Karen, that is so very special, what a nice honor! The pictures are wonderful. It's sure to be an inspiration to anyone who doesn't think they can garden. You did an amazing job.

Mary

Thanks, Mary. Really, my yard isn't that great compared to most of the tours featured on that site. I only agreed to do it after repeated requests!

Karen

I love the stone walkway in your front yard! How did you make it?

Karen, it's wonderful - thanks for sharing that with us.

It seems to have evolved so nicely, when I look at my own I see things that should have been planned better, areas of plants that should be moved around, divided, even discarded!...full of frustrations this Spring. Or maybe its the weather, chilly and gray.

But I certainly enjoyed 'touring' yours, lots of color!

siichan, that walkway and the porch are actually patterned concrete.

Morz, thanks. I have a lot I want to move and/or divide too, I just can never seem to get it all done.

Karen

Great gardens and I loved reading all the family history with the corresponding pictures! I envy you your tree! We planted a tree on earth day the year my daughter was born (22 years ago) but we've moved from that house. It's about an hour away and I always drive by when I am in that area to see "her" tree!

We love that maple. I think it's the prettiest tree around in fall, and in summer it provides much-need shade for the front porch, which faces southwest.

I've been wintersowing for 7 years, so many of the plants in my yard have been wintersown. A few special ones I bought, a few were gifts, but probably more have been wintersown.

Karen

Congrats on getting selected for the tour, Karen.

It's always nice to read/see the backstory of a garden. Don't try to hide under a bushel - you have done a terrific job! Loved it!

Have to say - you win the prize hands-down for effective and beautiful use of coleus in your landscape. Your front-yard display with the verbena ('homestead'?) is seriously calling my name! Gorgeous.

Thanks for sharing this ...

PV

Thanks, PV.

I do like the coleus in front of the house. It's just the perfect spot for them and most thrive there. They're really hard to kill :-) They look pathetic now, not even hardened off much yet. The weather has either been too cold or too stormy to put them out. Hopefully this week with the warmer weather...

I've read that lobelis cardinalis is short-lived, but That lobelia cardinalis loves that spot too. I wintersowed that clump 6 or 7 years ago and it's still going strong. I divided it last year to start another little clump in front of the porch. I wintersowed another batch this year for close to the porch. It blooms for about a month, and brings hummingbirds so close to the porch all day where we can watch them so well.

Karen

Thanks for sharing karen! Love that front porch and the coleus surrounding it- good work. You have so much color- i'm striving to get where you are with that!

Oh Karen, what an inspiration you & your lovely gardens are & what an honor to be selected for the tour! For this new WSer starting over in a long neglected yard (8 yrs. worth), your pics gave me hope of what all these crazy jugs will help create! Thanks for sharing, & I really enjoyed the pic of the hummer at your zinnias. I would add that I found your humility as lovely as your gardens...

Thanks, organic greenjeans.

Really, many if not most, of my plants have been wintersowed. I still buy a few special plants that can't be propagated by seed. And I propagate the coleus from cuttings inside under lights in winter.

Now, if I want a garden this year, I HAVE TO get some of this stuff in the ground. Ugh... 87 degrees and humid today!

Karen

Karen! How Beautiful! Thanks for sharing, your gardens are just lovely! My favorite pic is the one with the Buckeye, the Monarchs and 9-10 Sulphurs! Are those asters?
Some other questions:
1. What are the tall plants, red flowers, all in a row by the fence. That looks stunning!
2. Do you wintersow your tidalwave silver petunias? I've tried WSing them for the past two years and get absolutely no germination at all. I get the picobellas and the dolcissimas but not the TWS. The Pirouettes didn't do well either.
Thanks again for sharing your garden tour!
Shirley!

Very beautiful! I esp liked the little islands. Congratulations! What an honor!

Thanks for sharing your garden tour, Karen. It was interesting to read about your progression from novice gardener to a winter sowing and coleus growing pro. Look forward to photos of your coleus garden later this year. You have inspired me to add more coleus in my gardens.

Thank you.

Coleus are pretty easy, and they do give a lot of season-long color in the garden.

Karen