Michelle and Gil Hart sent in pictures of Michelle’s garden in Spokane, Washington. They have lived at this house for about 17 years. The garden is about 1/3 acre and was bare when they moved in, except for perimeter trees and a roughed-in pond. The pond now contains about 3,000 gallons of water and has 2-foot koi. These koi (and their offspring) have been garden residents for over 12 years.
Michelle describes herself as both a plant collector and a ruthless gardener who can’t stand plants that look sick. She says that she’s learned many lessons the hard way in her over-50 years of gardening. That sounds like a perfect formula for learning to be a great gardener to me: Be a collector who tries everything, and then be ruthless about getting rid of anything that doesn’t work. Mistakes and missteps are inevitable when gardening, and the important thing is to learn from them so you don’t have to repeat them.
This part of the garden pond is framed beautifully by full plantings and is presided over by a beautiful sculpture of two herons that, unlike real herons, don’t harm the koi living in the pond. View our tips for planning your first water garden here.
The big masses of perennials and shrubs help visually divide up the garden, making 1/3 of an acre look much larger than it actually is.
This charming little fairy house is made from an old stump nestled in ferns with a clematis twining over it.
The garden has space for full-size humans as well as tiny fairies, with this flagstone path leading to a shady seating area. Click here to get some great pathway inspiration.
Michelle is clearly a gardener who likes to have a little fun. These face planters looks very pleased with their plant “hair.”
This is a rich tapestry of foliage, with an enormous hosta ‘Sum and Substance’ (Hosta ‘Sum and Substance’, Zones 3–9) glowing in the center.
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
Black and Decker 22-inch Cordless Hedge Trimmer
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
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.
Pruning Simplified: A Step-by-Step Guide to 50 Popular Trees and Shrubs
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Comments
Adore those little face planters!!
I LOVE the fairy house!
Your garden is thoroughly delightful, Michelle...filled with beautiful plants and extra little touches of ornamentation that tickle our secret inner child. Also, I admire your willingness to remove plants that aren't thriving...a little practical ruthlessness is a good quality for a gardener to have.
this garden is charming! I am envious of your 'Sum & Substance' and it is encouraging me to be ruthless as well - mine are in way too much sun. So I'mo dig 'em up! and put them somewhere more appropriate!
What a magical garden you've created! I would imagine you can't help but smile when you're out there.
I really like this article. I could compare this to nursing papers for sale at https://edubirdie.com/nursing-papers-for-sale website. It is always a pleasure to read interesting material from an experienced author.
Michelle describes herself as each a plant collector and a ruthless gardener who can’t stand vegetation that look unwell. She says that she’s discovered many training the tough way in her over-50 years of gardening. Choosing studies paper subjects shouldn’t be difficult, particularly in case you know the ideas for selecting a great research paper topic. Before you choose a subject in your research paper, https://researchtopics.net/ here are some crucial factors to keep in mind Seek your professor out and ask; they probably have fantastic thoughts Go via studies papers and journals, but stick with the most latest Review different guides, expert or authorities Review your notes, which you take anywhere you go; some thing would possibly stick out
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in