Curiosity often leads to unexpected discoveries, and a recent dive into the digital archives of Fine Gardening offered a delightful look back at the humble beginnings of one of the publication’s most popular daily features. Long before readers grew accustomed to scrolling through sprawling multi-image galleries, the Garden Photo of the Day—affectionately known to followers as GPOD—started out as a very different kind of digital daily ritual. Launched in January 2010 and originally spearheaded by former editor Michelle Gervais, the concept was straightforward and true to its name: one single, striking garden photograph delivered every weekday, accompanied by a brief, informative caption or story.
Back in its infancy, the daily post offered a concise window into horticultural wonders from around the country. The very inaugural post set the tone for what the feature would become, describing it as a daily look at "a great garden, a spectacular plant, a stunning plant combination, or any number of other subjects." Over the years, the format has evolved significantly to meet the changing habits of digital readers. Today, a single GPOD feature frequently showcases up to ten carefully curated photographs, giving enthusiasts a much more comprehensive view of a single space, designer’s vision, or seasonal collection. Reflecting on this evolution prompted a fun archival experiment: gathering the very first ten photographs that kicked off the series more than a decade ago and presenting them together to see how far the feature has come while honoring its roots.
The journey into the archives begins precisely where the series started in January 2010 with a lush, thoughtfully designed landscape in Oakland, California. Captured by Michelle Gervais, the photograph highlights a garden designed by Tom Nelson and Randy Bolin, setting an exceptionally high bar for the visual quality that would define the series for years to come. That opening snapshot demonstrated an early commitment to showcasing innovative west coast design, rich textures, and sophisticated planting schemes that immediately resonated with gardening enthusiasts looking for inspiration beyond their own regional boundaries.
Moving away from the sprawling greenery of the West Coast, the archival retrospective quickly transports readers across the country to a private courtyard nestled in the historic heart of Charleston, South Carolina. Also photographed by Gervais, this urban sanctuary successfully bridged the gap between casual charm and formal elegance. Featuring a tranquil reflecting pool, a central fountain, classic boxwood hedges, and soaring palm trees, the space proved that remarkable garden design is entirely achievable in compact urban environments given the right tools, vision, and patience.
The early iterations of GPOD also routinely highlighted how non-plant elements could radically transform a landscape. One memorable archival post turned the spotlight on the creative use of hardscape, demonstrating that vibrant color does not have to come exclusively from blooms. In that particular garden, a collection of brightly colored, flower-shaped chairs—including bold shades of red and blue—introduced an extra layer of visual pop and personality to the surrounding perennial beds, proving that garden art and functional furniture can work in tandem to maintain year-round interest.
Plant profiles have always formed the backbone of Fine Gardening, and the early days of the feature were no exception. Among the initial batch of daily highlights was the flamboyant Cuphea llavea ‘Flamenco Samba’, commonly known as the bat-faced cuphea. Thriving as a tender perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 through 12, this unique plant quickly established itself as a true summer container superstar thanks to its striking red flowers and deep purple foliage. Archived entries like this one often directed curious readers toward deeper botanical resources, such as the publication’s comprehensive online plant guide, ensuring that aesthetic appreciation was always paired with practical horticultural education.
Returning once more to the Oakland garden designed by Tom Nelson and Randy Bolin, another early GPOD post celebrated the art of the garden vignette. The featured image proved that carefully curated corners can be just as compelling as sweeping vistas, bringing together earthenware pots and a matching metal panel in harmonious, earthy hues. Surrounded by an array of textural plants, the composition was elevated by delightful whimsy, including a small, half-hidden face sculpture peeking out from the foliage as a subtle, charming surprise for observant visitors.
Not all garden triumphs begin with pristine materials, as demonstrated by a clever and sustainable idea featured from the West Tennessee Research and Education Center in Jackson, Tennessee. When a beloved tree or shrub reaches the end of its natural life, gardeners often face the difficult task of removal. The horticulturists at the Tennessee facility offered a creative alternative: before cutting down a dead tree, coat it in vibrant paint to give it a second act as a stunning, sculptural focal point for the landscape for another season or two.
Container gardening also received ample attention during the launch month of GPOD, highlighted by a charming combination captured at the Toledo Botanical Garden in Toledo, Ohio. The display paired variegated society garlic, known scientifically as Tulbaghia violacea ‘Variegata’ and hardy in Zones 7 through 10, alongside purple garden sage, or Salvia officinalis ‘Purpurascens’, which thrives in Zones 4 through 10. Together, these herbs created a resilient, visually captivating container arrangement that proved edible and ornamental plantings can easily share the stage.
Public gardens have consistently served as a wellspring of design inspiration for the series, a tradition reflected in a serene view from Chanticleer, a renowned public garden located in Wayne, Pennsylvania. The photograph captured the powerful design effect of water reflections. By utilizing a still surface, the garden design effectively doubled the visual impact of the surrounding architecture, sky, and plant life, creating a dynamic, ever-changing experience for anyone strolling along its pathways.
The archival journey also embraced the unusual and the prehistoric, stopping briefly in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park to showcase giant horsetail, or Equisetum giganteum. Native to South and Central America and suited for Zones 8 through 10, this moisture-loving plant features striking, jointed green stems and stacked whorls of branchlets. Its ancient aesthetic is so distinct that visitors might half expect a prehistoric creature to swoop overhead, though its vigorous spreading habit in warmer climates demands careful containment by savvy gardeners.
Rounding out the initial ten posts was a vibrant clematis combination designed by Eve Thyrum in Wilmington, Delaware. The vignette demonstrated the brilliant visual impact that can be achieved by pairing two contrasting clematis varieties together, resulting in an explosion of mixed forms and complementary colors. To elevate the arrangement further, iridescent floating garden ornaments were woven into the display, echoing and intensifying the natural hues of the flowering vines.
Reflecting on these foundational posts offers a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of digital garden media. While modern installments of the feature often embrace a broader narrative style by exploring up to ten images at once to tell a more complete story of a gardener’s dedication and hard work, the core mission remains unchanged. The enduring appeal of sharing daily glimpses into private sanctuaries, public masterworks, and botanical curiosities continues to connect a passionate community of growers from all corners of the globe.
