The basics
Name of gardener: Syd Carpenter
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Hardiness zone: 6
Size: Small city garden; 100 ft. long by 25 ft. wide; three garden rooms
Orientation: South facing front garden
Years gardened: 15 years
Heavy Petal says: Quite simply, wow. Syd has done an amazing job of creating a garden using a plant-driven design. So often, it’s hardscaping that holds a garden together. Not in this case. It takes experience, artistry, and guts to be able to put together plants in a way that can carry a space. Syd has done just that. And luckily, for those of us who struggle with combining plants (and I’ll admit, it certainly doesn’t come easily for me), she has shared some of her secrets below.
A maple tree anchors a perennial bed featuring Tinantia pringlei.
The details
Style: Cottage garden with a little formality.
Inspiration: No particular inspiration other than a love of putting plants together.
Favourite element: Burnt orange Asiatic lilies growing through rodgersia.
Favourite plants: Geranium macrorrhizum, Persicaria amplexicaulis (Mountain fleece), Amsonia hubrichtii (Blue star), Hosta ‘Sum and Substance’.
Biggest challenge: Gardening under mature maple trees.
Biggest save: Variegated liriope divisions.
Biggest splurge: Constant splurging; I can always justify plant splurges. (HP – I hear you, Syd!)
Advice for others: Start with the soil. Spend time digging a good planting hole. Be patient. Most plants are out of bloom most of the time so consider the leaf texture, color and shape first. Consider the over all shape of of the plant in relationship to the shape of its neighbors. Contrast, contrast, contrast.
Variegated liriope echoes the vase-like shape of the potted Cordyline australis ‘Red Sensation’ and distant maple tree.
Who says you can’t combine mauve, green, blue, pink, and deep yellow? It works!
I love the contrast between the rich teal of the shutters and the pumpkin-coloured coleus.
Hostas, geraniums, and heucheras play a supporting role in this fuschia-focused bed.
Like this post? Check out some more amazing readers’ gardens. And please, consider sharing your garden with us, too.
Val says
Wow! So lush, and no mowing!
Joseph says
beautiful gardens. i have so much to learn about design and putting plants together. i am always amazed by the living art that such talented gardeners put together. thanks for sharing!
Annelie says
Hi Andrea,
I just wrote about moss in my post, and made a link to your blog post about moss graffiti. Really neat, I think.
Oh, and I like your blog by the way.
Annelie
Kim says
Love it! It has such a natural feel, but clearly a lot of thought went into it. As a balcony gardener (and not a very good one at that), I covet spaces like this one. Thanks for sharing!
Andrea Bellamy says
Val – you’re right! I never thought of that. No mowing – another plus.
Joseph – I hear you. I struggle with it all the time, and am in awe of gardeners who can (seemingly effortlessly) throw plants together for an effect like this.
Annelie – thanks :)
Kim – I agree! I know this would take a lot of work to achieve. I covet it too :)
Stevie says
Wow – this is a beautiful outdoor sanctuary. I love the feel of sitting at a table like that surrounded by greenery.
Helen at summerhouse says
I love all the colors in this garden. They are all my faves. Good point about the texture being important too when the plants are not in bloom. I wish I was better at arranging too, I almost feel like I need to get further away to really see it. I really like the arrangement of the bricks in the last photo. I may borrow that idea.