Hello gpoders!
You might think working for a gardening magazine is the equivalent of being paid to spending hours in your garden, documenting essential chores and taking endless photos of the beauty you are growing. Unfortunately, this is not often the case. Our home gardens are a great place to chase the challenges, experiments and the joys of individual gardens, but we often spend far more time in other people’s gardens (certainly, we can’t complain too much). This is the case of Jacques Coyer, a photographer and videographer of our company’s in-house garden.
Based in Des Moines, Iowa, Jack constantly travels around the country (and the globe) to photograph the stunning gardens in the most breathtaking ways. But between work trips and the time he spends behind compiling computer footage, Jack sometimes has time to explore his own plantings and catch his home garden with the same thoughtfulness and technique that he captures others very beautifully. Below is a spectacular photo sampling from one of the rare occasions of last month.
The focus of these photos is the flowers that buried Jack’s garden last month, but there are also plenty of gorgeous leaves to admire. The flowers of the “Burning Hearts” false sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoidesvar. Scabra ‘Burning Hearts’, Zones 3–9) are even more lively in contrast to the leaves of the dark “royal purple” smoke tree (Cotinus Coggygria ‘Royal Purple’, Zones 4–8).
Continuing this high-contrast color theme, Cannova® Bronze Scarlet Canna Lily (Canna×Generalis ‘Bronze Scarlet’, Zones 7–11) features bright fire engine red flowers and tropical leaves in delicious deep bronze.
It’s clear that Jack’s garden is full of hot hues as it transitions into summer. From these “Tuscan Sun” false sunflowers, bolder flowers arrive (Heliopsis helianthus “Tuscan Sun”, Zones 3-9).
If you’re looking for flowers that pack a hot, vibrant punch, then Luscious® Citrus Blend™ Lantana (Lantana Camara ‘Balandbi’, Zones 9–11, or annual) is always a great addition. Bright red, orange and yellow clusters make great companions for many other flowers in beds and containers.
A great example of lantana plants is the incredibly amazing butterfly weed (Asclepias Tuberosa, Zones 3–9), which creates beautiful and beneficial combinations.
An even more perfect garden moment photographed by Jack: layers of colour and texture become more attractive by the subtle glow of the sun. Light can become your best friend or great enemy when planting your garden. It’s no different when you try to take a photo. Jack’s years of experience make him know exactly how to make natural light work for him.
When the planting is missing something a little, containers are an easy way to easily bridge those garden gaps. Red, orange and yellow are the dominant colour palettes of Jack’s beds, but the trio of annual plants helps to tie together some of the other pink flowers scattered throughout.
As a garden photographer, it’s no surprise that high contrast plants are preferred in Jack’s garden. The dark leaves of this bright pink dahlia make the flowers appear to explode from my screen!
Finally, the close-up of this “Southern Charm” Verbascum (Verbascum ‘Southern Charm’, Zones 5-9) is absolutely spectacular. With only a few open flowers, it is impossible to imagine the beauty waiting for this spire, as it continues to spread its pink flower flowers.
We hope you all enjoy this collection of Jack’s gorgeous flower photos. I’ve always been blown away by his incredible photos and hopefully inspired to indulge in your inner garden photographer this week. If you have a little extra time in the morning or late afternoon, hang up the camera or phone and pretend you’re filming your garden for the spread of a glossy magazine. Have fun experimenting. You may get a whole new perspective on your planting. And once you’ve finished taking photos, consider sharing your favorite shots with photos from your garden that day! Follow the instructions below to send a photo by email or DM via Instagram: @girlherdogandtheroad.
We want to see your garden!
Do you have any photos to share? We want to see your garden, a collection of specific plants you love, or an amazing garden that you have had the opportunity to visit!
To send, send 5-10 photos (Email protection) With information about the plants in the photo and the location where the photos were taken. We want to hear where you are, the time you garden, the successes you are proud of, the mistakes you have learned, hopes for the future, your favorite plants, or interesting stories from your garden.
Do you have a mobile phone? Tag your photos with #finegardening on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!
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