“I started this banana pepper plant indoors from seed in April and placed the little seedling in a pot on our sunny back patio in June,” Holly Camerota of Waterford told The Times. “Unfortunately, Ms. Jane Doe visited the Camerota salad bar and chomped off a good part of the plant. Undaunted, I finally placed the pot on our sunny upper deck, away from marauders, and since it has produced one lovely little banana pepper. I call it my Charlie Brown pepper plant!”

Darlene Oldakowski of Gales Ferry shared this picture of a swallowtail butterfly enjoying her flowers.

Katy Perry’s Groton garden grew peppers, tomatoes, basil and enough zucchini to make a lasagna.

John Heckman’s flower garden in Old Lyme includes black-eyed Susans, cardinal flowers, Indian paintbrush and phlox.

Sue Joffray of Old Lyme submitted this picture of a large clematis bloom in her garden.

Bruce Silvestri of Waterford shared this picture of a sunflower towering over the rest of the garden.

The Bouchard family of Waterford builds a small garden by their birdhouses to bring visitors to the garden.