My name is Sandi Marriott, and I have been gardening for about 30 years. I live in northern Vermont, Zone 4B. The soil is sandy, but over the years I have amended with compost and shredded maple leaves, so it’s much better. I have mostly perennials in my main garden but reserve a space for annuals such as zinnias and cosmos. I have found that getting my hands dirty has been great therapy during the pandemic.
Pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris, Zones 4–8), an early bloomer, has showy seed heads that persist for months after the flowers fade.
Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum, Zones 4–9) is a shade-loving plant that can live for 25 years! This wildflower is native to the woodlands of much of eastern North America.
Viola (Viola × wittrockiana, cool-season annual) and forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvatica, Zones 3–8) both self-seed throughout the garden. Their colors and bloom season complement each other perfectly.
Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata, Zones 3–9) provides color early and requires little care.
Big sheets of creeping phlox in bloom flank Japanese spirea (Spirea japonica, Zones 3–8), which is showing off with new, bright golden yellow leaves.
Dwarf crested iris (Iris cristata, Zones 3–8) and lamium (Lamium maculatum, Zone 3–8) are both easy early bloomers. The silver-patterned lamium leaves remain attractive after blooming ends.
In the shade garden, carpets of creeping phlox bloom with lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis, Zones 3–8). The big blue chairs are a peaceful place to relax and listen to the birds.
This close-up of the creeping phlox flowers highlights the interesting patterns on each tiny bloom that covers the plants in the spring.
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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