Happy Monday GPODers!<\/p>\n
Summer might be well underway, but we still have fabulous spring gardens to celebrate! Today we\u2019re heading to Lambertville, New Jersey for an incredible introduction to Ann Gilmour\u2019s garden oasis. Ann fits a lot of garden beauty and two lovely seating areas into a small space, giving ample opportunity to linger in the landscape and enjoy the multitude of blooms that fill her garden with color. Weather and wildlife challenges meant some of her flowers had a delayed start this year, but her photos still show a lively spring landscape.<\/p>\n
Hi,<\/em><\/p>\n I live in Lambertville, NJ, a small city on the Delaware River bordering Pennsylvania. Due to it being a city with many building and fences, we have somewhat of a microclimate here. I\u2019ve developed the garden over the twenty years we\u2019ve lived here, adding more each year as time and money allow. I\u2019ve been gardening most of my adult life, learning largely from my mother who was an avid gardener and through trial and error and reading about plants. I also took a garden design class thirty or so years ago which gave me a solid foundation. I have been a decorative painter and dabble in botanical illustration, both pursuits adding to my color sense, texture and design.<\/em><\/p>\n With the exception of a couple of shrubs, everything else we planted. Some years some things do better than others and we\u2019re always discovering new plants to try. For the most part, the garden is comprised of bulbs, perennials and shrubs. Because this is a small urban garden, it didn\u2019t take long to run out of space horizontally so I\u2019ve learned to incorporate vertical design as well. Last year with the drought, colder temps this winter and the excavative expertise of neighborhood squirrels and rabbits, several of my clematis and rose varieties suffered and are only now starting to bloom, a good three weeks later than normal.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/a>Last year we added a gate and arch to form a visual entrance to the garden from the house and this spring I started a Ramona clematis<\/em>\u00a0(<\/em>Clematis<\/a> \u2018Ramona\u2019<\/em>, Zones 4\u20138)<\/em> climbing the arch. In front of the fountain is a Japanese plum yew<\/em> (<\/em>Cephalotaxus<\/a> harringtonia, Zones 6\u20139)<\/em>. I\u2019ll take you through the entrance so you can see how the design leads the viewer and then expands, incorporating a seating\/entertaining area and a dining area into the design.<\/em><\/p>\n Ann shared so many sensational photos from her spring garden, we\u2019ll be returning to New Jersey tomorrow to see more!<\/p>\n And if you\u2019re still holding on to some photos of spring blooms you would like to share with Garden Photo of the Day<\/em>, it\u2019s never too late to submit your spring garden. Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram:\u00a0@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![\"light](\"https:\/\/www.finegardening.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GPOD-Gilmour-1-garden-gate.jpg\")
<\/a>A close up of a \u2018Ramona\u2019 clematis bloom. This variety is the loveliest shade of light purple-blue.<\/p>\n<\/a>After walking through Ann\u2019s beautiful new garden gate, you reach the covered patio and first seating area. A couple of well-placed pots draw your eye to the next path that leads you to the dining area and surrounding beds. Despite limited space, I love that Ann has managed to create a landscape that feels anything but cramped.<\/p>\n<\/a>Dining area\u2014hinoki cypress tree (<\/em>Chamaecyparis<\/a> obtusa, Zones 4\u20138)<\/em>, fothergilla<\/a> and crape myrtle<\/a> (<\/em>Lagerstroemia indica, Zones 4\u20138)<\/em> in foreground<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>In the pot on the table is \u2018Butterfly Blue\u2019 scabiosa<\/em> (<\/em>Scabiosa<\/a> \u2018Butterfly Blue\u2019<\/em>, Zones 5\u20139)<\/em> and pansies.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>Two David Austin \u2018Strawberry Hill\u2019 roses<\/em> (<\/em>Rosa<\/a> \u2018Strawberry Hill\u2019<\/em>, Zones 4\u201311)<\/em>\u00a0are on obelisks with liriope<\/a> between.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>And a close up of one of those perfect \u2018Strawberry Hill\u2019 rose blooms.<\/p>\n<\/a>I\u2019m not sure if this was one of the clematis that put on a delayed performance for Ann, but her Diamantina clematis<\/a> (<\/em>Clematis \u2018Diamantina\u2019<\/em>, Zones 4\u201311)\u00a0<\/em>is now absolutely covered in gorgeous flowers.<\/p>\nWe want to see YOUR garden!<\/strong><\/h2>\n