Garden Photo of the Day

Spring of Hope

New growth after winter damage

Linda in New Hampshire is sharing her garden with us today, with some images of hope after winter damage.

This will be my third summer in this house after relocating from the Garden State (New Jersey) to the Granite State (New Hampshire). Spring takes a bit longer to arrive up here, so I am learning to be patient. I garden as a hobby but would love to become a Master Gardener eventually, maybe in retirement.

Fortunately, the previous owner here was a talented gardener and left a lot for me to work with (and on). My first year here was spent playing “Name That Plant.” The garden felt a little chaotic to me, so I have been trying to tame it a bit without losing the wonderful natural feel to it.

I was afraid all was lost for this rhododendron . . .

. . . until I saw this. Hope!

Lady slippers (Cypripedium acaule, Zones 3–7) always give hope. I stumbled across a patch of lady slippers in the backyard my first spring here, and now I watch closely for their arrival. (Remember, if you are lucky enough to have lady slippers in your garden, cherish them, but never dig them from the wild. These native orchids have very specific cultural needs and close symbiotic relationships with soil fungi, and they rarely make the move from wild lands to garden successfully.)

The garden path, lined with perennials bursting into their spring growth.

It’s the start of the season, with early bloomers and lots of promise for more flowers to come.

Pink lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis var. rosea, Zones 2–7) is so beautiful and fragrant, though it’s occasionally vigorous to a fault in northern gardens.

The fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus, Zones 3–9) won’t bloom until the first half of June, but this photo is from a previous year. It is quite a show.

We did raised beds for the herbs, and the tarragon (Artimisia dracunculus var. sativa, Zones 4–9) came back from last year.

 

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Comments

  1. User avater
    meander_michaele 05/28/2019

    Your boatloads of herbs look quite fun as well as nutritious. They have to put a smile on every visitor's face. And that fringe tree is spectacular in full bloom...what an intoxicating sight. I would say that you have been the perfect owner for this home and property as you have nurtured and refined what was already in place and made it your own with new additions.

  2. User avater
    simplesue 05/28/2019

    What a beautiful place. So happy for you that your garden is coming back after a hard winter! Good info to know about the Lady's Slipper and symbiotic relationship with the fungus in the soil. You don't need "master gardener" training, you already know what you are doing! That flagstone path and perennial border is gorgeous!

  3. User avater
    treasuresmom 05/28/2019

    Just gorgeous!

  4. btucker9675 05/28/2019

    Wonderful garden - the Lady Slipper and lily of the valley made my heart smile!

  5. cheryl_c 05/28/2019

    Linda, each of us that participate in this GPOD is hopeful that when we have to leave our current gardens, we have a gardener just like you to nurture, edit, and love the plants that we have chosen for the space. You are doing a beautiful job! Carry on!

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