Hi GPODers!
Today we’re returning to the always beautiful garden of Tingshu Hu in Dunstable, Massachusetts. We’ve seen her garden through the seasons (Spring: Flowering Trees in Tingshu’s Garden, summer: Summer in Tingshu’s Front Garden and Back Garden, and fall: Tingshu’s Massachusetts Garden), and most recently saw her transform a dead patch of her lawn into a low-maintenance oasis (Tingshu’s Low Maintenance Garden in Massachusetts). Now we will be seeing all of the incredible plants and pairings that shine in her garden during the transitional period of late summer. Today is a focus on her back gardens and tomorrow we will back to tour the front garden, which will include an update on that incredible low-maintenance space she showed off earlier this year.
The center of the back garden is a Prairiefire crabapple (Malus x ‘Prairifire’, Zones 4–8). The picture shows some branches of the tree loaded with red berries. Below the crabapple tree are a few coleus plants, surrounded by creeping jenny (Lysimachia nummularia, Zones 4–8). Beside the crabapple tree are Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii, Zones 5–8) and dwarf Colorado blue spruce.
Another focal point in the back garden is the fish pond. One yellow lotus (Nelumbo lutea, Zones 4–11) is blooming in the pond. Another lotus with pink flower grows in a pot beside a pergola. There are many gold fish and bull frogs in the pond. A snake regularly visits the pond. Around the fish pond are low growing and low maintenance ground covers. A few annuals, Sallyfun™ Deep Ocean salvia (Salvia farinacea ‘Deep Ocean’, annual), floss flower (Ageratum houstonianum, annual) and zinnia, added long lasting colors. The yellow and orange flowers on the right side are black-eyed Susan and rudbeckia. A Japanese maple and a redtwig dogwood are on the back (north) side of the pond. Between them is a tall garden phlox with pink flowers.
A path leading to the fish pond. Pink phlox and rainbow colored dahlia are blooming. On the other side of the path are white flowers of lilium ‘Casa Blanca’ (Zones 4–9), red rose and pink dahlia. The ground covers along the path are mostly creeping jenny and ajuga. Next year they should fill up all the gaps.
Looking toward the fish pond from the west side. A dahlia plant with dark purple leaves and pink flowers stands on the north side of the patio. Beside it are hummingbird mint, salvia, red-hot porker with yellow flowers.
A view from the patio toward the west. A maple tree has started to turn color on Sept. 20.
Looking through the arching leaves of a maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’, Zones 4–9), bright yellow and orange flowers of black-eyed Susan and rudbeckia are visible at the far end. On the right side are pink dahlia, zinnia, pink phlox and ground hugging floss flowers.
A stone retaining wall with creeping jenny seeping through the gaps. A red coleus is planted above the stone wall, under a magnolia tree. Also visible are the pink flowers of a Japanese anemone (Anemone hupehensis var. japonica, Zones 5–7) and pink rose flowers. Below the stone wall are zinnias and a false cypress.
The Japanese anemone flowers are very lovely looking from their back.
Under a wisteria pergola, looking toward the center of the garden. Two silk melons (luffa) hang from the pergola. Pink phlox flowers along the metal fence.
Dahlia flowers—Maybe Happy Single Juliet (Dahlia ‘HS Juliet’, Zones 3–10)?—with maiden grass in the background.
What a vibrant, yet lush and relaxing setting as the days get shorter and cooler! Be sure to check back tomorrow to see Tingshu’s equally inviting front garden.
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