A Garden Like Heaven

A Pittsburgh gardener shares the secrets of her divine garden

My garden is on a one-fourth of an acre , and I have planted it for 50 years . Due to monumental compost enrichment , I do not spray or fertilize . Last summertime it was cross-file in the Archives of the Smithsonian Institution . to display my collecting of plants better , I separate the garden into rooms . I created paths with round stepping rock set into blue river stones . The paths draw in the visitor magically into the garden .

I have several garden tours every year , and a lady told me once , “ When I die and go to heaven , I want heaven to be like your garden . ”

The palette of my garden is blue and atomic number 79 . Here is golden fawn Jenny(Lysimachia nummularia‘Aurea ’ , Zones 4–8 ) back by ‘ Sweet Kate ’ spiderwort(Tradescantia‘Sweet Kate ’ , Zones 4–9 ) .

I rank variegate plants where the green was consuming and in areas that are dark and uninteresting . I also use a lot of blue - leaved plants . plant with big leaf have a presence that a garden needs . Brunnera‘Alexander ’s Great ’ ( Alexander ’s Great Siberian Anchusa officinalis , Zones 3–7 ) , Japanese painted fern(Athyrium niponicumvar.pictum , Zones 5–8 ) , andHosta‘Frances Williams ’ ( Zones 3–8 ) lighten up up a whole planting underneath a loom break of the day redwood(Metasequoia glyptostroboides , zone 5–10 ) .

More beautiful leafage fills in a shaded country .

I also created small water features . The trickling of weewee adds to the appeal and magic of the garden .

My front garden is the “ Asian Garden . ” The golden Buddha is sit underneath aStyrax japonicus‘Pink Pearls ’ ( Japanese snowbell , Zones 6–8 ) . In former June when I was walking through the garden , I was enthralled by the wanton pinkish petals that had fallen overnight and treat the whole surface area .

Have photos to share ? We ’d love to see your garden , a peculiar collection of industrial plant you love , or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit !

To accede , send 5 - 10 photos to[email protected]along with some information about the plants in the delineation and where you took the photograph . We ’d love to hear where you are located , how long you ’ve been gardening , winner you are proud of , failures you learned from , hope for the future , favorite plant , or rummy stories from your garden .

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