Massachusetts Meadow

A field of blooms

Today we ’re visiting Heidi Dollard ’s garden .

I have been garden for 35 years in western Massachusetts . My garden were always in theshadeuntil four years ago , when we moved into a new house . The new theatre is on aslopeand has striking views of the Connecticut River Valley and Holyoke Range . I now have all the Lord’s Day I could ever want , and I ’ve had to learn about a whole fresh plant palette . I ’m make a gloomy - sustentation , razzing - andpollinator - friendlyyard . A landscape painting designer designed the hardscape and land contours , including a welcoming pebble patio under apergola , surrounded by a mostly repeated bottom that also sets the theatre nicely into incline . Below the recurrent garden is a mown belt , and below that is anative plantmeadow over our leach battlefield .

My initial plant pick for the garden were mostly “ pollinator friendly ” but not necessarily native coinage . Since I retired two years ago , I have been volunteer with theMassachusetts Pollinator Networkand have read the importance of engraft “ straight ” indigen , not cultivar . In increase to providingnectarand pollen for grownup bee and butterfly , they also provide food for early life history stages and nesting and overwinter home ground . Some specialized native bees can only feed from specific aboriginal plants . I now follow Doug Tallamy ’s advice to plant at least 70 % natives , which allows plenty of scope for my favorite nonnatives . The forage bee and butterflies supply endless entertainment and a sense that the garden is truly thriving .

The garden sphere has excellent topsoil and has been a pleasure to fill up with flowering plant ; near everything is happy there . The meadow , by direct contrast , has lean soil that dries out quickly , and it has been slow to set up . This year it ’s finally coming into its own as thelittle bluestem(Schizachyrium scoparium , Zones 3–9 ) becomes rife , with red - hued wild rye(Elymuscanadensis , zone 3–8 ) around the edges . The elusive colors and texture of the grasses are complemented by bright pops of color from seasonal bloom scatter in the hayfield and are a particular joy .

Most of these picture were taken by my friend and neighbor Marvin , who is an amazing lensman !

This first exposure shows thepatioand pergola , with its surrounding flower garden and the meadow below .

The flowering pollinator meadow rest over the leach field . In addition to the blue stem , which I plant both from seeds and plug , presently flowering are volunteer goldenrods(Solidagocanadensis , Zones 3–9;Solidago altissima , Zones 5–10 ; andEuthamia graminifolia , Zones 3–9 ) , fleabane(Erigeronstrigosus , annual ) , boneset(Eupatoriumperfoliatum , Zones 4–8 ) , purple coneflower(Echinaceapurpurea , Zones 4–9 ) , prairie coneflower(Ratibidapinnata , Zones 3–8 ) , New York ironweed(Vernonia noveboracensis , Zones 5–9 ) , green - headed coneflower(Rudbeckialaciniata , Zones 4–9 ) , andJoe Pye weed(Eutrochium purpureum , Zones 4–9 ) .

This is a sentiment from the patio . I ’ve planted portion ofannualsto verify the patio is always surrounded by prime , and I verify they are airy enough not to stop the view . Seen here : Verbenabonariensis(Zones 7–9 or as an annual ) , orange cosmos(Cosmossulphuerus , one-year ) , zinnia Queen Lime(Zinniaelegans , yearly ) , and Queen Anne ’s lace(Daucus carota , yearly or biyearly ) .

Zinnia and Queen Anne ’s lacing are growing together withVerbena bonariensis .

This view of the meadow include an orange gladiolus(Gladiolushybrid , Zones 7–10 or as a tender lightbulb ) in the background .

Butterfly weed(Asclepius tuberosa , Zone 5–9 ) look great with little bluestem in the hayfield .

Another front-runner in the hayfield ( from in the first place in the time of year ) is blaze star(Liatrisspictata , Zones 3–9 ) . Even the dried seed heads look cool .

Penstemondigitalis ( Zones 3–8 ) is one of my favorite plant . It is decorative in all season . Here the seminal fluid head look great , specially with the purpleconeflower .

Here is one of Marvin ’s perfect pic of the garden , the meadow , and the mountains in the distance .

Have photos to divvy up ? We ’d love to see your garden , a finical aggregation of plants you love , or a wonderful garden you had the fortune to visit !

To submit , get off 5 - 10 photos to[email protected]along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos . We ’d get laid to hear where you are locate , how long you ’ve been garden , successes you are gallant of , failures you learned from , hope for the futurity , favourite plants , or comic stories from your garden .

If you want to send photos in separate emails to theGPOD email boxthat is just fine .

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