11 Readers Share Their Lovely Gardens

It’s my favourite time of the yr — after we characteristic the attractive gardens of the Cup of Jo neighborhood. Sprawling native wildflowers! Towering sunflowers! Sweet-colored ranunculus! Each photograph submission is a delight. So, with out additional ado, listed here are 11 readers’ gardens…

Each images above: “My accomplice and I turned our entrance garden right into a native wildflower meadow 5 years in the past. It has over 40 flower species, and the meadow is greater than 2,000 sq. ft (bigger than our home!). People strolling or driving by all the time cease to inform us how a lot they like it. Random strangers have even dropped seed packets and love notes to the meadow into our mailbox!” — Annalisa, New Haven, Connecticut

“This has been a tricky season for my household, however each time I see these pleased ranunculus by my entrance door, I can’t assist however smile.” — Laura, Northern Eire

“Veggie gardens really feel magical with children. We develop tons of cherry tomatoes (excellent for little ones to choose), fairytale eggplants, blackberries, and pink lemonade blueberries, which flip a rose shade when ripe.” — Sarah, Ridgefield, Connecticut

“We added chickens to our backyard final yr. My two-year-old named them Cashew, Evie, and Pumpkin. She loves feeding them and amassing eggs. They’re voracious eaters, nonetheless, so I’m all the time shooing them away from my crops!” — Naudia, Nyack, New York

“My delight and pleasure is my agave. It’s massive, daring, 5 ft tall, and the guts of my entrance yard. They usually stay for about 25 years and flower solely as soon as earlier than they die!” — Lisa, San Jose, California

“We moved three years in the past to a distant island off the coast of Vancouver Island and acquired slightly 100-year-old yellow home. My good friend stated it seemed like Miss Honey’s cottage from Matilda, and that has been the backyard blueprint ever since. It’s all a work-in-progress, however it’s my want is to maintain constructing and rising this backyard till I’m 100 years outdated.” — Jess, Cortes Island, Canada

“Folks don’t all the time notice after they’re beginning out that gardens take a LOT of time. You possibly can’t have your dream backyard in a single day with out spending a ton of cash, and there’s no amount of cash that may manufacture the texture of a mature, well-tended backyard. So, I’ve been attempting to take issues slowly. I just lately constructed a graveled fire-pit space and breakfast nook. I like the sensation of guide labor, and seeing it come collectively is so satisfying!” — Gabby, Nashville

“When my husband and I moved into our dwelling, my mother and father introduced over seeds from their backyard — cosmos, zinnias, marigolds. We bought married in our yard that summer time and used the flowers in our bouquets. My father, who had been an avid gardener my entire life, handed away final yr, simply two weeks after my daughter was born. I saved the seeds from that summer time and can plant them together with her this spring. We’ll use the watering can my mother and father gave her; and when the flowers bloom, we’ll consider him.” — Chelsea, Ottawa, Canada

“4 years in the past, my beautiful grown-up daughters bought me a peony plant for Mom’s Day. Its large, fluffy scented blooms are actually the most important pleasure of my (principally vegetable) backyard.” — Sasha, Belgrade, Montana

“After the lengthy darkish winter, it’s so enjoyable to see what we will convey to life — sunflowers, cucumbers, watermelon, catnip for the cats, and tomatoes that the canine eat straight off the vines. Some years are extra profitable than others, however our backyard makes us pleased each summer time.” — Lauren, Columbus, Ohio

“We’re so fortunate that our next-door neighbors’ cherry tree and azaleas have been rising beneath their care for nearly 40 years. The colours are unbelievable! This weekend, we had some stormy climate, so it was raining pink petals. My toddler likes to throw them up within the air like confetti.” — Emma, Philadelphia

Thanks a lot for sharing! How are everybody else’s gardens coming alongside? We’d like to know.

P.S. 14 extra readers share their attractive gardens and Abbey Nova’s Connecticut dwelling is filled with crops and books.

(Pictures of Gabby Llewellyn by Mary Caroline Russel.)