Garden Photo of the Day

A Banner Year in the Garden

Regular rain means happy plants

My name is Biyuan Yang, and I garden in northern New Jersey. I have shared pictures of my garden before (click here and here), and this year my garden is doing great thanks to regular rain. Yarrow, echinacea, ornamental grasses, and some spider flowers and larkspur make a great show.

In May and June, iris, peony, and allium looked so fresh.

I have a serious deer problem, so over the years I have reduced my hosta and roses, and I took out all daylilies. I found that deer seldom touch my lavenders, Japanese barberry, and aralia.

Ornamental onions (Allium sp.) stand tall over a leaf green backdrop.

Peonies (Paeonia sp.) and bearded irises (Iris germanica, Zones 3–9) fill the early summer garden with flowers.

Blue, blue, and more blue! Blue bearded irises in various shades echo the blue flowers of a Baptisia (wild indigo, Zones 3–9).

Lavender (Lavandula sp.) and roses bring color and fragrance.

Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii, Zones 4–8) brings colorful, deer-resistant foliage.

There are a thousand tones of green in this shade garden planting of a variety of different shade-loving perennials, but without the hostas that deer love to eat so much.

Hybrid coneflowers (Echinacea hybrids, Zones 3–8). The first hybrid coneflowers in yellow and orange shades were not very long-lived or vigorous, but the breeding has improved since then. If you tried them and failed, it might be time to give them another shot.

A beautiful white purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, Zones 3–8) shows off against a dark green background.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium, Zones 4–8) in shades of red and pink echo the color of coneflowers.

Sun King aralia (Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’, Zones 4–8) with bright yellow-gold leaves sits beside a white hydrangea.

 

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.

View Comments

Comments

  1. zorian 07/30/2019

    Windows 10 has built-in help for File Explorer, Microsoft makes windows file explorer you search the web for information, so here’s what you need to know about using Windows 10’s file manager.

  2. nwphillygardener 07/30/2019

    This garden is quite rich. Though photos showing glimpses of neighboring properties suggest a modest community, I sure hope they give grateful feedback to Bijuan for providing such inspiration to go beyond more conventional suburban planting and create magic with perennials.

  3. mjensen 07/30/2019

    absolutely gorgeous, some of my favorite flowers you have.

  4. garden1953 07/30/2019

    Very beautiful gardens! Thanks so much for sharing.

  5. User avater
    meander_michaele 07/30/2019

    Your garden beds certainly put on a spectacular spring/early summer show of sumptuous color. Lucky you that your hybrid coneflowers are coming back in their rainbow assortment of red, yellow, and coral tones. They make your garden look so festive. Great job with everything.

    1. biyuan_yang 07/30/2019

      I think the hybrid coneflowers I have are 'Cheyenne Spirit'. They have increased yearly, and this year they are especially spectacular!

  6. deeinde 07/30/2019

    Your gardens are beautiful! You are smart to work with the deer. I have not been so smart and my hostas, daylilies, and heucheras have takena beating this year. I love all of your color!

    1. biyuan_yang 07/30/2019

      Fighting the deer is a losing battle. I gave up a long time ago. You could still have a beautiful garden, though. But I share your pain because deer still nibble on my roses and hydrangeas.

  7. paiya 07/30/2019

    The intrinsic beauty of each plant has been made even more enjoyable by your artistic arrangements. The colors and textures blend so well together

    1. biyuan_yang 07/30/2019

      Thank you!

  8. cheryl_c 07/30/2019

    Bijuan, you have a deft and skilled touch in your design of your garden - excellent sense of color and texture! I would love to walk around your yard and hear all that you have learned about gardening. What a treat to us, to your neighbors, and to all the birds and insects who get to make your yard their home! Thank you for sharing again!

    1. biyuan_yang 07/30/2019

      Thank you Cheryl! My neighbors do love my garden and stop by to take pictures -- it gives me great joy and pride when I see them enjoying my garden. And you are right, the birds, bees and butterflies are so fun to watch!

  9. Doxnmomx2 07/30/2019

    Absolutely glorious! I'm sure your yard appears in photos on many phones. I know I would stop and take in the beauty and snap pictures.

    1. biyuan_yang 07/30/2019

      Thank you! Yes people stop and take pictures :-)

  10. Cenepk10 07/30/2019

    Wow ! Really beautiful garden. Rain really has made everything so lush. Looks like an English garden. Crazy jealous about your coneflower... Must take a while to get established? I have planted and planted it. This was the first year it seemed to spread around - but still looks so spotty. Do you fertilize much ? What are you using? I topdress & use the organic fertilizer ... just takes a while for anything to grab hold here. ( in my stinky soil )

    1. biyuan_yang 07/30/2019

      Thank you for your comment! My coneflower have reseeded themselves all over. Every year I had to take out extras. Now that yours started to spread, it will fill your garden very soon, if you let it. That said, the double forms are not nearly as vigorous. About fertilizer, I haven't used any. I used compost a few years back, and I add mulch every other year. Good luck with you gardening effort! It takes a while, but the results are totally worth it!

  11. btucker9675 07/30/2019

    What a wonderful garden you've created - the colors and textures are marvelous! I miss gardening in northern NJ and your photos are a reminder why. Thank you for sharing.

    1. biyuan_yang 07/30/2019

      We usually have good weather here, don't we? Garden State is not just a name...

  12. User avater
    treasuresmom 07/30/2019

    Packed with beauty! What an amazing sight.

  13. carolineyoungwilliams 07/30/2019

    Biyuan, I have really enjoyed your garden and it's beautiful colors. Keep up the good work.

  14. [email protected] 07/30/2019

    Thanks for the great photos- How is it that I don't have Baptisia?! I'm such a sucker for blues....

  15. User avater
    simplesue 07/30/2019

    I love your garden! Wonderful choice of flowers! The photo that include the fire hydrant was my favorite! Such a great flower border right up to the curb- great curb appeal!

  16. user-5117752 07/30/2019

    Beautiful gardens in both color and design! Particularly love your photo of the blue iris and Baptisia. Oh, and the pink and red of the coneflowers and yarrow - and the red hydrant!!! Well, I just loved all of your photos! Thank you for taking the time to share!!!

  17. carolineyoungwilliams 08/06/2019

    Bijuan, I am in love with your garden. It is absolutely gorgeous. Peonies and roses are always at the top of my list but your Yarrow & coneflower bed is my favorite. I have most every flower that you featured but your use of colors and the grouping/designs are stunning. Your garden have definitely inspired me to go back and make some changes. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful handiwork and the tip dealing with the deer's meal. Be Blessed.

  18. Hannajames 04/11/2020

    This is so beautiful! Thank you so much for this! electric grill reviews

Related Articles

The Latest