Anna Tsai of Bayside, Wisconsin has worked hard to create this special garden.
"I would like to share some of my backyard pictures with you. I created the garden all by myself since we moved into this 0.6 acre property with some ground covers and trees in 1998."
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Comments
I love all the colors and textures! Amazing job... you should be proud of yourself!
Thank you so much! Lily.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you. Noreen.
LOVE the flowers, thanks for sharing, wish there were names for us who live in different countries so we can find smilar here :)
the common name is called the Giant Fleece Flower. Thank you.
+Ana Thank You Ana, you have some lovely peonies and otherd that look like Asia is their origin.. It is a beautiful garden - I just started on my 3/4 acre block.. and plants just starting to become noticeable... come winter I will be transplanting Cannas into colour clumps and many to new homes.
I would love some small bushes and you have some, that look blue in colour, Is it possible to give me names as I am in Australia - hot summers [sometimes] and winter ok, but frost some nights.. They might be same bushes in different places would you have time to name them please TU in advance
Photo 1 There is a blue colour middle right
Photo 3 a weeping/hanging pine/confier
Photo 4 is that same tree? The poppies look lovely,
Photo 6 the one with a blue bush to left and a silvery colour to the righ of grassway
Photo 7 the blue coloured bush
Photo 8, love the peonies, the white & blue are they same as previous photos
Photo 9 looks like a red maple and another blue bush.
Now that Autumn is sorto here, I can lay down more cardboard and tanbark for all the plants and do some rearranging...
Thanks for sharing the photos beautiful to see. Blessings
Hi Janina,
Thank you for like all these plants. I will get back to you for all these names. Anna
Thank You Anna, I have my garden in two halves one side is anglular with succulents & natives that dont need much water, the other half I am have plant from the countries where I host university students, China, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Hong Kong, England, France Spain, England , they bring me seeds and buy a plant here if they find one that originally comes from their country so I have had a good start.. I am looking foward to planting my Peonies, purple maple this year, to go with the Canna's, dahlias, Rose of Sharon, roses, jasmine, wisteria, jacarnda.... Another layer of cardboard and tanbark and I can relax for another 5 years and not worry about weeds.
It keeps me out of trouble,,, but in Australia I havent found many blue coloured folage apart from wattle, which I have, but like a few different kind of plant/shrub.
Again thanks for your help :)
What a beautiful and serene space you have cultivated. Just lovely!
Thank you, Tina.
Looks great. :)
Thank you. Wisestguy.
Beautiful, Anna. You have so many colorful beds and your use of conifers adds some rich texture. Living so close to the lake, do you have different growing conditions than the rest of WI? Is that taller white flowering clump tree a serviceberry? Thanks for sharing your hard work with us.
Unless there is a good south or southwest breeze it can be 10 to 15 degrees cooler near the lake than it is just three miles inland this time of year. In the fall and winter the lake is a moderating factor as it usually is warmer than the air temperature.
sorry but I will get back to you the real name.
Hi Linda,
The white flowering clump tree is called Flamingo Dappled Willow. It is very easy to grow and only need to cut down in the fall.
Have fun in your garden
Hi Anna, yes, now I can see what it is. We actually have that in our garden but it's in tree form, just one trunk and here in the PNW we don't cut it back. Thanks so much for your response and happy gardening.
Anna, you have created beautiful gardens filled with interesting and appealing combinations. The colors and textures work well together and are pleasing to the eye. I must say, your peony in the next to last photo is a rock star!
Haha, it is so sweet of you. Thank you.
Totally, totally amazing!!!!!! Need a chair and a cup of coffee to sit and take it all in.
You are right. My husband loves to have a cup of coffee and read news paper in the sunroom. Thank you.
Fantastic backyard to escape into! You've curated quite a nice collection of plants that are very captivating. Really like the Hakuro Nishiki - the fresh leaves are always so striking. I assume you keep regular pruning maintenance on it? And I'm very envious of the foxtail lilies. I wish I could successfully grow them here. And those hosta...I swear voles must not live up north. Beautiful garden. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, David. I know you will feel my pain...I have begrudgingly waved the white flag of surrender in regards to my hosta in a certain part of my garden. I am putting them in decorative pots above the ground and filling the empty spots with ferns and hellebores. And just in case, the voles might think to develop a hankering for the roots of those plants, I have embedded strips of hardware wire in the newly dug holes to create cages. The more interesting question that I ask myself is why I am too lazy to get a cat?
Get a cat. Not only do they take care of voles, moles and chipmunks, they are quite entertaining and more loving than most people think. However, please feed the cat and do not expect garden vermin to be enough food. Even well fed, if you have a hunter (and not all cats are), it will keep the garden clean. Down side, cats will also stalk birds so keep the bird feeder free of low level plants.
Hi, Sonya, thanks for the advice. We had two awesome barn cats (and, yes, we do have a barn) for many years and they were affectionate to us, their humans ...and good hunters, otherwise. The vole population has seemingly exploded since the cats reached old age and passed on. To be honest, I just don't seem to know how to start over and my hosta are paying the price for my procrastination.
Hi Michaele. I understand the frustration, and sorry to hear of a white flag. Call me crazy, but I am feeling emboldened with my new-ish technique...even bought a new specialty hosta from Plant Delights recently. Fingers-crossed. But I still do grow several in decorative pots - it works nicely. As for the cat, don't feel so lazy...theres always the chance you get the lazy cat too...haha. When I had outdoor cats, not all were astute hunters. One even expected me to go get the "scurrying "toys" for him I believe.
I don't prune the Hakuro Nishiki at all, the only time I cut all of them down is Spring. I love it so much. The Foxtail Lilies should by luck because I planted a lot but only few are left. Thank you so much for your comments.
Wow! You are truly an artist with plants! I'm in awe.
Thank you, Barb. I wish I am an artist but actually I always don't feel good enough and move around the plants so much.
This garden defines lush and healthy. It is packed to the brim but doesn't look crowded. Just Beautiful.
Thank you so much for your comments!
So very beautiful!! Love all the colors of burgundy and lime green.
Thank you so much! Gwen chance.
Beautiful garden. I don't live too far from you.......so what is your secret to keeping the deer away from the hostas, Asiatic lilies, etc. I use Liquid fence; have you been successful with any other repellent!
Thank you. I use Liquid Deer Fence too and I have not use any other repellent yet.
Wow!!!
Supper colorful and vigorous garden!!!! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much!
So beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Joanna.
Beautiful. Wonderful textures and colors in a garden full of a great mixture of stalwarts and beautiful specimens. Had I taken the first photo, I would have been over-zealous and moved the work wheelbarrow out of sight; but that would have been a huge mistake. I love it and it really adds to the photo on many levels.
You really have artistic eyes. Thank you, Tim.
What a beautiful collection of plants and such nice combinations of texture and color.
What is the tall bush or group of perennials on the left with the white flowers on top in the second picture. It's gorgeous and looks so healthy and happy
I think it's Persicaria polymorpha....It sure is beautiful!
The common nam is called Giant Fleece Flower. Thank you for like my garden,
You have a beautiful yard. Thanks for sharing..I loved it.
Thank you so much! Michelle.
Anna, I love your garden. You have quite a green thumb!
Thank you so much! I love your name too.
Oh my goodness, this is what I aspire my garden to be--absolutely gorgeous!
Thank you so much! Christina.
Your garden is a beautiful symphony, Anna...hitting all the right notes. I love your generous inclusion of the ornamental evergreens , esp. the dwarfish Montgomery Blue Spruces...such handsome 4 season additions to the garden. Looks like you have a wondrous display of peonies...the wafts of that special fragrance must be heavenly in late spring.
Thank you. I really wish I could plant more evergreens but my back yard don't get much sun.
OMG, your garden is gorgeous. I am so in awe of what ya'll in the northern climes and the Pacific Northwest can do in your landscapes. Plants you take for granted just expire in our heat, humidity, and summer droughts. Your landscape is beautiful! I am green (not thumb ..., envy). Thanks for sharing. Really love the conifers, Montgomery Blue Spruce, and other plants that you throw out in the sun without a care in the world. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for all your comments and you must a gardener too. Sonya.
Anna, I am in awe of the way you have included so many interesting evergreens into the landscape. I'm sure your garden is beautiful in January and June.
Thank you so much! I love evergreens after we visited Japan 5 times. I really wish my backyard has more sun and I could plant more evergreens.
Have not been around lately what wish spring chores but I am glad I checked today! You have done an outstanding job! I love every square inch of your garden. All the plants that I love. I am kinda loving that rapa nui head in the last photo too
Yeah, I love it too. Thank you.
Oh my, such a beautiful garden you have. Your hard work has certainly rewarded you. I love all your plant combinations. Vikki in VA
Thank you so much! Vikki.
VA should be warmer then Wi and wish you good luck in your garden too.
Wowza! Is that ever pretty! What a great job you did in creating a beautiful, cohesive garden. Really spectacular!
Thank you so much for like my garden!
What a treat to see this! Someone loves to garden! All you photos have such fun and surprises. You have a very nice assortment of plants and they all work well together! Thank you for sharing with us! Have a wonderful spring and summer!
Thank you so much! Have a wonderful spring and summer too!
From the first photo to the last.... wonderful! I can see your gardens bring you a great source of pleasure; and I love the selections you have chosen! You must be as anxious as I to go check out the nurseries this Spring! Love your use of conifers, especially. They add so much interest and I am guessing that your landscape still looks great in the winter. Congratulations on a fine job!!
It is truly more beautiful in the winter after I added evergreens. Thank you so much for like my garden.
Your gardens are beautiful, Anna! I love your color combinations. Everything looks healthy and happy. Great job!
Anna, seeing your garden this morning makes me want to head out to my favorite nursery. You have combined everything so beautifully and I am extra impressed with the number of evergreens and their placement everywhere.
You are clearly an artist in your garden. Thank you for sharing.
Eddi, I felt in love with evergreens after my husband and I visited Japan at very first time, I really wish I could plant more. Thank you so much for like my garden.
The bright red peonies (?) in the next to last picture are incredible! Do you remember the variety? Beautiful gardens!
Sorry, I don't remember the name of the peonies but thank you so much for like my back yard.
Just beautiful, Anna! I especially like the first photo with the wheelbarrow and your gorgeous peonies!
Thank you so much for like my garden.
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