Hi GPODers and Happy New Year!
Although we’re in the depth of winter, and the bloom of peak season color may feel painfully far away, New Year’s Day brings with it the promise of a new year of gardening. Last year, I used the final GPOD of the year to share my 2025 garden resolutions (Happy New Year’s Eve GPOD!), which did help me keep those intentions in the front of mind (even if I’m still working on getting into a good routine with houseplant maintenance). However, I had a different mindset this year. Rather than lament over all of the gardening practices I could be doing better, I’m entering 2026 with one resolution in mind: spend more time embracing the joy of plants.
Sometimes gardening can become a pursuit of perfection. How do I ensure the biggest blooms or the most abundant harvests? How can I make this border even better? This plant is nice, but I bet I can find something even more beautiful! Suddenly, the restorative practice of gardening becomes a burden and we forget why we started digging in the first place—for the love of plants. This post serves as a reminder to step back and enjoy the process. No matter what succeeds or what fails in the garden this year, remember to enjoy the journey and savor even the smallest moments of plant magic around us. Here are some of my most magical garden moments of 2025.
I was very lucky at the start of the year to attend the Philadelphia Flower Show for the first time. I had never attended a garden event of this magnitude before, and I left with tons of inspiration (as well as a few plants). A must have taken one hundred photos at the show, many of which I shared on the blog: GPOD on the Road: Philadelphia Flower Show Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and the Flower Show’s Oddest Plants.
Late winter and early spring brought the usual excitement of new seedlings. One of my resolutions last year was to be smarter about the variety and number of seeds I start, and progress was definitely made. More modifications should make this year the most successful veggie garden yet.
Spring was a flurry of activity that always flies right by, but a highlight that I won’t forget is this visit to New York Botanical Garden on a rainy, quiet day. Minimal crowds allowed me to really take in the new growth and spring blooms, and capture some beautiful photos. Check out some more highlights: GPOD on the Road: New York Botanical Garden in Spring
2024 was a banner year for hydrangeas in New England, but the summer of 2025 was dominated by the rose. This Oso Easy Italian Ice® rose (Rosa x ‘CHEWNICEBELL’, Zones 4–9) in my mother’s front garden was covered in blooms all season long.
Back in the veggie garden, this cherry tomato volunteer was a hilarious little surprise. Escaping from a crack on the outside of one of my raised beds, this tiny tomato plant miraculously emerged. I didn’t expect much from it, but left it to grow through the season rather than cutting it out. It gave me yet another surprise when it grew, thrived, and produced delicious fruit throughout the summer and into fall.
Back to my travels, Coastal Maine Botanical Garden has been on my bucket list for many years now and I finally managed to make the trip this summer. While there is something to enjoy in these gardens all year-round, I was astounded to see this botanical wonder at its peak performance. If you missed the highlights I shared back in July, be sure to check them out: GPOD on the Road: Coastal Maine Botanical Garden in Early Summer.
One last garden highlight was much closer to home, but just as magical. At the end of August I visited Maywood Gardens in Bridgewater, Connecticut for the one day a year that it is open to the public. As part of the Garden Conservancy Open Days program, this sweeping estate becomes available for the public to explore and enjoy. But looking back on it now, I don’t believe I ever shared highlights from the trip on the blog… so keep an eye out for those this year!
Lastly, a late fall trip to western Pennsylvania brought many moments of quiet appreciation for the wonderful world of plants all around us.
Thank you all for another fabulous year of Garden Photo of the Day, and I look forward to seeing and sharing more of your incredible gardens this year. Follow the NEW directions below to submit your photos to Garden Photo of the Day!
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, fill out the Garden Photo of the Day Submission Form.
You can also send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
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