Hi GPODers!

You may think that working for a gardening magazine is the equivalent of being paid to spend hours in your garden, documenting essential chores and taking endless photos of the beauty you’re cultivating. Unfortunately, this often isn’t the case. While our home gardens are a great place for trialing, experimenting, and chasing personal garden joys, we often spend far more hours in the gardens of others (admittedly, not something we can complain too much about). This is exactly the case for Jack Coyier, our in-house garden photographer and videographer.

Jack, based in Des Moines, Iowa, is constantly traveling across the country (and globe) to capture stunning gardens in the most breathtaking ways. But between work trips and the hours he spends behind a computer editing footage, Jack occasionally has time to explore his own plantings and capture his home garden with the same thoughtfulness and technique with which he so masterfully captures others. Below is a sampling of stunning photos from one of those rare occasions last month.

The focus of these photos is the flowers that were filling Jack’s garden last month, but there is also plenty of gorgeous foliage to admire. ‘Burning Hearts’ false sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides our. rusty ‘Burning Hearts’, Zones 3–9) blooms are made even more vibrant when contrasted with the dark ‘Royal Purple’ smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’, Zones 4–8) leaves in the background.

Continuing with this high-contrast color theme, Cannova^® Bronze Scarlet canna lily (Canna × general ‘Bronze Scarlet’, Zones 7–11) has bright fire-engine red blooms and tropical foliage in a delectable deep bronze.

It’s clear that Jack’s garden is full of hot shades as it transitions to summer. More bold blooms come from these ‘Tuscan Sun’ false sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoides ‘Tuscan Sun’, Zones 3–9).

If you’re looking for flowers that will pack a hot, vibrant punch, Luscious^® Citrus Blend™ lantana (Lantana camara ‘Balandusbi’, Zones 9–11 or as an annual) will always be an excellent addition. Clusters of bright reds, oranges, and yellows make them great companions for a multitude of other flowers in beds and containers.

A great example of a plant lantana would pair with wonderfully is the always-amazing butterfly weed (Iste tuberousZones 3–9), creating a combination that is both beautiful and beneficial.

Yet another perfect garden moment captured by Jack: Layers of colors and textures are made that much more captivating by the subtle glow of the sun. Light can be your best friend or greatest enemy when planting a garden, and it’s no different when you’re trying to photograph one. With Jack’s years of experience, he knows exactly how to make natural light work for him.

When your plantings are missing a little something, a container is an easy way to bridge those garden gaps. Red, orange, and yellow is the dominant color palette in Jack’s beds, but a trio of annuals helps tie in some of the other pink blooms that are scattered throughout.

As a garden photographer, it’s no surprise that plants with high contrast are favored in Jack’s garden. The dark foliage on this bright pink dahlia makes it look like the blooms are going to burst right through my screen!

Lastly, this close-up of ‘Southern Charm’ verbascum (Verbascum ‘Southern Charm’, Zones 5–9) is absolutely magnificent. With just a few flowers open, I can’t imagine the beauty that awaits as this spire continues to unfurl its peachy-pink blooms.

I hope you all enjoyed this gorgeous collection of flower photos from Jack! I’m always blown away by his incredible photography, and hope you feel inspired to indulge your inner garden photographer this week. If you have a little extra time in the morning or late afternoon, break out your camera or phone and pretend you’re photographing your garden for a glossy magazine spread. Have fun and experiment—you might get a whole new perspective on your plantings. And when the photo shoot is over, consider sharing your favorite shots with Garden Photo of the Day! Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.

We want to see YOUR garden!

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!

To submit, send 5–10 photos to (email protected) along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter with #FineGardening!

Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Pruning Simplified: A Step-by-Step Guide to 50 Popular Trees and Shrubs

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Pruning Simplified shows you exactly how to do it. This must-have guide offers expert advice on the best tools for the job, specific details on when to prune, and clear instructions on how to prune. Profiles of the 50 most popular trees and shrubs—including azaleas, camellias, clematis, hydrangeas, and more—include illustrated, easy-to-follow instructions that will ensure you make the right cut the first time.

Lee Valley Mini Garden Shear Set

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

These shears have a distinctive finger rest that not only aids grip but allows greater freedom of movement than a conventional handle design. They have a durable powder-coat finish to resist rust and wear, and a simple clasp that locks the spring-action stainless-steel blades closed. The set includes one pair of round-nose shears measuring 5 1/2″ overall with 1″ blades for cutting stems up to 3/8″ in diameter, and one pair of 6 1/2″ needle-nose shears with 2″ fine-tip blades for precise work.

A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

MULTITASKING DUAL EDGES: a deep serrated edge and a tapered slicing edge ideal for tough or delicate cuts. DURABLE 6-inch stainless steel blade withstands 300 lbs of pressure. TWINE CUTTING NOTCH, DEPTH GAUGE MARKINGS & spear point – no need to switch tools when using this garden knife. LEATHER SHEATH: heavy duty, protective, clip on sheath to keep your knife convenient and secure. LIFETIME WARRANTY.