06/13/2026
Ample rain and warm nights have the garden tripping over itself right now. These photos from last week already feel untimely, but of course the Echinacea paradoxa (yellow coneflower) and its associates are still going full throttle into June. The heat has finished off most of the penstemon. Next week promises a return to more seasonable temperatures and hopefully a better mood for working in the garden.
The daily rhythm of observation, noticing, and taking action when needed adds up to a gardener's education. It deepens my judgment about plants in design. This small-bore phenology can produce dramatic results when scaling up a large planting design or a certain sophistication in a smaller space where every detail matters. What blooms when? What follows it in procession? Sometimes the most intriguing combinations happen as one species' departure holds the door for another's entry.
ABOUT: Kelly D. Norris is an award-winning plantsman and author based at Three Oaks Garden in Des Moines, Iowa. His studio explores the intersections of people, plants, and place through ecological, site-specific design and art. Kelly’s garden work has been featured in The New York Times, Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, Fine Gardening, Garden Design, and in numerous television, radio, and digital media appearances. His latest book Your Natural Garden debuted in 2025 from Cool Springs Press. Kelly and his team specialize in creating diverse and dynamic gardens that reimagine places for consilient encounters with the natural world. For more information or to discuss a possible commission, please contact via the link in the bio!
