Hi GPODers!
I have absolutely loved all of this fabulous garden updates we’ve received this past fall and winter, from contributors we haven’t heard from in a while as well as regular faces that share their garden at least once a year. Today’s post is no exception as we see how 2024 treated Fran Cohen and her lovely garden in Rhode Island. To see past submissions from Fran, check out: The Soothing Power of Gardens Through the Seasons, The Garden Brought Inside, and 2023 Highlights in Fran’s Garden. And for photos from last year’s growing season, keep scrolling!
This is my fourth GPOD submission from here in Rhode Island.
The shape of this flower bed was stomped out of the snow during one long winter. It’s in mostly shade but since I removed a tall troublesome euonymus the mossy paths are beginning to sprout weeds. The plantings in the quarters are a constant attempt to cope with shade while outfoxing deer. Later in the season lots of foxglove and astrantia thrive.
The garden has two of these trouble-free Ballerina roses (Rosa ‘Ballerina’, Zones 5–9). They have just the right size, openness, and flower power to mingle perfectly with surrounding vegetation.
Gabriel Oak rose (R. ‘Gabriel Oak’, Zones 4–11) and a geranium of forgotten name make a happy combination. (The geranium is definitely a variety of bloody cranesbill [Geranium sanguineum, Zones 3–8].)
This new garden vignette was born of tragedy. A huge white pine (Pinus strobus, Zones 3–8) came down in a storm, wounding trees, crushing shrubs, and burying perennials. Happy to say the sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum, Zones 5–9) and maple still leafed out nicely.
The deer haven’t allowed this lily to bloom for years. Lovely to see it again. (Maybe the variety ‘Black Beauty’ [Lilium ‘Black Beauty’, Zones 3–8]?)
This is the first time I’ve grown these annuals from seed and they will be a permanent addition to the garden: Limelight four-o’clock (Mirabilis jalapa ‘Limelight’, Zones 8–11 or as an annual) and Gala Lavender aster (Callistephus chinensis ‘Gala Lavender’, annual).
Calycanthus are new to me. This young shrub is right near the porch where the curiously matte flower petals can be admired up close. No sign of the promised fragrance though.
I look forward to the yearly decision of what to put in this big, beautiful Lunaform pot, a major garden splurge. Last year’s choice of Persian shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus, annual), coleus, and sedge worked well. The perspective of this photo is such that you can’t tell the planting plus pot is about five feet tall.
Thank you so much for another fabulous update from your garden Fran! You always have something beautiful to share, and it’s exciting to see your space evolve over the years.
Now we’re just waiting on YOU to send us your garden update, or share your garden with us for the first time. Follow the directions below to submit your photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
Have a garden you’d like to share?
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
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