Hi GPODers!
We’re back in Sharon Burgmayer’s colorful garden in Wayne, Pennsylvania. In case you missed yesterday’s post (catch up in Part 1), we’re getting the warm-season highlights from the last two decades in Sharon’s flower-filled gardens. Yesterday we saw photos from 2001 to 2014, and today we’re diving back in with photos from the summer of 2015 and continuing on to more recent years. Here’s a refresher on what Sharon said about her gardens:
This garden was created 35 years ago: we were so excited to finally have a garden! Of the hundreds of garden pictures taken over the 3 decades, I have selected these to show different parts of our property and how they have changed over the years. The prominent feature is the long perennial border of over 80 ft in length, originally 12 ft deep, but portions have expanded over the years as I attempt to move plants out from the growing shade of the red Japanese maple you can see in the background. I’m afraid I belong to the horticultural zoo school of gardening: I want one of everything! And then I follow the cottage garden method of allowing the plants to move around to whatever site they favor. In addition, I included some striking trees: a smoke tree and an elderberry which is my favorite recent addition. Finally, the last picture is a poster gift I made for my husband, “The Flowers at Beechtree Lane,” that features flowers from the garden. The garden steps shown in one picture were built by my husband. The birdbath with the hand emerging we call the Hand of God and was a Mother’s Day gift from my sons 20 some years ago.
July 2015: One of the most interesting phenomenons to observe in retrospectives that spans this many years is seeing things come full circle. In Part 1 we saw Sharon’s garden evolve into more pastels and cooler colored flowers after a riot of bright, bold blooms in 2001. But by 2015, it looks like Sharon injected some more bright pops back into this border with poppies and bee balm. The “Hand of God” continues to be the perfect focal point.
July 2015: As Sharon mentions above, increasing shade means beds and borders need to shift and expand to seek out the sun. She clearly takes all of these changes and evolutions in stride, taking the opportunity to introduce new plants and reinvent her designs.
June 2015: Smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria, Zones 4–8), one of the two show-stopping trees that Sharon calls out in her introduction.
Patio 2016: And while shade brings plenty of challenges, it also creates more comfortable areas to gather in the garden. This shady patio looks like the coziest little hideaway from intense summer heat. Shrubs, trees, and lush green perennials help make the space private and cool.
Late Summer 2019: We’ve seen a lot of late spring and peak summer color, but Sharon included a couple of photos that highlight the deeper colors that emerge later in the season.
Late Summer 2019: As we should come to expect from Sharon, plenty of flowers are still on display as the garden starts its transition into the cooler seasons.
Front Azaleas 2021: Containers aren’t the only source of color in Sharon’s front yard. A collection of azaleas in pink and white make for a dramatic front walkway.
Back Garden 2023: Another sublime seating area in the garden. A couple of Adirondack chairs positioned in the shade and surrounded by lush plantings makes for another private garden oasis.
The Black Lace elderberry (Sambucus nigra ‘Eva’, Zones 4–7) that Sharon mentioned was a favorite recent addition. With its fine-textured dark foliage contrasted so beautifully with delicate light flowers, Black Lace elderberry wins the hearts of many. The fruit is usually not as flavorful as those produced by American elderberry (S. canadensis, Zones 4–9), but still completely edible and great for making jam!
Garden Steps and Herb Spiral 2024: Do you even recognize these garden steps?? In Part 1 we saw a photo of these steps shortly after installation in 2014, 10 years later and so many more beds and plants have been added to the mix. We all know that nothing worthwhile happens in the garden overnight, but Sharon’s photos show that the journey is the most meaningful part of the experience, and the beauty you’ll experience is always worth the wait.
Lastly, “The Flowers at Beechtree Lane” poster that Sharon had made for her husband. What a beautiful memento of the gorgeous flowers grown in their gardens. It must also be a wonderful reminder of the color that is to come during cold winter days!
Thank you so much for sharing such an in-depth introduction to your garden, Sharon! With just one submission you’ve made it feel like you’ve been sharing with Garden Photo of the Day for years. I hope we get to see how your gardens continue to evolve and grow this growing season.
If you’re thinking of sharing your garden with the blog, there is no need to wait until flowers start emerging this spring or summer. We’re happy to receive photos from your garden during any point in its growing journey, so think about going through your archives and sending in some photos from past years. Follow the directions below to submit your garden via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
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.
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