Engaging, Enchanting and Evolving Home Garden

Annette Shrader visits a gardener who has a passion for plants, and a talent for landscaping projects. This residential garden grabs your attention at the front curb with tall spikes of dependable bloomers, carries us through the front yard with a mature living privacy fence bordering a water feature, plus a backyard with moss-covered paths winding through cohesive garden beds. There are vibrant blooms of pollinator-pleasing plants, dynamic foliage of potted aquatic plants, and a cozy retreat spot to take in the surrounding beauty. There’s also a bamboo trail. We’ll learn about this garden’s evolution, and the plant selections that make it all work.

Post author By NPT Editorial
Post date July 16, 2026

Plants Featured in this Clip

Hosta 'Coast to Coast'
Hosta 'June'
Hypericum prolificum (Shrubby St. John's wort)
Dryopteris ludoviciana (Southern wood fern)

Gardener Extras

Verbena bonariensis is a tender perennial, hardy in zones 7-11. It can grow to 5' tall x 3' wide. Blooms June until frost. Spreads by volunteer seedlings.
Japanese plum yew is known for its tolerance of heat, humidity, and shade. Cultivars are available in spreading, upright, and weeping forms.
In drought conditions, a moss lawn becomes dormant and turns brown, but doesn't die as it has the ability to absorb moisture from the air.
Firmiana simplex (Chinese parasol tree) grows quickly, is aggressive, and is a prolific seed producer. It features smooth, greenish bark year round, and has fragrant yellow green flowers in early summer.
Persicaria virginaina 'Lance Corporal' produces slender spikes of rose-pink to red flowers in late summer. It spreads by underground rhizomes, creating dense colonies.
Hydrangea serrata (mountain hydrangea) boasts lush growth and long-blooming summer flowers.
Rudbeckia laciniata (cutleaf coneflower) is a robust, low maintenance plant that thrives in moist soils and full to partial sun. It spreads aggressively via rhizomes. Dividing clumps will keep it controlled.

Annette Shrader

Born and raised on a farm, I’ve always appreciated the smell and feel of fresh earth. When we purchased our home 35 years ago, it had some land, but not a single flower. I began the process of plotting and planning garden beds and borders, and have not stopped. Looking out at this mature landscape, it gives me a sense of accomplishment here in my own botanical garden. On her producer role with Volunteer Gardener, Annette says “These are treasured experiences. The passion that people have for their gardens sends me home feeling refreshed, and challenged.