Bulbs (and Bulblike Plants) in Susan’s Garden

We’re back with more from Susan Esche’s visit to the beautiful University of British Columbia Botanical Garden in Vancouver in early September. It is open to the public and has many different sections and types of gardens to explore.

We’ve visited Susan Esche’s home garden before (A Garden Wedding, the Flowers, and the Deer), but today she’s taking us along to visit a public garden in Vancouver, British Columbia.

We’re in Yorkville, Illinois, visiting with Anita Drendel again. We saw some photos of her garden in the GPOD recently, and she’s back to share more of her favorites from the past few years.

We often hear from Cherry Ong when she’s traveling to visit a marvelous public garden, but today she’s letting us in to see her home garden in Richmond, British Columbia. She says that she’s learned to love fall and is sharing the beauty of her shade garden with pictures she took in early October.

My name is John Markowski, and I garden in Zone 6B in central New Jersey. My property is inundated with deer, and the soil drains poorly, so I’ve built my garden around ornamental grasses and native perennials. The grasses are shining right now in combination with the slowly declining perennials.

We’re back in New Zealand today to see more of Jill Hammond’s beautiful garden. She has spent the last 28 years transforming a 7.5-hectare (18.5-acre) piece of land in rural Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. When she and her husband moved in, it was a completely bare piece of land, so she’s created this entire garden from nothing.

Not everyone has the knack to maintain a lush indoor garden, and that’s okay. If you struggle to keep your plants alive, you’re not alone. The good news is that there are a variety of hardy Indoor Plants for Black Thumbs that are virtually “unkillable.” These can take neglect like champs, and will still thrive!

Today we’re visiting with Jill Hammond.

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We’re visiting with Anita Drendel today.

Welcome back to Deb Jedynak’s garden in Holland, Michigan, where she loves pushing zones and getting creative with containers and designs.

Hello! This is Deb Jedynak, a Master Gardener living in Zone 6b, Holland, Michigan. Although autumn has crept in to allow summer to fade away, I’m still planting in the garden. The soil stays warm for a while longer, and it’s the best time to plant bulbs, perennials, shrubs, and trees. I can already visualize my constantly evolving garden next spring. The foliage and flowers were abundant in 2023, and journaling my successes makes it easier to plan for next season. The winter months are weeks away, and it’s the best time to consider planting opportunities and researching which perennials and shrubs thrive best in my zone. Since I live just steps from Lake Michigan, I’m figuring out ways to create a microclimate where I can push the growing zone for abelia, beautyberry, and azalea, three shrubs I’ve just added this year. My whimsical garden featured vegetables in raised beds, a hopscotch topiary garden, a 12-foot rowboat filled with perennials, seating areas, a firepit, a plant ladder, arbors, various containers, and decor that I’ve thrifted. There’s always something to look at as you stroll the paths that wind around the flower beds. The transitions are intentional, and I don’t get too attached to my plants as I move them around or eliminate the nonperformers altogether. The idea is to have fun in the garden, and these photos show you my most memorable moments!