Hi GPODers!
Today we’re heading to central Michigan for an update on Dale Dailey’s diverse gardens. Dale has shared the many different aspects of his landscape, with his fascinating collection of plants, quite a few times in the past (here is a handful of his previous submissions: Dale’s Japanese Garden, Dale’s Garden in 2020, Spring Versus Summer in Dale’s Garden, A Year in a Garden, Stop Dreaming about Spring), and today’s update is equally as enlightening. So far this year, there has already been an alluring assortment of blooms, and everything from his Japanese garden to his shade beds is looking exquisite.
Spring arrived early this year with an abundance of flowering trees and bright, colorful foliage. This photo shows a weeping cherry tree in bloom with a purple-leaved European beech (Fagus sylvatica, Zones 5–7) to the left.
We have a large area around our house dedicated to a variety of gardens. This pathway moves from sunny plantings to a shady area in front of our Japanese-style garden.
Along the way, the blossoms of a Cardinal Wyszynski clematis (Clematis ‘Cardinal Wyszynski’, Zones 4–10) were extraordinary this spring.
In a shady area, I stopped to admire a Farge’s cobra lily (Arisaema fargesii, Zones 6–8) in full bloom.
Finally reaching our Japanese garden, I’m reminded of how it is always a restful place to stop and sit and contemplate.
Walking on around, I discover that the large mayapple (Podophyllum ‘Spotty Dotty’, Zones 6–9) is in full bloom.
Our gardens provide a rich habitat for bees and butterflies. One big area is dedicated to pollinators.
There are many, many more treats in our garden. We have a huge space dedicated to formal gardens. I have been creating gardens, collecting unusual plants, and planting them for at least 25 years.
One last photo shows a colorful graphic canvas in an otherwise shady area. The canvas is surrounded by hardy kiwi vines (Actinidia arguta, Zones 3–8) on the left and a very mature wisteria on the right.
I hope you have enjoyed your brief visit.
Thank you so much for this update on your thriving garden, Dale! Even a brief visit is full of fantastic plant specimens and sensational scenes from you various garden beds.
What has the 2025 growing season been like in your garden so far? While we (hopefully) have at least a few more months of gardening glory, now is a great time to check in on how things have been going. Garden Photo of the Day can be a great place to share, reflect, celebrate wins, and commiserate plant losses. Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
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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, 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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