Hi GPODers!
Garden design incorporates many elements that lend to a space’s interest and style. For example, diverse textures and forms are both essential for dazzling displays. However, during the peak of the growing season, no matter what kinds of plants you grow, we’re all looking to enjoy more color! One gardener savoring the height of color in her landscape is Cindy from Rochester, New York. Cindy has shared her lush and lively garden twice in the past (Cindy’s Garden in New York and A Garden Through the Seasons), but a lot has evolved since then, and there are plenty of new plants and combinations to enjoy.
I have been gardening in this spot in Rochester, New York, for 13 years. I love orange, chartreuse, and purple. This is the time when the colors are bold and working together to create an explosion before going to seed. We converted a previous owner’s 30-foot veg garden into a pollinator buffet. There is a vast mix including goat’s beard (Aruncus dioicus, Zones 4–8), digitalis, poppies, echinacea, phlox, black cohosh (Actaea racemosa, Zones 3–8)—a bee magnet, fennel, campanula, betony, and for scent—buddleia and Henry’s sweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’, Zones 5–9). To break up the lawn space, we added an island of shrubs: male ilex, viburnum, fothergilla, mixed with obedient (Physostegia virginiana, Zones 2–8), Fireworks solidago (Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’, Zones 4–8), and others.
There is a small water feature that serves as a toad nursery and watering hole. The deer for the most part stay away, due to sight-blocking foliage along the fence line, spray, winter fencing, and the fearless canine!
Cindy’s gardens surround her back deck, which offers ample seating for all her guests to enjoy the riot of color that erupts from every corner of her landscape.
A bright white Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa, Zones 5–8) is the perfect backdrop for this vignette of goat’s beard, ‘Dark Towers’ penstemon (Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’, Zones 5–8), and lofty foxgloves.
What a treat to find a plant that features two of your favorite garden colors! Burning Hearts false sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra ‘Burning Hearts’, Zones 3–9) doesn’t need perfectly planned pairings because the combination of bright orange and yellow flowers with dark green and purple foliage is enticing all by itself.
This grouping of containers on Cindy’s deck is a delicious mix of citrusy colors, and a large planting of Candy Corn spirea (Spiraea japonica ‘NCSX1’, Zones 4–8) is the perfect complement in the background.
A small path leading you to the back half of Cindy’s gardens takes you through another chorus of delightful plant color. A large oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia, Zones 5–9) anchors the design on the left side.
In a shadier area of her garden, Cindy relies on foliage to keep the interest and color going. This corner features mostly greenery, but a small purple Japanese maple allows her to still incorporate her favorite color theme.
And here is Cindy’s fearless canine! Some downtime sunbathing on the deck is well earned after all that hard work protecting the garden.
Where color is a little more subdued, like this mostly white planting of Goat’s beard with black cohosh and Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum, Zones 4–9), Cindy smartly turns to texture to provide plenty of interest and contrast.
One final container on her deck brings even more color to this entryway. A ‘Tickled Pink’ euphorbia (Euphorbia ‘Tickled Pink’, annual), Pegasus® begonia (Begonia ‘Pegasus’, Zones 9–11 or as an annual) and tiny fuchsia plant is the perfect marriage of moody foliage and bright pink flowers.
Thank you so much for this fabulous update on your garden, Cindy! Your ability to fill your space with so much color without making it feel chaotic or overwhelming is impressive.
What are your favorite colors to use in the garden? Do you stick to a strict color palette, or do you find ways to incorporate an endless mix of colors with some unifying shades to tie them all together? Let us know in the comments, or consider sharing your garden color with Garden Photo of the Day! Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
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