In the present day we’re visiting Lila Johnson in Mill Creek, Washington, the place her backyard was not too long ago featured on a group backyard tour benefiting her native backyard membership’s grants program. Guests explored the panorama by means of interactive shows that shared the story behind the backyard’s evolution. Right here’s what Lila has to say:
We survived—and thrived—by means of our group backyard tour, which raises funds for our backyard membership’s grants program, Giving By way of Gardening.
We had been one in all six gardens open to guests on July 25. It was a protracted day on our ft, however the fantastic compliments, considerate questions, and rave opinions made all of it worthwhile.
As an experiment, we positioned interactive storyboards with QR codes all through the backyard. They had been a giant hit, particularly since I get pleasure from writing and have pictures documenting the backyard’s evolution courting again to 2011. Guests particularly loved seeing the before-and-after transformations.
It was a beautiful day, and I encourage everybody to share their very own gardens. This yr’s tour theme, “The place Each Backyard Tells a Story,” really says all of it. Benefit from the pictures!
My try at a mini Japanese backyard: I made a primitive wooden bridge crossing the dry streambed, surrounded by deer fern (Struthiopteris spicant, Zones 5–8), child’s tears (Soleirolia soleirolii, Zones 9–11), Himalayan maidenhair fern (Adiantum venustum, Zones 5–8), Fertil-Mulch bark, and the miniature ‘Piccolo’ balsam fir (Abies balsamea ‘Piccolo’, Zones 3–7).

Entrance to again: pink impatiens (Impatiens walleriana, annual), rosy pink tuberous begonias (Begonia × tuberhybrida, annual), hosta (Hosta cvs., Zones 3–9), hardy fuchsias (Fuchsia magellanica, Zones 6–9), crocosmia (Crocosmia cvs., Zones 5–9), and Japanese andromeda (Pieris japonica, Zones 5–8) within the background.

Blue pot surrounded by pink and pink zonal geraniums (Pelargonium × hortorum, annual), ‘PowWow Wild Berry’ coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘PowWow Wild Berry’, Zones 3–8), blue fescue (Festuca glauca, Zones 4–8), a Carex sedge, rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, Zones 8–10), gold mud aucuba (Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’, Zones 6–10), and azalea within the background, together with the trunk of a coral bark Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’, Zones 5–8).

A bit of caprice within the shady woodland backyard space—rusty steel birds with a faux nest and eggs, hardy fuchsia, Himalayan maidenhair fern, a deer fern frond, and a mossy rock.

Pennsylvania bluestone patio within the background. Notice the hummingbird on the feeder!

Alongside our gravel path: crocosmia (Crocosmia cvs., Zones 5–9), blazing star (Liatris spicata, Zones 3–8), a little bit of astilbe (Astilbe cvs., Zones 4–9) on the decrease left (and a planter with extra blazing star), heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens, annual), hosta (Hosta cvs., usually Zones 3–9), white zonal geranium (Pelargonium × hortorum, annual), and white trailing bacopa (Sutera cordata, annual).

Butterfly backyard that includes purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea, Zones 3–8), yarrow (Achillea millefolium, Zones 3–9), calla lilies (Zantedeschia cvs., Zones 8–10), dusty miller (Jacobaea maritima, Zones 8–10), and white euphorbia.
Thanks for sharing your stunning backyard with us, Lila! Your considerate plant combos, artistic backyard options, and willingness to open your panorama to the group are a beautiful reminder that gardens are supposed to encourage, educate, and convey folks collectively.
We wish to see YOUR backyard!
Have pictures to share? We’d like to see your backyard, a selected assortment of crops you like, or a beautiful backyard you had the possibility to go to!
To submit, fill out the Backyard Photograph of the Day Submission Type.
You can too ship 5–10 pictures to [email protected] together with some details about the crops within the footage and the place you took the pictures. We’d love to listen to the place you’re positioned, how lengthy you’ve been gardening, successes you’re pleased with, failures you realized from, hopes for the long run, favourite crops, or humorous tales out of your backyard.
Do you obtain the GPOD by e-mail but? Enroll right here
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Gardener’s Log Guide from NYBG
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This weatherproof five-year log e-book consists of the next options:
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