Welcome to

Susan's Wild Garden

A backyard bursting with dahlias, zinnias, sunflowers and cosmos, and a journal of everything growing in it.

Pull up a chair. This is where I keep notes, photos, and the occasional garden mishap from one small and very colorful yard.

In the garden

Beds, blooms & projects

Crimson pompons, peach singles, and white dinner plates — the heart of the late-summer garden.

Easy, cheerful, and endlessly cuttable. How the zinnia bed comes together each year.

Cosmos, sunflowers, and lantana chosen with the bees and butterflies in mind.

Some flowers look their best by porch light. A collection of evening and night-time photos.

Visiting the Fairy Garden?

Neighbors and young gardeners are welcome to take a small cutting home. Here's how to do it kindly and help it grow.

From the journal

The white cosmos practically glow after dark. A few late-evening photos from the front bed before the first frost.

The big white dinner-plate dahlias finally opened, and they were worth every bit of the wait.

Orange, coral, and red — the sunniest corner of the garden has turned into a little bonfire of color.

The burgundy sunflowers are towering over the fence this year, and the bees have found every single one.

Gallery