This Year in Marilyn’s Garden

We’re visiting with Marilyn Regnier today. We’ve visited her garden before (Marilyn’s Missouri-Inspired Garden in Minnesota), and today she’s joining in the fun of looking back and sharing the highlights of her 2023 gardening season.

I garden in Minnetonka Beach, Minnesota, Zone 4, and every spring I make a trip to the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market to purchase most of my annual plants.

This 2023 spring color combination is ready for planting.

The rose pink geraniums (Pelargonium hybrid, Zones 9–11 or as an annual), yellow lantana (Lantana camara, Zones 8–11 or as an annual), and moss roses (Portulaca grandiflora, annual) flourished.

Dahlias (Dahlia variabilis,Zones 8–11 or as a tender bulb), pentas (Pentas lanceolata,Zones 10–11 or as an annual), and petunias (Petunia ‘Tidal Wave Silver’, Zone 9–11 or as an annual)

I brought some of my peonies (Paeoniahybrids, Zones 3–8) into the house, the white one with red splashes (‘Festiva Maxima’) being the oldest and most fragrant.

Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum‘Rubrum’, Zones 9–11 or as an annual) and creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia‘Aurea’, Zones 3–9) add height and flowing spillage to this tall pot.

A chartreuse sedum, purple heliotrope (Heliotrope arborescens,Zones 10–11 or as an annual), and ‘Butterfly’ marguerite daisies (Argyranthemum frutescens ‘Butterfly’, Zones 10–11 or as an annual) complete this bed.

My gardening frog “Leonard” always carries a small pot full of petunias.

This final image of the season includes Hydrangea ‘Endless Summer’ (Zones 5–9) blooms.

I hope you liked my 2023 gardening season. I enjoyed the color combination so much I might have to plant it again.

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of