Happy Friday, GPODers!<\/p>\n
I would like to thank everyone that has submitted their garden photos over the past several months. When I took over GPOD last year, I had some work ahead of me to inject new life and engagement on the blog. While I hope to see even more gardeners and plant enthusiasts join our community, I think this summer and early fall submissions have been a testament to how this community continues to change and grow.<\/p>\n
In 2024 I started the GPOD Vignettes series, showcasing the smaller submissions we occasionally get at Garden Photo of the Day, and did a handful of these posts throughout the year. The last GPOD Vignette was published in January of this year. But we received such a steady flow of submissions, which often ran long, that I haven\u2019t had the space in the schedule to do another installment until today.<\/p>\n
Here are the photos we\u2019ve received to the GPOD inbox that couldn\u2019t exist as stand-alone posts but were worthy of a moment in the spotlight. From early summer straight through the end of October, enjoy these garden moments, and consider sharing your own garden highlights with Garden Photo of the Day.<\/p>\n
Check out previous GPOD Vignettes:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/a>Coneflowers and lupines keeping their cool in the hot weather: We may be suffering in this early summer heat wave, but coneflowers and lupines are thriving. I\u2019ve been gardening in this space for over 25 years, and it has been the home to vegetables and an allium<\/a> takeover, but it has never been as beautiful and thriving in this heat as it is this year.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n We have sent photos in the past<\/em>\u00a0(Linda & Terry\u2019s Garden in Ontario<\/a>, Linda & Terry\u2019s Garden: Revisited<\/a>, and The Walshes\u2019 Garden in Ontario<\/a>) but have updated our five acres.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Hi, my name is Jodi MacDonald. I live in Littleton, Massachusetts, and am happiest when in my garden. I try to plant mostly natives and have seen a wonderful increase in insects and birds as a result.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This shows how our garden is a habitat for wild critters\u2014my zinnias<\/a> grown from seed host pollinators from spring to late autumn.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Although not as spectacular as the past few submissions, I thought I\u2019d share my front porch and one of my fig harvests this season.<\/em><\/p>\n Thank you again to all of the contributors who have graciously shared slices of their garden sanctuaries this year. It has been a pleasure showcasing the plant beauty you have cultivated, and I hope we are lucky enough to receive more updates from these special spaces.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re new to the GPOD community or have long enjoyed the blog as a viewer but never a contributor, please consider sharing your garden photos this year. 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>\nValarie LeSeure in Springfield, Illinois (June)<\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Too hot to enjoy the sweltering summer garden? The nighttime garden beats the heat. The sun powers this nighttime garden with solar lighting, and then there are the cooling sounds of the pond.<\/em><\/p>\nLinda and Terry Walsh in Simcoe, Ontario (July)<\/h3>\n
Maria Vandis (August)<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Maria\u2019s garden in August is full of flowers, especially lots of bright orange nasturtiums.<\/p>\nJodi MacDonald in Littleton, Massachusetts (August)<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Here\u2019s a black swallowtail<\/em> (Papilio polyxenes) and a hummingbird moth<\/em> (<\/em>Hemaris thysbe) sharing the swamp milkweed<\/em> (<\/em>Asclepias<\/a> incarnata, Zones 3\u20136). Hydrangea in the background is not a native plant, but it is hard to live in Massachusetts and not have hydrangeas!<\/em><\/p>\nMargaret Woltjer in Olympia, Washington (September)<\/h3>\n
<\/a>This photo shows a honeybee that happened to be pollinating when this tiny Pacific tree frog (<\/em>Pseudacris regilla)<\/em> tried to climb aboard. The frog quickly got down, hanging from the fingernail(?) and twisting in the breeze for the better part of a minute until going to the next flower. I took a whole series of shots over 20 or 30 seconds, but this shows them best. Not the finest resolution, but I\u2019m making a metal print of it for my \u201cgallery.\u201d (Taken Sept. 11, 2025 in Olympia, Washington)<\/em><\/p>\nLaurel Slaney (October)<\/h3>\n
<\/a>A drone fly<\/em> (Eristalis tenax) visiting a coreopsis<\/em><\/p>\nBeth Tucker in Waxhaw, North Carolina (October)<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Beth is a frequent contributor, who often shares the fabulous flowers she grows in her garden (check out previous submissions here: Early and Midsummer in Beth\u2019s North Carolina Garden<\/a>, A Look Back at Beth\u2019s Early Summer Garden<\/a>, Early Spring in Beth\u2019s Garden<\/a>, Irises and More in Beth\u2019s Garden<\/a>, Beth\u2019s Poolside Garden<\/a>, and more). It\u2019s no surprise to see she has great success with some edibles, too.<\/p>\n<\/a>A fall display doesn\u2019t need to be elaborate to be festive and fun. A bright yellow-orange mum ensures that classic autumn flare, while an agave and a mangave give it a warm-climate twist.<\/p>\n<\/a>Just a few pieces of decor add a bit more personality and pizzazz to this simple trio, while amping up the fall vibes in Beth\u2019s Southern garden.<\/p>\nWe want to see YOUR garden!<\/strong><\/h2>\n