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.

Have a garden you’d like to share?

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