Hi GPODers!<\/p>\n
A big move is always rife with challenges: adjusting to an unfamiliar neighborhood, saying goodbye to loved ones, discovering your new favorite spots in town, acclimating to a different environment, and more. For gardeners, moving to a new location and climate includes the added challenge of educating yourself on the best practices for the area. Linda Boblett knows this all too well, as she made the change from gardening in Ohio to the mountains of Washington. A completely new climate and increased activity from pests have given her plenty to adjust to, but her lush plantings show no indication that this transition has inhibited her ability to create garden beauty.<\/p>\n
Hi all!<\/em><\/p>\n After gardening in the Midwest (Ohio), where just about anything grows, I now garden on Lookout Mountain in Whatcom County, Washington state (Zone 8a). Deer and slugs are a constant threat to plants, but I\u2019ve learned to deal with it.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/a>I\u2019m not sure what kind of conditions Linda was working with in Ohio, but her new garden is a woodland wonderland quintessential to the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. The forest around her property is thick, and the plantings within her beds are foliage heavy.<\/p>\n Thank you so much for sharing your lush and lively garden with us, Linda! It\u2019s clear that you\u2019re adjusting well to gardening in the Pacific Northwest and creating an enchanting outdoor living area despite the new challenges you face.<\/p>\n Whether your garden is brand-new, decades old, large, small, or anything in between, we\u2019d love to hear the story behind your space and the journey you\u2019ve had with gardening. To share your garden story with the blog, follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Have photos to share? We\u2019d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!<\/p>\n To submit, send 5\u201310 photos to\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/span><\/a>\u00a0along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We\u2019d love to hear where you are located, how long you\u2019ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.<\/p>\n Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on\u00a0Facebook,<\/a>\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0with #FineGardening!<\/p>\n![\"flowering](\"https:\/\/images.finegardening.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/04124244\/GPOD-Boblett-1-woodland-garden-path.jpg\")
<\/a>Foliage heavy, but certainly not without flowers\u2014an assortment of rhododendron makes a colorful splash along the border of her patio.<\/p>\n<\/a>A small seating area is perfectly placed to enjoy all these bold blooms and bask in the tranquility of this shady corner of the garden.<\/p>\n<\/a>For a shady foundation bed, Linda has a lovely collection of hostas in various colors, patterns, and forms. I wonder how she is managing to keep these beauties from becoming a feast for her local deer.<\/p>\n<\/a>Shade can feel limiting to many gardeners, but it\u2019s really an opportunity to plant something wonderful that would get scorched in the sun. Foamflowers, for example, love the shade and are textural powerhouses, with spires of tiny flowers and fabulous foliage forms. This appears to be the three-leaf foamflower (Tiarella<\/a> trifoliata<\/em>, Zones 3\u20139).<\/p>\n<\/a>Another shady foundation planting features various ferns and light purple blooms of a variegated Jacob\u2019s ladder.<\/p>\n<\/a>A closer look at the Jacob\u2019s ladder reveals more of that gorgeous golden, variegated foliage. It is potentially the Brise d\u2019Anjou variety (Polemonium<\/em><\/a> \u2018Blanjou\u2019, Zones 4\u20138).<\/p>\n<\/a>A rustic garden bench in another shady spot in the garden is a perfect complement to a more naturalistic scene.<\/p>\n<\/a>Linda\u2019s garden is not solely shade; some areas do get hours of bright sun, but these sunnier spots are equally as lush and inviting. Ground covers creep between the gaps in these stone steps, and colorful containers lead you deeper into the garden.<\/p>\n<\/a>One final view of the gardens and a beautiful lily pad birdbath!<\/p>\nWe want to see YOUR garden!<\/strong><\/h2>\n