Garden Design

Many plants native to California—and the hybridized cultivars of those natives (aka nativars)—are attractive, easy-to-grow pollinator magnets, plus they have evolved strategies to survive California’s long, rainless summers. Even during “normal” years, these plants make wonderful, colorful additions to the containers and flower beds of the water-conscious gardener. During drought years, it’s even more important

Today Nancy Mellen is taking us along on a visit to an unusual Japanese garden. I love the GPOD, and I thought I’d send pictures from my visit in February 2022 to Morikami Japanese Garden in Delray Beach, Florida. This is the beginning of the walk around the lake, with small trees with cloud pruning.

As editors of a gardening magazine, we’re often asked, “What’s your favorite garden?” For me the answer is easy—Barbara Weirich’s garden in Benton Harbor, Michigan. It’s a landscape of garden rooms all fascinating in their makeup and chock full of interesting plants. The drive up to Barbara’s house is magical; plants of all shapes and

My name is Rebecca Last. I live in Ottawa, Canada, which is roughly USDA Zone 4. It’s the second week of March, and winter still has us firmly in her grip, so this is a great time to reflect on photos of gardens past. I’ve been gardening my small suburban plot intensively since we moved

My name is Fran, and I live in Massachusetts. I have submitted my home garden before, but today I’m sharing photos for GPOD on the Road. My husband and I were very fortunate to travel this past summer and visit at least seven different gardens. We traveled to Florida, Alaska, and Vancouver, and places in

Today Amy is sharing how her garden has recovered after tornado damage a couple years ago. Last year (Historical Camellia Garden in Virginia) I submitted photos of my historical camellia garden and shared that our property had experienced tornado damage in August 2020. The damaged areas spurred a new focus on landscaping, and my husband

Each year we do a feature in our big spring issue introducing folks to a slew of new offerings from plant breeders. But this is not simply a list of plants that we think look interesting. Our standards here at Fine Gardening are higher. We interview breeders, marketers, and the heads of trial gardens across

Finding a plant that can serve multiple purposes in the garden is always a gardener’s dream. So let’s focus on a plant that is ideal for landscape designing, greening up your garden, healthy snacking, and handling heat, wind, and drought. Who doesn’t like grapes? This is a plant sure to please any gardener. Grapes are

Barry Severn is taking us along on a trip to Centennial Park Conservatory in Toronto. As you’ll see, these greenhouses are packed with all kinds of beautiful plants. I’m sure they’re a much-appreciated oasis of beauty during the long, cold Canadian winter. In a prelude to spring, masses of daffodils (Narcissus hybrids, Zones 3–8) bloom

Even though there’s still snow on the ground for many of us, warmer weather is most definitely on our brains. So today we’re going to be talking about native plants that put on a spectacular show in spring. And, although we’re a podcast based out of New England, the plants we decided to talk about

Today’s photos are from Kathy Schreurs in northwestern Iowa. March is here, but regardless of what the calendar will say in a few weeks, most spring flowers will not make their appearance in my borders until late in April. So yesterday I quieted my spring fever by scrolling through my camera roll, enjoying both backyard

Jeff Lorenz and his team at Refugia Design specialize in creating native landscapes in the Philadelphia area. In addition to looking better than turf grass, the gardens they design also manage stormwater much more effectively and provide better habitat for native pollinators. Transforming a lawn into garden space can be a big undertaking, but Jeff

Today’s photos are from Betsy Thompson in East Greenbush, New York, in Zone 5. We’ve visited Betsy’s garden before (Betsy’s Garden in New York). Betsy lives in a townhouse and so has a narrow space for gardening. As you’ll see, however, she makes the absolute most of her small space! An impressive Brugmansia (Zones 9–12)

We’re on Bainbridge Island, Washington, today, visiting with Katie Crain. I was just looking through photos from the summer and fall (as one does this time of year), and I thought I’d send you some. A little about this garden: It’s on Bainbridge Island, Washington, and is about six years old. The house was new

March is the new April, y’all. Or maybe April is the new May? I think I’ll throw out the calendar and just spend more time out in the garden clocking the progress of daffodils and marking days by the cherry blossoms. One thing is certain—there’s lots to be done in the garden, and with so

We’re off to Minnesota to visit a garden that, on Instagram, has the username “Beertayda,” which means “my garden” in Somali. Today’s contributor, like so many of us, says that her garden has helped her cope with the long COVID-19 restrictions and working from home. In the short growing season in Minnesota, starting seedlings indoors

Today Joseph is taking us along on a visit to Miami Beach Botanical Gardens. Sited in southeastern Florida, it is in USDA Zone 11a, which means temperatures usually never dip below freezing, allowing a huge range of tropical plants to thrive. This path leads toward a fountain in the water feature. The delicate sprays of

March is a wonderful month for garden inspiration. There are so many changes we start to notice here in the Pacific Northwest. The cold wet days of winter are still around, but the amount of daylight increases, and so does our ability to be out in the garden. Early spring ephemeral plants such as reticulated

Today we’re in Jayne Spaulding’s garden, looking forward to spring. This is my Zone 5 garden in spring, my favorite season. In New Hampshire, spring is short-lived, muddy, windy, and cold, but it is welcome nonetheless. I’ve been a Master Gardener for over 20 years and owned a garden design business for 13 years. It’s

As we head into early spring weather and our perennial, ornamental grasses start to show new growth, this is the ideal time to divide these plants. Division of grasses, and most perennials, is done for the primary reason of keeping the original plant healthy, strong, and vibrant. Older grasses dedicate active growth to the outer

Today we’re going on the road with Cherry Ong to check out some incredible dahlias at Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia, from last summer. So forget the cold and snow outside; remember the warmth of late summer, and enjoy these beautiful flowers. It is a good time to look at dahlia blooms because now

Amid the sloshing, squishing, and squelching of spring in the Northwest, green tips and small white flowers start pushing through the soil. Some are up and flowering freely in January, and some are still just green shoots, but the excitement is building in the flower beds. A self-confessed Galanthophile, I will admit to having many

There’s no reason to tell everyone how great ‘Brandywine’ tomatoes are because everyone already knows! And the same goes for ‘Blue Lake’ green beans or ‘Hot Wax’ peppers. We all know these names because they are great varieties that vegetable gardeners have relied on for decades. Yet, there are a bunch of lesser-known veggies that

It’s no secret that the tomato is a favorite summertime staple. Year after year, countless gardeners rely on this formidable and versatile fruit to mark the arrival of spring and then top off summer with a taste that is not only memorable but also irreplaceable. But the tomato is also thought to be one of

Today we’re in Weymouth, Massachusetts, enjoying photos from Joan Cogliano’s garden from last summer. The classic climbing rose, ‘New Dawn’, has blush-pink blooms that repeat all summer on a nicely disease-resistant plant. A shorter-growing rose, ‘Apricot Drift’, blooms next to a clump of catmint (Nepeta × faassenii, Zones 3–8). A beautiful climbing rose called ‘Alchemist’,

Hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9) have become one of my favorite shrubs when designing gardens for my clients. They come in many sizes and shapes and have various flower forms and colors. Their large, voluptuous blooms are hard to beat, and they seldom suffer from the troubles that plague my past favorite shrub,

My name is Margot Navarre. I have been featured in GPOD before and wanted to share some more winter garden photos from a magical time of the year. Snowdrops (Galanthus species, Zones 3–8) add a lot of interest and excitement in our gray and rainy winter season in the Northwest. In my climate, they start

Today we’re enjoying some photos from Mary Murphy. A few years ago I sent you pictures of my garden and ice lanterns. Today’s photos are all close-ups. Look for some surprise visitors! There are a couple of tree frogs in some of the photos. I live in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and have been gardening for about

Friend of the GPOD Cherry Ong is taking us on the road again today, with a nod to the Victorian era and formal gardens. She’s sharing some scenes from the Topiary Garden at the Pendray Inn and Teahouse in Victoria, British Columbia. The Pendray Inn and Teahouse was once a private home. A topiary orca

In winter, food can be hard for birds to come by. Using materials from your yard, you can make a wreath that both feeds them and looks good while doing it. Here are the things you’ll need: Wreath ring Floral wire Floral picks Pruners Wire cutter Ribbon or burlap Scissors Evergreen branches Assorted seedpods Assorted