Today we’re taking a trip to see Luana Carpenter’s garden in Massillon, Ohio. We’ve been there before (A Garden of Roses, and Lessons Learned in a Gardening Life) and it is always beautiful, so I’m excited to share more photos from this garden today.
It’s November now in my Ohio garden, and we’ve pretty much put the garden to bed. I love mixing flowering shrubs, perennials, bulbs, climbers, and roses. And I have loved learning throughout the years what grows well in my part shade, part sun garden.
It’s been lovely to look back and, as with most gardeners, make changes to the garden this fall by moving and dividing plants, adding a few new ones (shhhh, just between us) and some more bulbs. I’m always looking forward to next season.
These are some of my favorite photos from last season.
These tiny birdhouses sure make a great little neighborhood, with million-dollar views of the garden in full bloom around them.
Wide, curving paths of lush green grass invite you to wander the garden and look closely at all the beautiful plants. The bench invites you to sit and enjoy, while the path disappearing behind the bed makes me want to walk on and explore.
The row of birdhouses from the first photo is visible again here, on the left, as you walk past the pond surrounded by flowering plants.
An inspired combination of plants: Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum, Zones 4–9) mingling with a tall panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata, Zones 3–8). These are both big, vigorous, easy-to-grow plants that bloom abundantly in mid to late summer, right when the garden can be looking tired and you need something fresh and exciting. Joe Pye weed is also a favorite of pollinators, as you can see from the bees visible on the blooms in this photo.
By the seating area on the patio, white Oriental lilies (Lilium hybrid, Oriental group, Zones 4–9) mix with other perennials, including double-flowered orange daylilies (Hemerocallis, Zones 3–9). Daylilies and the true lilies are related, and look similar, but bring different things to the garden. The Oriental lilies boast one of the best fragrances, while daylilies are incredibly vigorous and floriferous with a wide range of colors and forms.
I just want to sit down in one of those chairs and soak up this beautiful garden!
Lilies! Queens of the garden! I can almost smell them through the computer screen.
I love the way this arbor gateway, and the vine-covered screens around it, hide what is on the other side, while just teasing enough of a view to get my interest. Visually blocking off parts of the garden with hedges, tall plants, or vine-covered fences is a great way to make the space feel larger and more complex.
A classic, heirloom climbing rose, ‘Zephirine Drouhin’, blooms on top of this arbor. This rose is disease resistant, fragrant, and nearly thornless. It is no wonder that it is still popular over 150 years since it was first introduced.
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Comments
This is such a sumptuous and handsomely laid out garden! But I hope the bench in the second photo was positioned temporarily for the photo composition only. It does, indeed, help draw me into the picture. But, I'd like to think I might sit and watch birds at the birdbath, or have that garden element to enhance my view once seated.
NW Philly, I really enjoy your comments. I always have to go back & look again to see what has caught your eye that I missed.
Thank you. Sorry, I have always had a bench in that location. It does give a nice view of the garden and to watch the birds at the birdhouses and often where I sit waiting to capture pics of butterflies. Also it's where I sit to trim Rhubarb I've harvested that grows in the raised bed.
Wow. How wonderful to imagine such a place to sit and trim your harvested plants while being able watch birds in birdhouses. I have a sitting area where I cherish being able see and hear house wren parents doing a tag team to come and feed their babies. Over a period of days, the growing wrens cries get louder and stronger, as they recognize the sound of their parents landing on the birdhouse roof with more morsels for them to eat.
It's always extra enjoyable when the gpod offering allows us the chance to revisit previous sharings. I'll bet even now with most of the flowering plants settling into their winter's sleep, your garden is still a delight to walk through or gaze upon. It has the great bones of mature evergreens, wonderful structures and interesting accent pieces that look like they make a contribution throughout all four seasons. Love the picture of the Joe Pye weed sharing the stage with the panicle hydrangea...positively mesmerizing.
I love the combination of the Joe Pye weed and Limelight hydrangea also. Funny thing is the Joe Pye weed seeded itself there many years ago like it was always meant to be.
Your Joe Pye has great rich color! I suspect it's not genetics but maybe soil nutrients that can give some stands of Eupatorium more ruddy tones than beige ones to the flowers that pollinators love no matter the color.
Loaded with many beautiful plants! How much land do you have in your garden?
This is the back garden or backyard. It measures about 60'x70'
Thank you for sharing these photos of your garden...and now that mine is covered in snow, they were especially welcome! What a lush setting you've created...so welcoming with your bench and chairs inviting people to stay a while and enjoy all the beauty.
Thank you.
Now that's a garden I dream about having! The wandering paths, wondering what's around the bend, the beautiful combinations of plants that make a garden so perfect! And those simply delightful birdhouses all in a row! One couldn't ask for more! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much. My garden is not large so I wanted to block views to allow surprises ahead and some hidden paths.
Gorgeous! What is the name of the conifer in the birdhouse photo, bottom left corner?
Thank you. The conifer is globe blue spruce.
Thank you. The conifer is globe blue spruce
I really like your system of paths and different rooms. Your plant combinations are stunning. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you
Thank you.
This is a truly lovely garden - such a naturally beautiful combination of colors, shapes and textures. You have an artist's eye!
Thank you so much. It's a mature garden that is ever changing.
Everyone has paid you all the complements that I had in my mind to say to you. Your garden is just beautiful!
Thank you
Wow! I really LOVE your garden! And I looked you up on Pinterest and think I found you, and followed you! Again- LOVE it!
Thank you. I'll look for you on Pinterest. There are wonderful ideas on there.
It's amazing!
Thank you
Luana, I absolutely love your garden. The birdhouse row is my favorite, I have revisited this photo several times. Thank you so much for sharing. I look forward to next Spring :-)
The birdhouses were added about 4 years ago. A fun project. My husband built them over a couple years and the grandchildren helped paint them. I finally figured out where and how I wanted to put them in the garden.
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