Gardening Up North

Making a garden on the shores of Lake Michigan

Today we ’re visiting Chris Cloutier ’s garden in northerly Michigan .

I have been gardening for almost 50 years . I started withindoor plant — lots and lots of them in a very small studio apartment apartment in business district Detroit . Then I make a motion into a domicile built in 1948 just outside of Detroit with a G that was totally unkempt . I was very much a beginner but was so lucky to have the darkest , rich soil that I have ever had . Everything , include corn , grew surprisingly . Then , after seven years , we moved again into a new subsection that had been an apple woodlet , but the land was completely stripped . I had self-colored , stinky , stickyclay . I usedraised bed , made wads ofcompost , and did everything I could believe of to enrich the world . I had a endearing English - type garden and learned over time what could boom in clay and what could n’t . After 32 years we left the clay and moved to the Leelanau Peninsula , just outside of Traverse City . We bought another home where perfectly no horticulture had ever been done . The house is surrounded by Lake Michigan sand dunes filled with wild raspberries that were about to take over the house . Besides pure George Sand , I also garden in denseshadewith only some morning sun . But I ’ve been gardening here for 11 eld , and despite still pulling a few raspberries every give , and having a couple of slips down the sandy hill , I have a beautiful , peaceful garden .

A hugebigleaf hydrangea(Hydrangeamacrophylla , Zones 5–10 ) is loaded down with beautifulblue flower .

That colour is just unbelievable .

In a shady corner , a field goal of impatiens ( Impatienswalleriana , one-year ) union somehostas(Hostahybrids , Zones 3–9 ) .

At the border of the timberland , fly high in the sandy grunge , is a mix ofannualsand perennials in quick shades ofredand jaundiced .

A mixture of differentferns , with the silver frond ofJapanese painted fern(Athyriumniponicumvar.pictum , Zones 3–8 ) taking center stage .

A hanging basket of New Guinea impatiens ( Impatienshawkeri , yearly ) brings a daddy of vivid blood-red color next to the bleak - eyed Susans ( Rudbeckiafulgida , Zones 3–10 ) .

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 !

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