Shao’s Garden · No. 11

Shao’s Garden

No. 11 · September 2026

This month7Plants25The plan9

Earlier months

SeptemberreadingAugust12July21June6May3
All back issues →

58 moments on record
4 of 25 in bloom

Sign in
ReadPlantsPlanSign in

Shao’s Garden · No. 04

August

1 moment · 1 day · 0 of 0 in bloom

SEPAUGJULJUNMAYJUNAPRAUGJULAUGJUL

August 30

One moment

1 MOMENT

About a month later—around late August—I went for a walk around the garden center just to browse, and I learned about adding winter interest and pops of color to the garden. I came across this really striking plant with white flowers. It blooms for quite a long time and stays evergreen over the winter without dying back completely, so when everything else dies back to the ground, these start blooming with tight erect spikes of tiny flowers. (I'm talking about the Heather / Calluna, by the way!). I picked up four or five of them to add along the front border, and even now, a few of them are still hanging on here and there looking good with their bright white blooms. I did notice that they really benefit from heavy pruning—it keeps the base from getting leggy and woody, helping them come back much more lush, dense, and full of flowers.

South West Garden

Shao’s Garden · No. 03

July

2 moments · 2 days · 0 of 0 in bloom

July 28

One moment

1 MOMENT

Finished planting the garden, putting down one Quick Fire hydrangea tree with its panicles aging from white to blush pink, two 'White Swan' coneflowers with white ray florets around greenish-yellow cones, and a few dwarf mounding groundcovers in the foreground. Also planted four Quick Fire Fab hydrangeas, which I propagated from the mother plant, and watered the bed thoroughly. Definitely a lot of hard work but it is gonna be worth it and I know it.

South West Garden

Shao’s Garden · No. 02

August

1 moment · 1 day · 0 of 0 in bloom

August 8

One moment

1 MOMENT

This is what it looks like before the transformation for the south west garden, with the lawn edged by a thick drift of tall ornamental grasses, lavender planted behind the bench, and a line of upright birch trees along the perimeter.

South West Garden
July · No. 01 →

July 21

One moment

1 MOMENT

Checking out the southwest garden and planning out what plants to replace the low mounding California lilac lining the mulched bed with its small green foliage. Thinking about putting some lilies and panicle hydrangeas here, like the white and deep pink blooms and the 'Quick Fire' panicles turning soft pink nearby. The garden design is inspired by Tracy's garden, a lady's garden who I found on YouTube in Ontario.

South West Garden