where everyone is gardening. Your foliage photos keep drawing me back to take one more look. Absolutely love everything and am very envious that you have a backhoe.
Hi Linda... iam in Port Orchard, Washington. Yep, very northwestern gardening. I am glad we have a backhoe too. At first i thought we didnt need it but after we got it it has made working around here easier. I use to dig up all the beds with shovel and man was that a lot of work! I was younger then and had more energy and desire. Now being 61 i need to slow down and just get done what i can. Where are you located? Iam glad you found GPOD. you can learn alot and get inspired. They also offer information on growing plants and such that is a real plus! Have a wonderful summer!
Thanks for your answer, Jeanne. I thought that might have been where you gardened but then you threw in that statement about it being 80 degrees, so I wasn't sure. We are on Whidbey Is. in the rain shadow but have had a little more rain this summer but not much heat so the hydrangeas are happy but the annuals are languishing. Still, we love gardening in this part of the country versus WI where we've lived pretty much forever. You're right about GPOD. I look forward to it everyday. Cheers, Linda O'Connell
Wow, what a beautiful garden, love every picture, they are all feast to my eyes. Thank you for sharing!
Your so welcome Cindy!
Oh Jeanne ! Absolutely beautiful, lush, serene, and full of so many beautiful trees and plantings. I know you have been so busy this summer and all of your hard work certainly shows, gorgeous gardens! Your Gunnera is outstanding this summer, so prehistoric isn't it. Hope to see it all soon.
Hi Linda! Hasnt this spring and summer been so busy for both of us! Hope your garden tour went well. Sure wanted to be there but wernt able to get away from the work around here. Yes the gunnera seems to really have taken off. But one of them has some kind of rust problem. Never knew that problem existed. Need to find out more about that. Hope to have you both over this July or August! Robin has been fishing a lot. Bye for now!
Love the barberry against that blue pot! Hope to see you this weekend, but it's a busy one.
Hi Tia! I thought you were in Minnesota! It will be great to see you! Isnt that barbarry a great color! The rabbits seem to really like it too.
Hello Jeanne. I was excited to see your name on GPOD today for your gardens are truly awe inspiring. I go back time and again to see details. And my question on the arching branch in photo 4 was answered as I read everyone's comments. Now that I know it is a foxtail lily, I am happy. Can't grow it here, but that's not unusual. At least I now know the name! Thrilled to see the gigantic leaves of gunnera. Can't grow those either, but at a beautiful garden in the south west of England I took a walk under them! Now they are part of my dream garden. You have so many amazing elements to share and educate.
Thank you so much.
Thanks Eddi. There are so many different plants for different areas. Did you happen to walk under the gunnera at Winston Churchills summer home? Thats where i fell inlove with the gunnera. Have a wonderful summer Eddi!
Gorgeous, gorgeous, Jeanne! Where do you garden?
Hi Cynthia... thanks. I am in port orchard washington.
Beautiful, lovery all the different textures and colors
Thanks Mary Lou!
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in