Garden Photo of the Day

Looking Back in Vancouver BC

By Kim Charles

Sunken garden in the back yard.

 

Lilian Ho reminisces before winter's arrival.

"As I prepare my small garden for the winter, it keeps reminding me how beautiful it was during the growing season. I revisited some of the photos and would like to share them with you. I am dreaming on for the next growing season."

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A garden bed in July

Front garden on the sidwalk

A garden bed in May

The garage wall in May

Sidwalk view

June in the front garden

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Comments

  1. user-3565112 10/12/2016

    What a powerful color wallop your gardens pack. From the sunken garden out to the street your colorful gardens are outstanding. You PNW gardeners never cease to amaze us.
    Good work & good luck, Joe

  2. User avater
    meander_michaele 10/12/2016

    Your front garden is definitely a traffic stopper, Lilian. That is a lot of wonderful color to have to say a seasonal good-by to. I think my eyeballs would suffer from withdrawal symptoms for a while. Do you do a lot of pre-winter cutting back of your longer rose stems or is that a spring chore? Your sunken patio in the back is a charmer and I love your inclusion of the red leafed Japanese maple...it makes that corner spot sing!

    1. user-6536305 10/13/2016

      I cut back all my roses to about 2.5 ft tall in November because my site is very windy. Some roses kind of uplifted by the wind. I further prune down to about 1 ft when Forsythia is in bloom and normally it is about March in PNW. Ideally, I should leave them as they are and prune in the spring.

  3. user-7007498 10/12/2016

    I also love the terraced patio garden, in which you have perfectly set the stage for that beautiful Japanese maple. Thanks for including the overhead view of the front sidewalk garden. What great color. Your neighbors must love walking past your property. Well done, Lilian.

  4. User avater
    LindaonWhidbey 10/12/2016

    Lillian, one of our favorite things to do is to walk
    around neighborhoods in Vancouver to see how well people utilize every available spot for gardening. You have done an amazing job at making your small space beautiful. I really love your back garden. It has such great color!

    1. user-6536305 10/13/2016

      Where are you in Vancouver Linda? May be we can pay each other a visit like the other gardeners did?

      1. User avater
        LindaonWhidbey 10/14/2016

        Hi Lillian, I actually live in WA on Whidbey Is. but my daughter lives in Vancouver near Cambie and King Edward. We go up there quite often and we should try to visit each other's gardens. I'd love that.

        1. user-6536305 10/17/2016

          Yes. look for Lilian Ho on facebook and send me a friend request. I will give address and phone number. I am on West 64th and Granville Street. We go to Washington and Oregon every year. Sorry for the late reply because I am new on GPOD and I randomly found your reply.

  5. User avater
    Tim_Zone_Denial_Vojt 10/12/2016

    Lillian, I was thrilled to see your name pop up again on GPOD. You really had flower-power this season. Looks spectacular. I am crazy in love with the peony shot with the Zantedeschisa in the background, but my favorite view is looking down on your back patio. No wonder you are dreaming of next season already!

    1. user-6536305 10/13/2016

      In response to Kim Charle's call for more submissions. Love this season's GPODs.

  6. User avater
    treasuresmom 10/12/2016

    Awesome! Love all that.

  7. thevioletfern 10/12/2016

    Oh my I'm crazy for your blooms. What a show! Your patio is amazing. I really thought that just that was your "small garden" because it is enough! All those layers so much planning. I love that you squeaked in some tomatoes among all those blooms, too. Can you hear me clapping?

    1. user-6536305 10/13/2016

      I heard your clapping Kathy. By the way, the garden has a buffet of rose fragrance. Do you smell the roses?

      1. thevioletfern 10/13/2016

        Thank you Lilian, I always stop to smell the roses!

  8. VikkiVA 10/12/2016

    Lillian, Wow, thanks for taking a look back and sharing the beauty with us. Your sunken garden is so unique and the blooms are like jewels along the sidewalk. I'm sure all passersby love what you have done. Vikki in VA

  9. user-4691082 10/12/2016

    Lillian, I have never seen anyone use every square inch of their property before (except Kevin Kelly) and BTW, he has just won ANOTHER horticulture award!!! Congrats Kevin! But I digress...Lillian, your garden rooms are so dreamy, tell us what zone you garden in. I hope your beautiful front yard doesn't cause any traffic accidents with people rubbernecking to take it all in!
    ,

    1. user-7007498 10/12/2016

      Thanks for the props?

    2. user-6536305 10/13/2016

      Every square inch is cultivated all right but I am not on bar with Kevin Kelly. His garden and street garden are so well designed and kept with all season interest. My is a just controlled chaos. Roses are shapeless and formless. (Queen of the flowers got to have some attitude.)
      I garden in zone 7b although some source says zone 8.

      1. user-4691082 10/13/2016

        We've missed you, Lillian! And where is my boyfriend Frank?

  10. schatzi 10/12/2016

    Gorgeous, Lillian! Exuberant and lush do not begin to describe it. Great job. The roses are amazing.

  11. sheila_schultz 10/12/2016

    My goodness, Lillian, your front gardens are a fiesta of color! You could easily provide flowers for a wedding and still have plenty to enjoy! You must take great joy watching folks stop to smell your roses... what a wonderful gift of beauty to share with your neighbors. Your sunken patio is equally lovely, but it has a quiet and peaceful feeling to it's design. You have created the best of both worlds!

    1. user-6536305 10/13/2016

      Hello Shelia, I did host my son’s wedding in August 2015. Wetness they say:”I do” in my garden is the proudest moment as a gardener. I grew all the flowers (also with some flowers from a friend’s garden) for 8 wedding bouquets plus the decoration for the wedding banquet.

  12. Catasetumkid 10/13/2016

    Wow amazing garden! Congrats!

  13. greengenes 10/13/2016

    All so very nice, Lillian! You have a wonderful backyard sunken garden! I love how you shot that! And oh how i love your roses and peonies and calas and and and... Beautiful!

  14. user-6536305 10/13/2016

    All comments from gardeners like you guys surely are very encouraging. Thanks. It is a morning routine for me to ready Garden of the Day Post and it is so fun. How come I did not get a sarcastic comment from the Aussie guy Frank? How disappointed I am!
    The street garden was created in response to our city’s ‘Beauty the Boulevard’ program. I surely know all the dogs in the neighborhood.

    1. perenniallycrazy 10/22/2016

      Late entry Lilian but kudos on your prolific garden and your very green thumbs (and hands from the looks of it). Looks like you're running out of room to plant just like the rest of us. Look forward to your photos in the future.

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