Garden Photo of the Day

May in Terie’s garden in New York

Purple and white flowers of lamium dominate the first shade garden as you enter the back yard. 'Jack Frost' brunnera is on the left with hints of forget-me-not. Ferns make a nice addition to this space. Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Terie Rawn

First, a heads up–I have so many great spring submissions right now, so you might be seeing spring gardens for a while here, even as we move into summer…case in point: today’s garden. These photos are from Terie Rawn in upstate New York, and they were all taken in May. We’ve seen Terie’s garden oodles of times before, and it’s one of our absolute faves.

Maiden grass will soon tower over this ground cover. Variegated weigelia is on the left and a young redbud tree is in the background. (and yes, we burn firewood) Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Terie Rawn

Today she says, “In the month of May you will find me singing along with the songbirds. All of our gardens play an important part in the survival of these cheerful feathered friends. Above me, as I work in the woodland, an oriole sings to proclaim it’s territory. Hummingbirds have discovered fuchsia hanging from the porch and planted in the window boxes. Sparrows scratch the ground for insects and robins search for worms. Deep in the woods the wood thrush, ovenbird, and warblers call to one another. Many of the woodland groundcovers flower in the spring, creating a carpet of soft blue, lavender and pinks. Shortly afterward the taller perennials tower among them, showing off their large leaf textures. Annuals will soon be potted and placed to give continual color throughout the gardens, porch and decks.

‘White Nancy’ and ‘Pink Pewter’ lamium have silver foliage. NY State fern is to the right of the angel and male ferns to its right. Sprouting hosta and forget-me-not are in the background. Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Terie Rawn

“The outdoors comes to life as foliage reaches upwards. Nearly 24 years of gardening here in central New York have taught us to sit often and enjoy the results of countless hours of labor. There is still much to do… we just aren’t as aggressive as in years past. Please come for a springtime stroll with me along the paths that lead through our backyard.”

Don’t mind if we do, Terie! It’s always a pleasure to revisit your garden. Thanks!

Hostas, lady’s mantle, ferns, and columbines are starting to sprout. Pink primroses alway satisfy my longing for color in the gardens. Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Terie Rawn

***I’m getting so many great submissions, but I can always use more! Dig out your cameras, take a big long walk around your garden, and SEND ME PHOTOS! I love having more than I could possibly process to choose from. Thanks!!***

***One more thing…..have you always wondered what your fellow GPODers are like in person? Never thought you’d get a chance to meet them? Check this out…. While the GPOD isn’t officially a taunton forum, it’s close enough, and I wanted to extend the invite. Anybody at all interested? I’d be willing to search for some gardens to tour…

A stone path leads past the garden cottage and up to a pond, on the left. (pond pictures coming later this summer) The bed on the right includes ‘Jade Frost’ lamium, variegated Solomon’s seal, phlox, and four different hostas. Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Terie Rawn
From a second story window we see grass paths leading through the side yard and back to a pond. The morning sunlight and afternoon shade enable mostly shade-loving perennials to thrive. They include turtlehead, ligularia, Japanese candelabra primrose, hosta, liriope, goatsbeard, daylily, ferns, wild ginger, lamium, and brunnera. Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Terie Rawn
Variegated brunnera adds a soft blue to the springtime beauty beneath a Japanese maple. Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Terie Rawn
To the left, campanula will soon light up this corner with star-shaped periwinkle flowers. A white-flowering rhododendron brightens the understory. To its left is old fashioned pink bleeding hearts. Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Terie Rawn
Double bloodroot brightens spring gardens in April with red primrose in background. Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Terie Rawn
There’s nothing like the freshness of spring foliage. We have over 35 varieties of hostas here in the woodland. Bethlehem sage, forget-me-not, and old fashioned bleeding hearts meander throughout. Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Terie Rawn
Our resident catbird sings from the flowering crabapple tree. Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Terie Rawn
White ajuga with flowering brunnera and creeping comfrey in the background. Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Terie Rawn

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Comments

  1. deeinde 06/04/2013

    Your gardens are lovely as always, Terie! I think they are my favorite because I have a yard with woods in the back. Maybe someday it will look like yours. How do you keep the weeds down in the wooded areas? My woods is full of weeds that get knee high (not to mention all the wild rose and briars that pop up everywhere)

  2. GrnThum 06/04/2013

    Got to get me some of that GORGEOUS double-flowered Sanguinaria! My goodness, that's pretty!! And the white Ajuga...haven't seen that one, either.

  3. wGardens 06/04/2013

    A lovely way to start the day. Especially enjoy the gardens throughout the mature trees. Beautiful! A great shot of the catbird in the crapapple, also!! Thanks for sharing.

  4. User avater
    meander_michaele 06/04/2013

    Terie, I luxuriated in every picture and hung on every word...my husband instantly recognized "the look" when he glanced over at me to start a conversation about a news story...it was the don't interrupt me while I'm immersed in a great GPOD. Your garden is truly one of my most favorite...I don't want to embarrass you but the word perfection came to mind when I took in the pleasing bed lines from the overhead shot. Count me in as a member of the fan club for that double flowering bloodroot...what an enchanting woodsy addition. Was it a catalogue find or did a local nursery carry it?
    If I was a big $$$ Powerball winner, I'd fire up the jet and take that stroll with you in person if the welcome sign was out! Thanks so much for your beautiful pictures.

  5. User avater
    Tim_Zone_Denial_Vojt 06/04/2013

    can't decide which is a more winning combination: brunnera and maple or crab apple and catbird!

  6. terieLR 06/04/2013

    Good morning gardeners. It promises to be a beautiful day here in central NY today so with shovel-in-hand I will be planting another flat of annuals throughout the garden beds & containers.
    Thank you yardmom. I was thinking of you the other day as you are now planning & planting your newest space. How exciting! There are days when I think it would be nice to start over... The weeds are a constant battle. I am still pulling tree seedlings that found very happy roots this spring. In the past we have been diligent about layering newspaper and mulching every year to control weeds. Ground covers have played an important part as they have spread willingly over the years. (and then THEY need some discipline) Have fun with your new gardens.
    Hi meander1, I'll prepare the landing strip right after I get these plants in the ground! The 'Sanguinria' bloodroot was a gift from a master gardener when we first cleared the lot. I've not seen it for sale.

  7. Wife_Mother_Gardener 06/04/2013

    That Double bloodroot is just beautiful! Thanks for sharing all of these lovely views of your garden!

  8. sewhot290 06/04/2013

    Your garden is exactly how I would like mine to look. Good job!

  9. wittyone 06/04/2013

    I agree with Meander1 about the double flowering bloodroot----they are gorgeous. You got a real deal by having it given to you. I've seen it in at least one catalog and it's very expensive. That's the problem with those ephemerals-----they are lovely, delicate and SMALL so you need a mass of them to really show them off but they cost the earth and then vanish back into the ground for another year's snooze. The catalogs always show about 30 of them clustered together blooming away exuberantly but the reality of putting out just one or two (all I can afford) looks scanty. I can't get them to do much multiplying for me.

  10. User avater
    Tim_Zone_Denial_Vojt 06/04/2013

    I mail-ordered my double flowering Sanguinaria from England over a decade ago; now it is showing up here in the States somewhat regularly. Far Reaches Farms sells it for a very, very reasonable price, but they are out of stock at the moment. Keeping it Green nursery has it in stock for a similar price. The actual high cost for these nurseries is shipping if you are not in the Pacific Northwest, so order lots of plants to spread the cost of shipping over several plants! Mine has reliably multiplied into dense clumps and the double flower last a very long time, unlike the very ephemeral nature of the species. The foliage seems to hold up longer as well. No seeding about; it is sterile.

  11. WendyK_NoVA 06/04/2013

    Terie, that double bloodroot is to die for! Since I don't have much shade, I really enjoy seeing the choices that gardeners with lots of mature trees make since they are often so different from what I can grow. Very peaceful setting you have. I don't think I've seen white ajuga before, either.

  12. bee1nine 06/04/2013

    Terie,Yes indeed enjoyed taking this visual springtime stroll
    and visit through your backyard! Beautifully inviting gardens
    made in the shade.
    All a wonderful and happy retreat for your lucky birds,too!
    Planting for the birds is important for me also.
    OK, me too, I'm quite taken in by the lovely white double
    bloodroot which is somewhat new to me, and appreciate everyone's added info regarding it!!

  13. tractor1 06/04/2013

    Terie's garden is gorgeous... there's really arent words. And I love her catbird grab.

  14. user-1020932 06/04/2013

    it is a beautiful space. i'm jealous of the Brunnera, they sort of disappear here along with Pulmonaria :( grew up spending summers at grandparents in the Finger Lakes , beautiful area i seem to remember Watkins Glen and that aircraft museum in Hammondsport more than anything else.

  15. cwheat000 06/05/2013

    Terie, that tour was a real spring treat. Your garden is simply beautiful. I want to join the club and ogle over your double bloodroot and white ajuga.

  16. deeinde 06/05/2013

    I bought my double bloodroot at a small nursery about an hour from here but Plant's Delight sells it, I think. I have found mine to be very hardy and it multiplies easily. I have taken some in each of my two moves and it comes along happily, lives in the pot for months till I get it planted, and adjusts easily to it's new home.

  17. terieLR 06/05/2013

    I feel honored to be your profile for the day tractor1. ;) And you're right, the damage done to this crabapple tree last spring seems to have improved the overall look this year.

    tntreeman, Brunnera & pulmonaria are some of my favorites. I have 5 different kinds of brunnera and they all do fabulously. I'm glad some of your childhood memories were made in the Finger Lakes area. Watkins Glen and Hammondsport are right around the corner.

    When first emerging from the ground and flowering (late April/early May) the double bloodroot leaf is small but now measures 10' across. Its leaves usually stay strong through most of summer and then fade away. It spread to a 4ft. patch rather quickly and has been with me for over 20 years.

    Thank you all for commenting and encouraging me.

    1. User avater
      Tim_Zone_Denial_Vojt 02/02/2015

      Hey Terie, Looking for a place appropriate to say 'KUDOS'! Such a great article and the photos came out fabulous. If I weren't feeling a little overwhelmed with my little garden the past few years I'd be jealous sick of your beautiful wooded lot and garden. OK, I am still jealous. Beautiful and informative. More and more I am considering what I can see from my windows; those are such important views to consider. Congratulations!

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