A hidden gem of a submission has finally emerged, infusing our dreary winter months with a burst of summer color.
Cindy’s Vibrant Summer Blooms
Hello, GPOD community!
While working on a feature about Cindy Strickland’s charming trip to Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent, I stumbled upon another one of her entries that accidentally landed in our spam folder.Though this celebration of her summer blooms comes a bit late, I couldn’t miss the chance to showcase her vibrant images and reflections from her 2023 floral display, which she kindly allowed me to share today. I’m Cindy Strickland, and I invite you to join me on a visual journey through my adored summer garden, nestled in a cozy triangular side yard that basks in afternoon sunlight.
During my two-year stay at this predominantly shaded rental property, I transformed the existing borders by adding a variety of plants.
My 2023 vision was clear: I wanted to fill this compact space with diverse flowers and lush foliage that I could enjoy from my kitchen windows.
Since the sidewalk serves as a busy pathway for neighbors, I delighted in sharing these blossoms with everyone passing by.
Visitors weren’t the only ones captivated by the blooms; my garden soon became a hub for birds and insects, especially a colorful array of bees. Blooming Transitions By mid-July, the vibrant coreopsis flowers were beginning to wane, making way for several annuals I had nurtured from seed, coming into their own.
To further enhance the garden’s allure, I introduced pots of annuals for added dimension. The sturdy ‘Nana’ coreopsis (Coreopsis auriculata ‘Nana’, Zones 4–9) paired beautifully with catmint (Nepeta spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9), although my landscaping friend often joked about my catmint’s struggle to survive. My borage (Borago officinalis, an annual) became a popular gathering spot for diverse insects and long-legged arthropods.
Eventually, it sprawled so much that it either flopped over or needed staking and thinning, but the birds quickly devoured most of the seeds it produced. Despite being divided mid-summer, the resilient ‘Nana’ coreopsis flourished. Calibrachoa, a favorite among annuals, also made an appearance. As the catmint began to fade, cosmos burst forth and took center stage. Surrounding my garden, hardy perennial sedum protected a sunflower seed that the birds overlooked. And the gold-yellow zinnias? They turned out to be a goldfinch magnet! Season’s End In a pot, my lemon thyme (Thymus × citriodorus, Zones 5–8) showcased a delightful trailing habit, releasing a pleasing aroma whenever brushed against. In the spring, I was fortunate to stumble upon tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis, Zones 7–10) seedlings.
I placed them throughout my small garden, where they easily attracted hummingbirds and butterflies with their vibrant blooms.
Standing nearly four feet tall, their sturdy stems held proud against fierce winds. Among the last perennials to grace my garden was the rose turtlehead (Chelone obliqua, Zones 5–9).
The Cosmic Orange cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus ‘Cosmic Orange’, an annual), surely the final flower of the season, proved easy to cultivate and rewarding to observe. I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to Cindy for allowing me to resurrect this long-lost submission! Although I wish it could have been shared sooner, it serves as a beautiful reminder that garden photos don’t need to reflect the current season.
As winter settles in, reminiscing about the brilliance of summer, spring, and fall gardens from years past can beautifully brighten those cold, gray days.
If you’d like to share your own gardening stories, we welcome your photos—just follow the submission guidelines below! DO YOU HAVE A GARDEN STORY TO TELL? We invite you to share your garden photos with us! Whether it’s your stunning collection of plants or a delightful garden you’ve visited, we want to see them! To submit your images, please send 5-10 photos to [email protected], along with details about the plants and where the photos were taken.
We’re eager to learn about your gardening journey—your location, experience, proud achievements, lessons learned, aspirations for the future, favorite plants, or even amusing anecdotes from your garden. Have a mobile phone? Share your snapshots on social media using the hashtag #FineGardening!
Source: Finegardening