The Elkins Park home of Rich and Angela McCracken backs onto a lush garden that took the pair years to cultivate, writes Sally A. Downey for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The garden is filled with a plethora of wildflowers, including blue hydrangeas, orange and yellow daylilies, and purple catmint. The posies follow stone steps that lead to a gravel patio encircled by a rock garden. From there on, tall trees abound.

Rich opted not to plant grass in his backyard. Instead, he chose a variety of perennials, such as white Asiatic lilies, Joe Pye Weed, pink coneflowers, black-eyed Susan, and winterberry, among a dazzling array of others.

He also placed an abstract metal sculpture in the center of the garden.

His garden has become a regular spot for birds and bees throughout the year.

Angela said that while she helped plant a dogwood in memory of a cousin, “it’s Rich’s garden.”

The couple’s proximity to the woods has also caused some issues, with many deer munching on their plants. To prevent some of the damage, Rich constructed a rustic stick fence and moved the tomatoes from the garden to his front yard.

Read more about the Elkins Park garden in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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