Hi GPODers!
Today we’re getting an introduction to Jody Petersen’s new garden in Chestertown, Maryland. Jody didn’t have much to work with when she moved to the property but has quickly started crafting a landscape that is not only beautiful but greatly beneficial to local wildlife and pollinators that visit her plantings. While two years isn’t quite enough time to have a mature garden of large, flowering plants, a mix of annual blooms have brought a hearty dose of color and nectar sources while native perennials are filling in.
This is my just-two-year garden in Chestertown, Maryland, on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. This was a completely blank canvas when we moved in except for a Norway maple (Acer platanoides and cvs., Zones 3–7) that we quickly removed and replaced with a red oak (Quercus rubra, Zones 4–8). My point of view with this garden is all toward encouraging wildlife—birds, insects, and amphibians—and having a loose look, letting the space flourish with “editing” by me. We use mainly natives, took out most of the lawn, and added a clover patch. I was the horticulturalist at an upscale country club, and when I retired, I wanted to have a totally different garden. This is the opposite of country club! It went from a frat house with just lawn and broken fences to a lively haven for hummingbirds, frogs, Carolina wrens, (Thryothorus ludovicianus), honeybees, and bumbles. I use lots of found and repurposed things and some art projects of my own as well. Also solar light “art” at night!
Thanks for looking!
Jody Petersen
Our gargoyle holds a birdbath. The cement atlas ball is from a gym.
I love penstemons! This pond has a shallow beach for small birds.
I threw a pack of mixed annual poppies down in our front yard in February—they were a glorious hit in the town in May!
Crazy poppy display, plus a paperbark maple (Acer griseum, Zones 4–8), a non-native small tree with beautiful peeling bark and bright fall color. Underneath the poppies are butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa, Zones 3–9) that will fill in after I take the poppies out in mid-June.
I’m not strict about natives—ageratum is so long-lasting and easy.
Clover lawn: never mow, and the pollinators love it.
Various non-plant additions
This is ‘Judy Zuk’ magnolia (Magnolia ‘Judy Zuk’, Zones 5–9). It gets beautiful pale yellow flowers in early spring and has a narrow habit.
Thank you so much for sharing your new garden with us, Jody! It’s incredible the amount of beauty you’ve been able to build in two short years, and I hope we get more submissions from your garden so we can watch it grow and evolve.
No matter how new or old your garden is, there is always something to celebrate and share! So whether your garden is in its 3rd growing season or it’s 30th, consider contributing your photos to the blog. Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
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