One of our favorite things about June is that the garden finally starts feeling like the vision we’ve been working toward all year.
The spring bulbs have finished their show, the shrubs are filling out, the roses are putting on incredible color, and the hydrangeas are finally joining the party.
Today we’re taking you through part 1 of our June garden tour, sharing what’s blooming, what’s exceeding expectations, what’s struggling, and a few changes we’re making along the way.
One thing we always like to emphasize is that this garden wasn’t built overnight. Many of these plants have been growing here since 2019, while others were planted just last fall. Seeing how everything matures over time is one of the best parts of gardening.
The stars of the front foundation are undoubtedly our Invincibelle Wee White® smooth hydrangeas.
Planted in full sun with drip irrigation back in 2019, these shrubs continue to impress us every year. One of our favorite things about them is their naturally compact habit—they almost look like tidy bouquets sitting right on top of the soil.
In front of them, we’ve planted Artist® Blue floss flower, which creates an incredibly clean blue edging that acts almost like a miniature hedge.
Behind that you’ll find:
The repetition of these shrubs throughout the landscape helps tie the entire front garden together.
One of the biggest successes this year came from something that surprises a lot of gardeners.
Last fall we coppiced our Blue Kazoo spirea—cutting it completely to the ground.
While that means sacrificing flowers for a season, the reward is incredibly bold, fresh foliage. Since we primarily grow this shrub for its colorful leaves rather than its blooms, it was absolutely worth it.
Sometimes rejuvenation pruning is exactly what a shrub needs.
Our Heritage River Birch continues to become one of our favorite trees in the garden.
The peeling bark develops beautiful pink and cinnamon tones that make it stand out year-round, but this season we also raised the canopy to make mowing easier—and the result has made the tree look even more elegant.
Underneath it we’ve kept the planting simple with:
It’s a reminder that sometimes a few well-chosen plants create a stronger design than dozens of different varieties.
As we move through the front beds, you’ll notice something we intentionally do over and over again.
Rather than using completely different plants in every section, we repeat favorites like:
Repeating plants throughout the landscape gives the eye places to rest and creates a much more cohesive design.
It’s one of the easiest professional landscaping tricks to borrow for your own garden.
One of the newest additions we’re especially excited about is our hedge of Let’s Dance® Sky View® hydrangeas.
These were planted last fall, and they’re already loaded with flower buds.
Bigleaf hydrangeas can sometimes be challenging in colder climates, so we’re thrilled to see how well they’re establishing despite a particularly harsh winter.
If they continue performing like this, we think they’ll become one of our favorite hydrangeas for Zone 6 gardens.
Not every update this year is a perfect one.
Our Gatsby Pink® oakleaf hydrangea experienced the lightest bloom we’ve ever seen.
Oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood, and this past winter caused more dieback than we’ve experienced before. Fortunately, the plants themselves remain healthy, and we’re hopeful they’ll rebound with a much bigger display next season.
Gardening is always a long game.
One combination we never get tired of is climbing roses paired with clematis.
This year our Teasing Georgia rose and Superba clematis are creating one of our favorite color combinations in the garden.
Elsewhere you’ll find:
Each brings its own unique color, fragrance, and bloom habit to different parts of the landscape.
The shade garden continues to mature beautifully.
Large hostas, Brunnera, coral bells, hellebores, bugbane, and Japanese maples create layers of texture that become even more striking as the season progresses.
One lesson we’ve learned over the years?
If you want giant hostas, leave them alone.
Rather than dividing them every few years, allowing mature clumps to stay in place—and giving them consistent moisture—can make an enormous difference.
If we had to choose one smooth hydrangea to recommend, it would probably be Invincibelle Sublime®.
Its rich lime-green blooms stay attractive for months, the stems are incredibly sturdy, and it fits beautifully into mixed borders.
What makes it even more impressive is how quickly it matures.
Many of ours started as tiny quart-sized plants only a few years ago and have become substantial shrubs.
One thing we always want these garden tours to be is realistic.
Not everything is perfect.
Some plants need deadheading.
Others need to be cut back.
A few have struggled after the winter.
We’re constantly experimenting, moving plants, dividing perennials, and learning what works best in each location.
That’s gardening.
The goal isn’t perfection—it’s creating a garden that evolves and improves every season.
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