Garden Photo of the Day

May in Mississippi

Early summer in the South

Today Peggy Sheets is showing us what happened in her garden in May.

It’s late May in southern Mississippi, and I spied a camellia blossom (crazy this late in the year), which got me snapping a few more photos.

Gardening is my passion, and I’m fortunate to have a manageable-sized yard with lots of shade to ward off the hot summer sun. Most of my garden is in my white picket-fenced front yard, so I get to meet passersby while I’m outside. “There’s that sweaty old lady!”

Blossom on Hosta ‘Leola Fraim’. Usually we grow hostas for the foliage, but the flowers can be pretty nice too.

I’ve been thrilled with the fuzzy Bolivian sage (Salvia oxyphora, Zones 8–11) and saw where Fine Gardening recommends it too. Here it is blooming with tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis, Zones 7–11).

I love daylilies and shook my head at the Let’s Argue About Plants podcast demeaning them a bit. Who can resist such beauty! (Editor’s note: Having different opinions is half of the fun of talking about plants!) This is Hemerocallis ‘Colonel Mustard’.

Another daylily, Hemerocallis ‘Early Frost’

Stokes asters (Stokesia laevis, Zones 5–9) are wonderful too. They like it down here in this hot, humid area, even with damp soil.

Huey the dog eating zinnia leaves. My dogs help in the yard too. Every dog I’ve ever had (all dachshunds) loves to eat zinnia leaves and hibiscus flowers. Has anyone else had this happen? The birds and butterflies are happy here too. While inside typing, I’m watching a pair of cardinals, house finches, and a red-headed woodpecker. And the greedy grackles.

Hydrangea serrata ‘Bluebird’ (‘Bluebird’ lace-cap hydrangea, Zones 5–9)

I go overboard with creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’, Zones 3–9), but it seems to make everything look better. I get so excited to see how plants weave together. Garden surprises are the best!

I love Gerber daisies (Gerbera sp.) too. I had some in a pot last spring with Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’. When they stopped blooming, the pot was moved to a hidden spot without care, and it continued to flourish. I’ve transplanted the arrangement to the ground now.

 

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. poest 06/07/2019

    Agree with Peggy, love to see all of the garden's ingredients knit and weave together!

  2. User avater
    simplesue 06/07/2019

    Nice plant combinations you've chosen for your garden. Love that white picket fence too, such a nice frame for your perennials. I agree who can bad-talk a day lily, but then they couldn't call that podcast "Lets argue about plants" if they didn't. LOL! I agree that is is so interesting to see how plants weave together like a fabric, and Creeping Jenny is great for that. Cut seeing your dog having a "salad" of Zennia leaves. I have cats that go straight for the variegated Japanese Forest Grass everymorning, to munch it down. But- I did know a dog that loved to eat flowers out of my vase when it visited! LOL- I know what ya' mean, I'm that sweaty old lady too! LOL! Thanks for sharing your garden photos!

    1. User avater
      simplesue 06/07/2019

      oops meant to type "CUTE" seeing your dog, not "CUT"

    2. Doxnmomx2 06/07/2019

      Thank you! That's funny with your cats and the Japanese Forest Grass. I agree it looks yummy!

  3. Cenepk10 06/07/2019

    Please !!!! More pics !!!! I want to see the whole garden !!! Love your combos !

  4. User avater
    treasuresmom 06/07/2019

    Love your Stokes asters. I need to try them again.

  5. user-7003263 06/07/2019

    Peggy, it has been a long time since I have posted on this site, but your obvious joy in gardening was so delightful I had to thank you for sharing your pictures. Your garden is beautiful and your passion is contagious.

  6. btucker9675 06/07/2019

    Your garden is a delight! I love daylilies, too - had upwards of 50 varieties in my NJ garden. Love your leaf munching dog. Thanks for sharing these smile making pictures.

    1. Doxnmomx2 06/07/2019

      I'm glad you like the pictures. I'd like too see some of your 50 varieties of daylilies!

  7. User avater
    meander_michaele 06/07/2019

    I had to smile at myself because I read “There’s that sweaty old lady!” as the sweet old lady..and thought kindly of your neighbors! I share your enthusiasm for daylilies although I often admit to newbies that they aren't as completely work free as grower/sellers like to present them as. Love to see more photos if the spirit of sharing comes over you.

  8. Whitneykshaffer 06/13/2019

    I haven't been a big fan of true lilies or daylilies in the past, but I have recently developed a fondness for them after attending a daylily show and seeing the vast amount of cultivars that are available. They come in almost every color imaginable! So you never know, maybe they will change their opinion on daylilies in the future. Oh and I agree on the Creeping Jenny, it does a fine job of bringing everything together.

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Related Articles

The Latest