Beautiful!! Thanks for sharing!

Sorry-no photos to share at present but I'm blown away by my daylilies and stokesia just now starting to bloom as are rose campion, lavender, agastache and hydrangea. The stokesia in particular are loaded with 30+ buds & blooms per blooming clump and I have multiples of them. Balloon flower is beginning to bud so those are up next.

catkin, your photos are incredible. I would love to stroll your gardens! That Trifolium rubens is really neat. It appears to have a fairly lax habit, is that accurate?

I don't have much to contribute at present but here is Crocosmia 'Lucifer' I only just discovered this year that this is hardy here, so I planted the bulbs in spring. Wow! That red is so electrifying!

Here is 'Magnus' coneflower. This group is a mixture of a small plant I purchased at a nursery and seeds from it that wintersowed two years ago. It amazes me that seedlings are identical to the parent plant! There's another clump of it in the background.

catkin your garden is magazine worthy! So beautiful :)

Is that Astilbe in pic #4? It's huge! And what is the tree/bush just behind it just to the left in the same pic?

catkin - sorry don't have a beautiful garden to share but I love your pics!! I wish I could combine plants like that, just really gorgeous.

Not nearly as stunning as the photos from catkin, but here's what I snapped as I putzed through my garden today. My flower box for my Marine (..whom I miss) :

My ground roses:

Thank you for your kind words! Let me say that I have lots of plants that look sad but they don't make the cut! :wink: Also, I am retired and may have lots more time than some to play in the garden. And, it's raining today!!!!! I almost go out and dance in it :~)

Thanks GW, we look forward to your pics! I have a white Stokes Aster years ago! I never see them for sale.

Thanks GH, the Trifoilium rubens is upright bit it doesn't have sturdy stems, so yes it's a little lax. It was windy when the photo was taken and they're a little blurry. Your Coneflowers and Crocosmia look awesome! I WSd for the first time this Winter but haven't tried Coneflowers. You give me hope! If you're in the PNW, give me a shout, I'd love to walk thru the garden with ya!

Thanks Carolina Girl! That is our native Aruncus dioicus, it has gone over a bit. It was a creamy white. I leave it for texture. I think the other plant you're looking at is a NO ID Japanese Maple, a friend's Dad started it.

Thank you Katrina, you can do it! I started with a small triangle in the corner of our yard--then went a little crazy!

Yepper, thanks! LOVE your red, white and blue tribute! Your roses look very happy! Mine are crap--just languishing with some crud on their leaves--which is why I don't share pics of them! Which Ajuga is that? I fell in love with 'Black Scallop' and hope I don't live to regret it! Looks like you have a great start to your garden.

Catkin, it's a Pink Lightning. I have been thinking of pairing with a Silver Queen which has a similar variegated appearance, but blooms blue. Black Scallop? I've never heard of it, but will check it out. My garden, unfortunately, is much like my personality. A hodgepodge of chaos. Flowers with herbs with veggies, etc. Eclectic I guess. Yours is wonderful and as someone else noted...magazine worthy. Sigh. I teach and have summers off...but I don't have that "eye" needed to create what you have.

yepper, oh yes you do have that eye, dammit, it's just not fully developed yet! Keep in mind that the majority of my gardens are going on 25 years old and I'm retired! I got the bug real bad years ago. I'm glad, too! Now I have all the time I want to devote to this passion. Not sure what I'd be doing at this point in my life if I didn't garden.

I go on local garden tours, watch youtube garden videos, buy gardening books (check out online used book stores and garage sales) or better yet, check them out of your local library! A basic knowledge of the different plant/bloom shapes, etc. and colors that blend, compliment or contrast would be a great jumping off point. Tons of books with pictures of plant combos at the library--I have even taken pics of the photos in the books with my smart phone and loaded them onto my computer--LOL.

I just type *perennial* in the search box on the library page and I pick the titles/covers ones that look interesting, mostly paying attention to those that were published more recently but that's just me--check out what appeals to you! I also write the names of the plants I want or a combo I'd like to try and replicate in a spiral notebook for later reference. I know I'll never have the majority of them but what the hey.

Many times, just holding plants I like at a plant nursery next to a different one or even just looking at plants I've put in my cart shows me surprise combos that are awesome!

Think of contrasting plant, shapes, sizes, and textures. For instance, put a plant with lacy foliage next to one with strappy leaves (grass or Daylily for example) or one with larger, bold foliage. Variegated foliage goes with almost any other plant regardless of color, etc. in my opinion. But whatever is pleasing to your eye is what counts here!

Thanks for the info on your particular Ajugas--I haven't heard of those varieties! Black Scallop has very dark, super-shiny scalloped, sort of puffy leaves. You could do a search and find a photo. I might put your Ajugas in different areas but it's your garden!

I swear have spent more time walking around with a plant in my hand trying to decide where to put it than I have actually planting!

^I can relate to all that too cat... apart from taking photos in my library, I shall have to try that out...lol... love those blue hydrangeas.. all pink around here...

..lovely garden photos from everyone, I should add...

Here is a recent shot of mine. I'm not a dedicated " cottage gardener." I plant for the pollinators, so I try to have something blossoming for them at all times. My choice of what goes where is mostly based on ideal growing conditions for a particular plant. And I welcome volunteer seedlings. They are encouraged to stay wherever they are happy. This is my fourth growing season at this place.

We are in the midst of a terrible drought, which is relative, of course. Here is my coneflower patch. It will start blooming any day.

Martha

Here are a few photos from my garden this year.

Orienpet lily Holland Beauty in background

Not my garden, but that of two friends (the Tomlinsons): Merlin's Hollow, Aurora, Ontario. Last Saturday.

Shot of herbaceous garden.

In the alpine area.

Thanks Mar--funny--I'd rather have purply pink Hydrangeas! To clarify, I take the pictures at my home after I've checked the books out.

Just lost a big ol' post! Hate that! Suffice it to say, thanks for sharing your beautiful lush gardens! Keep them coming!

Lots of interesting plants and combinations posted here.... That 'hole-y' pot of hens 'n chicks particularly caught my eye!

The sunny front garden here is in a sorry state with the very dry conditions we have this year combined with a lot of neglect on our part! What is most striking to me at the moment is the 'Huldine' clematis on the iron tuteur. It has gone mad and is romping across the bed - it looks like it intends to try to reach the iron arbour! There are supposed to be other clematises on the tuteur too, but I see no signs of flowers from them - assuming they are still alive in there somewhere! All the white fanning out from the tuteur in this (not very clear!) picture is that clematis... I definitely need to go out and whack some of it off!

The backyard is shady ad cool relative to the front but is, as I posted a few days ago, a jungle - one over-run with dogs recently :-) The guest dogs went home yesterday so Cole is happy to be in sole possession of his backyard again :-)

Lupine (self-sown, from a couple of weeks ago)

Tell me about Big Blue, Catkin...love it. And, woody, I love your his hostas and the generally woody feel of your garden, but unfortunately, that beautiful Boston Terrier steals the picture. Gorgeous. Is he a "guest" or is he yours? Imho

yepper - the Boston and the Collie-mix on the patio are gusts; the miniature poodle is ours. Do you have a Boston?

No, but my next door neighbor of many years had Boston Terriers. Great dogs, although i remember all of hers being willful and stubborn. I have an Australian Shepherd. Did I mention willful and stubborn? He's a great garden guard, though and rather smart . I spent the summers with an Aunt who had poodles. A mom and two kids. Great dogs and insanely intelligent. I love dogs.

Hi Woody! Nice to see your gardens again. And of course I noticed the Boston too, you may recall that I have two of them, and yes, wiful and stubborn and great little dogs. I planted a Chinese Wisteria las year. It is sprouting but is not enthusiastic. I am hoping it will grow into my Magnolia.

HI! Yes, I remember your two Bostons.... (Our nickname for this one is 'the Boston Terror' :-) Wisterias took a bad hit this year everywhere around here. Ours is recovering now from the heavy pruning we gave it. DO NOT grow yours into your magnolia!!

OK it doesn't look like it will grow there anyway. Ill try to train it onto the fence, if it survives.

I am firmly convinced that the only practical way to grow a wisteria is to train it to be a 'tree'....

Hmm...not sure I can do that units present location....I'll have to give it some thought before the thing gets huge!

thyme2dig, can you tell me the name of the tall plant to the right of the pink medium tall plant about dead center in the 5th picture? I have one just now blooming and is over 6' tall and another I bought the same time from the same grower in the same location that is 6". . . go figure

I'm enjoying all the different gardening styles being shared here.

Here's a couple pictures from my garden.

Great picture thread! Thanks for starting it catkin, and giving us all a place to show off what's going on in our gardens.

Flowering for me now....

Lilies

Astilbes

First time seeing a hummingbird moth on the Monarda.

Shasta Daisies with a bee

Daylilies

More lilies

A cute baby quail with mom looking on

On my deck, succulents

Pots of annuals

Thanks for looking!

Oh yay, new pictures! Thanks to all the contributors.

north53, I have tons of driftwood that I have collected that I want to incorporate into a garden but haven't yet. Yours looks so natural there. Beautiful garden!

sandyslopes, love all the guest appearances in your pictures. What a refuge you have there for critters!

catkin, thanks for the information on the Trifoilium rubens. It seems like it would fill in nicely between more upright plants. I've added it to my list. Isn't wintersowing a blast? I just love it. If you want some coneflower seed this fall, I'd be happy to send you some. I mentioned elsewhere that my 'Pow Wow White' and 'Magnus' both grew identical to the parent plants. Can't guarantee they will do it again but might be worth a try?

I havent been keeping up with all these posts and threads which are coming fast and furious....you guys and gals have amazing gardens.

Catkin, I really like clematis weaving through the surroundings. I know you dont know the ID but is it a climber or a non climber?

Greenhearted, the red of your Crocosmia 'Lucifer' is brilliant. But I always thought it wouldn't be hardy in my neck of the woods.

'junco', I have two trollius waiting to be planted. But I worry a bit as I know they will melt in the heat and drought we seem to experience more and more.

Rouge, not sure where you are out of but I bought the 'Lucifer' bulbs at the Chicago Home & Garden show and there was a big sign over them saying "Yes, I'm Hardy!" Guess I'll find out come spring. My gardening buddy in MN said hers come back every year and I think she is a zone colder than me.

I have more poor quality photos to share!

Wintersown F1 hybrid "Penny Jump Ups"

Calamintha nepeta - bees love this!

My first bloom from blackberry lily, wintersown last year

Allium 'Summer Beauty' living up to its name. This is a must have; I love it so much

Backlit Iris palida 'Variegata' ... and my finger. I'm so good at taking pictures.

Oh dear, my pictures don't want to upload! :(

ETA: It appears to be working now

I've tried a handful of different crocosmia here and none have survived except 'Lucifer'. Never any issue with this one. Has been in for about ten years or so.

I have Emily Mackenzie crocosmia in a planter since the fall. It seems to be doing well in my zone 5.

Emily, do you pull your planter in for the winter or did you leave it out? I bet it is quite a sight when it is in full bloom!

I was just given Crocosmia Lucifer bulbs from a coworker who gardens in zone 5b. So, they've been hardy for her. Good luck to all of us.

Martha

Zone 7a here in Virginia.