Today’s GPOD comes from my own small-space garden in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I’m Marisa Reyes, the new editor behind Garden Photo of the Day, and I thought the best way to introduce myself was through the garden I know best.
This is a challenging space to grow in. I built three raised beds over a large concrete slab, and a neighboring black walnut (Juglans nigra, Zones 4-9) and eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides, Zones 2-9) hang over the shared fence line, dropping debris into the garden throughout the season. Even with the constant cleanup and limited planting space, vegetables, herbs and flowers now grow together in raised beds, containers, and every available pocket of soil.
I don’t consider myself a flower gardener or a vegetable gardener. I’m simply a gardener. To me, this view of my backyard captures the beauty and abundance that emerge when edible and ornamental plants are grown together.
Orange and yellow African marigolds (Tagetes erecta, annual), ‘Always Sunny Gold’ sunflowers (Helianthus annuus ‘Always Sunny Gold’, annual), Sweet Dreams Mix sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus ‘Sweet Dreams’, annual), and dill (Anethum graveolens, annual) mingle in this section of the border. I love how the dense planting softens the fence line and draws in plenty of pollinators. Birds frequently visit the feeder, and a compact, thornless, purple Glencoe raspberry bush (Rubus idaceus ‘Glencoe’, Zones 4-8) grows at the back edge of the border.
Compact ‘Red Acre’ cabbages (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. rubra, annual) have become a fast favorite in my garden this season. I love their colorful foliage, and they’re perfect for small-space gardens.
This is the next raised bed you see as you move through the backyard. The dill has hosted dozens of swallowtail caterpillars throughout the season, followed by plenty of butterflies. Watching them has been especially joyful for my 3-year-old son, who loves The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
‘Sun Ball’ summer squash (Cucurbita pepo ‘Sun Ball’, annual) is one of my favorite varieties to grow. Its round, golden-yellow fruits mature quickly and are best picked at 2 to 3 inches wide.
Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum, annual) are trained vertically to improve airflow and maximize space, while herbs and flowers fill in below. Layering crops this way allows me to harvest more from a small footprint while creating habitat for pollinators and beneficial insects.
‘Ruffled Romance’ rose (Rosa floribunda, Zones 5-9) has performed beautifully in this container. Its orange buds open to warm shades of peach before fading to soft yellow. It’s intensely fragrant, so I always stop to smell it on my way out the door.
The final raised bed is mixed like the others, but it might be my favorite of the three. I especially love the silvery foliage of the curry plant (Helichrysum italicum, Zones 7-11) against all the green.
Growing flowers alongside vegetables means I always have something to bring indoors, whether it’s a basket of freshly harvested produce or a bouquet cut from the garden.
The gardening season always has me looking ahead. I’ve already started collecting seeds from poppies (Papaver somniferum, Zones 2-11), coriander (Coriandrum sativum, annual) and delphiniums (Delphinium elatum, Zones 3-7). Saving seed has become one of my favorite garden tasks because it feels like carrying a little piece of this year’s garden into the next.
Thank you for taking a tour of my garden. I look forward to taking a tour of yours!
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