Hi GPODers!
Today we have a new garden introduction, right as it begins packing it in for the season. Judy Hessert gardens in the Bitterroot Valley of Western Montana and has finally had time to dedicate to her own landscape after running a nursery for decades. Her garden expertise has allowed her to craft a fantastic plant palette, which keeps on performing up to the first frost that covers her still-vibrant garden in shimmering ice.
I garden in the Bitterroot Valley of Western Montana. I owned a nursery for 30 years; I had access to many plants, but no time to garden. Now I’m retired and am enjoying gardening for myself. My yard is about an acre and a half that had been a horse pasture. My focus has been on planting for birds and pollinators, and planting big bands of color. I have a lot of space! Most annuals and perennials I start from seed. When I moved here four years ago, I hung up a bird feeder and waited a month for any birds to show up. Now there’s a diverse population of both migrant and resident birds. I took photos this morning of the first frost—the beginning of the end of the gardening season.
‘Benary’s Giant Purple’ zinnias (Zinnia elegans ‘Benary’s Giant Purple’, annual) are like mini fireworks in the garden, even more so when their petals are lined with ice.
A wider view of those purple zinnias, each flower a little explosion of color
Judy’s ‘Indian Summer’ black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta ‘Indian Summer’, Zones 3–7) was absolutely covered in flowers when this frost hit the garden.
‘Indian Summer’ black-eyed Susan in the foreground, Korean spiraea (Spiraea fritschiana, Zones 3–8) on the left, Klehm’s Improved Bechtel flowering crabapple (Malus ioensis ‘Klehm’s Improved Bechtel’, Zones 4–8) with the tree guard, and the Sapphire Mountains in the background
‘Karl Foerster’ grass (Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, Zones 5–9) with ‘Burning Hearts’ false sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra ‘Burning Hearts’, Zones 3–9), and the tree is ‘Brandywine’ crabapple (Malus ‘Branzam’, Zones 4–8).
Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, Zones 3–9)—it’s actually a cross of the straight species and ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ (Echinacea purpurea ‘Cheyenne Spirit’, Zones 4–9).
Fall pumpkins—Casper, Sanchez, Black Futsu, Large Marge, and Marina di’Chioggia
Benary’s Giant Salmon Rose zinnia (Zinnia elegans ‘Benary’s Giant Salmon Rose’, annual) as the morning sun starts to melt the frost away
Finally, a bold combination of ‘Rocket’ snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus ‘Rocket’, annual) and ‘Burning Hearts’ false sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra ‘Burning Hearts’, Zones 3–9): They defrost in the sun while still looking at their peak.
Thank you so much for this tour through your garden, Judy! The shimmer of frost on your flowers adds another layer of beauty, but I hope we also get a chance to see your designs during the peak of summer sun.
Has your garden experienced its first frost yet? As the growing season comes to an end for many northern gardeners, it’s time to reflect on this year’s highlights and lowlights. Be sure to send in your garden recap to the blog, as we can all use some vibrant garden moments when the cold months settle in. Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
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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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