Hi GPODers!
The Northern Hemisphere is celebrating the first days of fall; temperatures are beginning to cool and leaves are shifting, but the Southern Hemisphere is just waking up to the first days of spring! As we say goodbye to our peak season of color, the other half of the world is getting ready for theirs to commence. Today we get a small sample of the Southern Hemisphere’s early spring as we enjoy Ezequiel Martín Barakat’s lively cottage garden in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ezequiel has shared his garden a few times before (check out those previous submissions here: Cottage-Style Dreams, A Cottage Garden in Buenos Aires, and Ezequiel’s Autumn Garden), and each update introduces us to more of his great designs as well as the amazing plants he is able to grow in his warm climate.
The first signs of spring are coming out in my cottage garden of Buenos Aires. Irises of deep blue and yellow colors, yellow daisies, blue Spanish scillas (Hyacinthoides hispanica, Zones 3–9), yellow bulbines (Bulbine frutescens ‘Yellow’, Zones 9–11), calendulas, a white rosebud and old rose azalea, and lavender are blooming in soft textures. It is not yet the explosion of energies of November or December here, when the sun is at its deepest power, but I love this early spring that promises the lushness and life of nature. Greetings and hugs from Argentina!
While flowers flourish and fade, Ezequiel’s beds are always filled with decadent greenery that keeps the garden looking lively. In this section, a Dutch iris (Iris × hollandica, Zones 6–9) pops against a massing of yellow and orange bulbines and taller spikes of foliage that signal more blooms to come.
Another lovely clump of bulbine gives a better look at the slender succulent foliage that adds to the attractiveness of the plant. A South African native, it is well-loved in warmer climates for its drought tolerance but can struggle in locations that get too much fall and winter precipitation.
Another angle reveals more of the lavender planted alongside the bulbine—an absolutely impressive planting that is spilling onto Ezequiel’s patio. In the background, various shrubs and trees offer interesting shapes and plenty of vertical interest in the garden.
More beds giving that romantic cottage-garden abundance: The foliage is particularly effective in this planting, as the light pink azaleas grow up from a luscious sea of green.
The show is just getting started in Ezequiel’s garden, but every corner is filled with healthy new growth that indicates many more flowers are on their way.
Lastly, a couple of African bush daisies (Euryops chrysanthemoides, Zones 8–11) in Ezequiel’s garden add even more sunshine yellow to the landscape. These evergreens have fascinating deeply lobed leaves, but the bright flowers steal the show and are known to bloom year-round.
Thank you so much for another incredible update from your garden, Ezequiel! Your landscape always looks so lush and inviting, even during those early days of spring.
International gardens are rare on Garden Photo of the Day, but they are a special treat each time. If you live outside of North America, or have recently done some international travel, we would love to see your garden photos! Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
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