Garden Photo of the Day

A Visit to Rainsong Garden

Vegetables and flowers mingling for pure garden joy

Today’s photos come from Elizabeth Kellerman.

This is my garden. I call it Rainsong Garden. It is located in Zone 6b in the mountains of western North Carolina. These pictures are from the first year of the garden. It’s been an amazing journey. The garden is 40×40 with 6-foot-tall fencing. Now as I prepare for year 2, these images bring so much warmth and inspiration.

SunflowersSunflowers (Helianthus annuus, annual) with purple hyacinth vine (Lablab purpureus, Zone 8–10 or as annual).

gourd vinesThe central walkway of the garden had two arches covered with gourd vines. The shade they provided was very important during the hot summer.

flowers with vegetablesI freely intermixed flowers with vegetables to encourage pollinators and for my own joy. Here pink zinnias (Zinnia elegans, annual) bloom in one of the beds.

Looking under one of the gourd-covered tunnels.

This is along the inner perimeter of the garden.

spiderflowerAround the middle of July as the sun was setting, the light refracted beautifully in the humid air, creating an incredibly atmospheric setting. I grabbed my camera, and these images turned out to be the best of the year. Here are zinnias and spiderflower (Cleome hassleriana, annual).

tomato plantsThe dramatic light of the setting sun showed tall supports covered with vigorous tomatoes.

Clouds of zinnias and cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus, annual)

 

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Comments

  1. User avater
    user-7007816 02/18/2020

    I definitely sense the joy in your garden. Especially fun to see on a dreary day here in Michigan.

  2. coastalgardener 02/18/2020

    You certainly have a green thumb! For a first-year garden, everything looks lush and full. Good Job!

  3. Maggieat11 02/18/2020

    Awesome! Looks like a very seasoned gardener lives here. Beautiful. I am loving it. Nice supports for the tomatoes. Do you have a preference for the type of raised beds that you have used? How fun to make the gourd tunnels!

  4. user-5117752 02/18/2020

    WOW! Marvelous gardens, marvelous photos! The lushness of both vegetables and flowers show you have the magic touch. You must be hauling a lot of compost and, then, what about water? I, too, live in WNC, zone 7 though. Do send more pics of this year's efforts and thanks so much for sharing.

  5. cheryl_c 02/18/2020

    Your garden is aptly named - and the atmospheric photos are calendar worthy. Thanks so much for sharing!

  6. Cenepk10 02/18/2020

    Fabulous!!!!! I grow the same things... veg with cosmos, zinnias & cleome... so Fabulous to see in dreary Februgly....

  7. User avater
    simplesue 02/18/2020

    Fine Garden Magazine ought to hire you as their photographer!
    Those are some of the most amazing photos- I felt as if I could smell the plants and earth and feel the mist in the air.
    I have to be honest I was prepared to be uninspired when I saw the word "vegetable" in the title- but this has been a super inspiring and enjoyable post!
    I think I just wrote and erased like 10 different sentences, just now, trying to stress how impressed I am with your garden so I will just simply say- "WOW!" and hope it translates with the feeling intended!

  8. Musette1 02/18/2020

    what a gorgeous garden! thanks so much for sharing.

  9. User avater
    treasuresmom 02/18/2020

    That Cleome is gorgeous. It doesn't like me apparently but maybe I need to try it in a raised bed.

  10. wittyone 02/18/2020

    Wonderful photos. I love the misty look with the sun slanting through. It has the look of controlled chaos with all your lovely vegetables, vines and flowers jockeying for space.

    Send some second year photos when you can. I know I'm not the only one who will want to see what happens next.

  11. User avater
    bdowen 02/18/2020

    First year garden! You have done a lot of work. Glad to see someone else's mix of veggies and flowers- so pretty. Beautiful atmospheric photos!

  12. btucker9675 02/18/2020

    Fabulous garden - great combination of beauty and function! Thank you for these wonderful photos.

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