Thanks for all of you who have tried to follow the constantly changing schedule for when “A Gardener’s Diary” airs on HGTV. I am sorry to report that it appears it is now on hiatus. On there site it says to be continued… when is the question.
Until then, happy gardening!
It’s late November and I just returned from a visit with garden designer Louise Poer in her extraordinary courtyard . Rich in every season with color, texture and form, this long, narrow garden is only 15’ x 50’. Louise has taken maximum advantage of her limited space and created an elegant oasis. My first visit to this gem was eight years ago(at that time the garden was six years old) and it only takes me a minute to realize that since that time Louise has been busy. While the dimensions are the same, (a rectangle) defined by wooden fences on either side, a 10’ tall concrete wall along the back of the property and the brick house opposite the wall, the garden has changed and aged with style and grace. What strikes me as I look around is the sense that the garden seems much larger than it actually is. One of the techniques Louise uses is to have lots of plants in containers of different sizes and heights as well as plants in the ground. Her palette includes many colors but white and green in its many shades is the major player in this year around production. Boxwoods work well and for contrast she uses cast iron plant, Aspidistra elatior, with wide linear blades of foliage. Although evergreen foliage provides the largest amount of color, other plants include hydrangeas, camellias, Rosa ‘New Dawn,’ trained up against the house and Rosa ‘Zephrine Drouhin, ’ a thornless selection with fragrant cerise pink flowers. In spring masses of perennials like phlox, Kalimeris pinnatifida and Astilbe abound.
Courtyard garden with palm
Louise says that she loves whimsy in the garden and this is evident with the topiary bear, bird and other creatures shaped out of boxwood or; the Carex ‘Evergold’ planted at the bottom of a topiary boxwood which makes me think of a beard. Mature conifers and camellias as well as other plants that have been limbed up over the years, provide additional height.
One of the challenges of gardening in a small space is air circulation or lack of it. To remedy this Louise prunes all the trees and shrubs hard at least once a year. This also gives her more room to group plants of different sizes, tucking smaller plants under larger ones. This layered look adds a richness to the overall space. Personal touches like her collection of statues add structure and are fun to discover as you stroll through the garden. The more you look around the more you will see, whether it’s a rooster or a small stone squirrel resting under a boxwood. Other additions include two waist high brick pillars at one end of the garden which support a wooden gate painted a soft shade of turquoise. An oversized palm in a large pot creates a focal point in the center of a brick path. Not surprisingly there are vines for vertical spaces too, including Confederate jasmine and the evergreen Clematis armandii. A small fountain surrounded by plants provides the welcome element of water. The recent addition of a garden room with walls of windows off the back of the house means that they can spend even more time in the garden.
a place to relax in the garden
What I took away from my visit with Louise is bigger is not always better and that with a bit of imagination, planning and lots of work, even the smallest garden can offer year around beauty.
Variegated Boxwood standard
Erica’s Pick
Variegated Boxwood
Botanical name: Buxus sempervirens ‘Aureo-Marginata,’ Buxus sempervirens ‘Marginata’
Buxus microphylla ‘Golden Dream’
About the plant: Variegated boxwoods both American and little leaf are versatile evergreen landscape plants. Some have gold and green variegation and others have green and white leaves.
Use in the garden: Great for containers, hedges or topiary.
Planting and care: Boxwoods thrive in a moist, well-drained soil. Plant them in full sun or part shade.
Sources: Ashe-Simpson Garden Center, 4961 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30341, 770-458-3224, GardenHood, 353 Boulevard SE, Atlanta, GA 30312, 404-880-9848, Land Arts, 809 North Broad St., (Hwy ll at 78), Monroe, GA 30656, 770-267-4500
A Gardener’s Diary is now on Friday mornings at 7am EST on HGTV. They like to keep you guessing. Thanks for watching!
It’s mid November and fall color is peaking. In my own garden the stars of the day are the coralbark maple, Acer palmatum ‘Sangu Kaku’ and Arkansas bluestar, Amsonia hubrichtii, both golden beacons that sparkle even on rainy days. There are many plants that put on a show in fall and winter, and in Georgia fall is a good time to add plants to your garden.
While I have my favorites I decided to take a poll and hear from some fellow plant lovers at local nurseries about their favorites. I asked them to recommend trees, shrubs and perennials, not necessarily in that order. Here’s what they had to say:
Rosemary Bathurst, Ashe-Simpson
Amsonia hubrichtii – a hardy perennial with great fall color and form. The airy shapes bend to the wind. She trims hers back by 1/3 to half after it flowers in spring to keep it small.
Aster frikartii ‘Monch’- one of the latest blooming and the clear blue flowers work so well with Amsonia as well as the fall garden daisies like the Ryan series.
Crocus sativus- this charming bulb with light lilac purple blooms is unexpected at this time of year. Site it in a location that is easy to access so you can harvest the saffron threads.
Eupatorium coelestinum- Rosemary admits that this plant can grow even where you don’t want it but the lilac blooms make up for this bad habit. In fact it seems to thrive on neglect and shows up in gardens long after they have been abandoned.
Ginkgo biloba – brilliant yellow leaves and the fact that they drop all at once. She says that in one town in Wisconsin they have a betting pool that you enter by picking the date and time that the tree in the town square will drop its leaves. The tree can be precise to the hour!
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Pee Wee’ –very dark burgundy fall leaf color and bark interest in winter. She also likes its size, smaller than the species growing to about 4’ tall.
Justin Branton, Habersham Gardens
Chionanthus retusus, Chinese fringe tree-although this tree is known for its spring blooms it also displays handsome bark which he appreciates in winter.
Sedum sieboldii ‘October Daphne’-gray green foliage and deep pink flowers
Vaccinium darrowii-also known as evergreen blueberry, tiny evergreen leaves, it grows 1 to 4’tall and makes a great plant for edging or containers.
Itea virginica 'Merlot'
Melodie McDanal and David McMullin, GardenHood
Itea virginica ‘Merlot’-a compact selection of the native Virginia sweetspire with red and burgundy fall foliage.
Juniperus communis ‘Gold Cone’-an upright conifer with golden new growth, turns bluish-green in winter. Grow it in full sun for best color. Tolerates drought.
Lespedeza liukiuensis ‘Little Volcano’- also known as Little Volcano bush clover is covered with masses of red purple flowers that last until late October. It grows 4 to 6’ tall and is beautiful as it moves with the breeze.
Oxydendrum arboreum
Oxydendrum arboreum-called sourwood, this native tree is one of the first to exhibit brilliant red fall foliage that persists late into the season.
Viburnum tinus 'Spring Bouquet'
Viburnum tinus ‘Spring Bouquet’-is an evergreen viburnum with dark green foliage, deep red stems and flowers in very early spring. It grows 5 to 6’ tall, perfect for small hedges or screening.
Dianna Allstadt, Scottsdale Farms
Cupressus arizonica ‘Blue Ice’-this conifer has fragrant branches she loves to use in arrangements and for wreaths and garlands. A great color in the winter garden.
Lonicera nitida ‘Baggesen’s Gold’- great for containers. The foliage takes on purple tints in winter.
Pyracantha ‘Victory’-the brilliant red berries that persist into winter.
Symphoricarpos x doorenbosii Amethyst-this coralberry has vivid purple hot pink berries that stay on after the shrub drops its foliage.
Acer palmatum 'Sangu Kaku'
Sources: call ahead for hours of operation
Ashe-Simpson Garden Center
4961 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30341, 770-458-3224
GardenHood
353 Boulevard SE, Atlanta, GA 30312, 404-880-9848
Habersham Gardens
2067 Manchester St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30324, 404-873-2484
Scottsdale Farms
15639 Birmingham Hwy,(Hwy 372), Alpharetta, GA 30004
770-777-5875
Saturday, November 14, 2009 from 10am-3pm Join expert Jim Pruckler of the North Georgia Camellia Society at Ashe-Simpson Garden Center, 4961 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Atlanta GA 30341, 770-458-3224 . Great varieties offered for sale.
Camellia sasanqua October Magic Orchid
