Garden Photo of the Day

Gazing balls have a place in gardens...

Michelle Gervais, Associate Editor

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Michelle Gervais

Click here to enlarge this photo.

Michelle Gervais

Click here to enlarge this photo.

Photo: Michelle Gervais

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Some gardeners think that gazing balls are tacky. I tend to think it depends on the base you put it on (or not at all.) At the Enid A. Haupt Garden of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., they've made gazing balls clever, intriguing, and whimsical by floating them amongst the foliage of a shrub border. To make gazing balls current and cool in your garden, you could nestle them base-free into a plant combo that picks up on the colors of the ball, make one a central feature in a container planting, or scatter a few on a lesser-traveled lawn.

Welcome to the Fine Gardening GARDEN PHOTO OF THE DAY blog! Every weekday we post a new photo of a great garden, a spectacular plant, a stunning plant combination, or any number of other subjects. Think of it as your morning jolt of green.

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Reaching for the sky

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A waterfall of foliage

Comments (7)

trashywoman62 writes: Forget the artificial gazing balls... what are the shrubs because the round seed pods or bloom stems are awesome?? Does anyone know what kind of plants these are? Posted: 12:08 pm on August 17th

Weedasaurusrex writes: How festive! Is there a way to make these glow at night for a sweet dinner party greeting? Posted: 3:37 pm on August 16th

arboretum writes: a christmas display of these would be fun, esp in the snow, but other than that, i'd much rather see a planting of tall bright cannas behind that hedge.
best,
mindy
www.cottonarboretum.com/ Posted: 1:30 pm on August 16th

sheilaschultz writes: The photos you have shown us of the Enid A. Haupt Garden make me want to catch a flight to D.C. The garden designer definitely has a twinkle in her/his eye to be able to make gazing balls so much fun! Posted: 10:50 am on August 16th

wwross writes:

Double, way cool!

The Haupt Garden is small, but wonderful. And free! Posted: 9:28 am on August 16th

PlantManager writes: What a wonderful whimsical idea. Looks like giant bubbles have landed in the hendge. Posted: 8:56 am on August 16th

MzSweetpea writes: Oh this is way cool.....can hardly wait to do it next year.....anyone know where I can get these gazing balls??? Love it, love it, love it! Posted: 7:09 am on August 16th

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