One June 5, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival in Douglasville, Georgia.  My topic was “Designing A Garden For Four Seasons.”  The audience was enthusiastic and I enjoyed the event but the highlight for me was when Susanne Hudson showed me the garden house (I’m not sure what she calls it) that she and Tara Dillard had designed together.  The talented builder was Ken Spencer.   I was impressed by his attention to detail and the fact that he used salvage materials for the project (except for the roof).  This inviting structure made me want to get my favorite book of the moment and stretch out on the bed and read.

Creating outdoor rooms is something that Susanne knows about.  When I first visited her garden years ago, she had created an outdoor living room with salvaged windows from a church.  Years later it looks as if it has always been there.  Boxwoods and hydrangeas look lush on this June visit and visitors are lounging on the glider.  She also has an outdoor dining room complete with an electric chandelier that works.

In my own garden I have a small gravel area with chairs next to a water garden but I love the idea of a garden house.  Now if only I can find someone to build it.  Until then I will enjoy my summer blooms including daisies, ‘Casa Blanca’ lilies, coneflowers and later hydrangeas and big plants like Silphium perfoliatum , called the cup plant it grows to 6’ or taller.  Other favorites include Hemerocallis ‘Autumn Minaret’ which also grows to heights of 6’ and offers fragrant yellow flowers with a dark peach center. 

It’s too hot to plant but there is plenty of weeding and mulching to keep me busy.

Well, maybe I’ll add some more annuals.  You can never have too many plants.

I admit that if you ask me what my favorite plant is, it depends on the season and what’s in bloom.  That said it’s hard not to be excited by roses in May.  Blooming in my garden right now are four different roses including  Rosa ‘Zephirine Drouhin.’

As Kathy Jentz, publisher of Washington Gardener magazine (DC and surrounding areas) www.washingtongardener.com

stated recently “ thornless, blooms in shade, great fragrance, what’s not to love,” and I would also add that  it produces masses of cerise pink flowers.  A point worth noting is that last year many of  the flower buds on my ‘Zephirine Drouhin” were destroyed by a green caterpillar chewing into them.  This year I was ready.  Once the flower buds were swelling and showing color I  inspected the plant and sure enough the green worms were back.  Although I  avoid using pesticides in my garden (one dog and one 8 year old, need I say more) on occasion I resort to using organic pest controls like  Bacillus thuringiensis commonly known as Bt.  Bt is a naturally occurring bacterial disease of insects.  By spraying (mix it with water according to the directions) the leaves (both the tops and undersides) as well as the buds, it will kill the chewing caterpillars when they ingest it.  This insecticide is considered safe for people and wildlife and is also used on food crops. 

The bottom line is that it works as exhibited by all the flowers my rose has produced this year.  It also helps that we have had plenty of moisture and I am fertilizing with organic chicken poop.  Roses are heavy feeders but most years I don’t fertilize as often as I should.  I will try to do better this year.   

I select roses for my garden that are tough and for the most part undemanding. In talking with some of my fellow gardening friends we all agree that so far this has been a great year for roses. 

David McMullin of GardenHood says some of his favorites this year include R. ‘Climbing Pinkie,’ with gorgeous deep pink flowers, R. ‘Cecile Brunner,’ R. ‘Darlow’s Enigma,’ an upright tidy shrub with yellow buds opening white, R. ‘Altissima,’ a climber with single deep red flowers and R. chinensis mutabilis also known as the butterfly rose with single blooms in shades of yellow, pink and orange. 

Garden Designer Caroline Riggins says she is excited by roses but stresses that she is a  no spray gardener.  She too grows the roses I mentioned and also likes R. ‘Climbing Pinkie’ and  R. ‘Climbing Old Blush.’

Paula Refi who is also a garden designer says that she is not a big rose grower and that she currently has 7 or 8 bulletproof roses.  Her top five are

R. ‘Buttered Popcorn,’ a white polyantha, R. ‘Baby Love,’ a single yellow polyantha she grows with Clematis ‘Arabella,’ R. ‘Perle d’ Or,’ R. chinensis mutabilis and R. ‘Nearly Wild.’ 

If you aren’t already growing roses, the ones listed here are satisfying and for the most part easy to grow provided they have plenty of sun (6-8 hours of direct sun is ideal), moisture and fertilizer.

I have been enjoying my garden this spring, and every day brings new foliage, flowers  and the promise of more to follow.  The main attraction right now is  Viburnum macrocephalum.  This Chinese snowball viburnum is an example of how resilient plants are.  A friend who is also a garden designer gave me this large shrub a few years ago as a housewarming gift. 

 He had his crew deliver and plant it with a tree spade.  However, due  to the drought it  struggled along until this spring when it exploded into bloom.  I guess it was just waiting for the rain we had last fall and winter.  Other  key players in April  include Heuchera ‘Caramel’ which  looks good with its companions Acer palmatum ‘Sangu Kaku,’ the coral bark maple, a smoke tree and a clump of fennel. (sounds like a menu selection at a restaurant)  Heuchera ‘Citronelle’ and Euphorbia wulfenii  add welcome brightness with their chartreuse foliage and flowers.  Another combination that pleases is Amsonia hubrichtii; also known as Arkansas bluestar, a plant that  always makes the cut if I am forced to name 10 perennials I can’t live without,  and Heuchera ‘Mocha.’ The large dark foliage of this coralbells provides the perfect contrast for the willowy leaves of Amsonia and its blue flowers which are just beginning to show color.  I only grow a few clematis, although I am always trying new selections, and the first to bloom this year  is Clematis ‘Miss Bateman,’ with rounded white flowers.  It is described as a large flowered early blooming type.  I purchased it at a big box store (I shop everywhere for plants)  while it was in bloom last year so I am especially happy to see that it overwintered and is thriving. 

 I have ‘Miss Bateman’ planted at the base of Rosa ‘Zephirine Drouhin’ which I have trained to grow up a trellis.  This rose which is virtually thornless continues to be a favorite of mine with its cerise blooms and delicious scent.  It too is just beginning to show color.  Planted in front of it are two big clumps of Baptisia ‘Carolina Moonlight.’ A strong grower,  the asparagus looking buds will open soon to soft yellow spikes of flowers.   

This is just a sampling of some of my favorites and is subject to change.  I am also trying a new fertilizer for my garden called GEO 4-2-3 Organic Fertilizer (visit their website to find out more http://think-geo.com ) which is derived from processed poultry litter.  I’ll keep you posted on my thoughts and observations regarding its benefits.

   Now is the perfect time to visit gardens with your pen, paper and camera.  Then head to your local garden center and bring home some color.  Below is a list of garden centers and nurseries with great offerings.

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

McMahan’s Nursery, 5727 Cleveland Hwy., Clermont, GA 30527-770-983-3666

Scottsdale Farms, 15639 Birminham Hwy, (Hwy 372), Appharetta, GA 30004-770-777-5875

call for hours of operation or visit their websites

I visited the Atlanta Botanical Garden in late March  and headed straight to the woodland garden.  On the way in I encountered a carpet of the daffodils,

Daffodils, Scilla and Puschkinia

Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’ planted in combination with Puschkinia scilliodes var. libanotica and Scilla siberica.  These perennial bulbs are easy to grow and  a delight in early spring.  Great for the woodland or the edges of borders, they also naturalize easily.  In another area of the garden I was delighted to see the spring ephemeral cutleaf toothwort, Cardamine concatenata,  formerly known as Dentaria laciniata (a name I prefer).  This native wildflower not only attracts butterflies but I just read that it  is consumed by the white-footed mouse.   Last year George Sanko, Director of the Native Plant Botanical Garden at Georgia Perimeter College, the Decatur campus gave me a good definition for a spring ephemeral.   As George puts it,  these plants are “living in the fast lane.”   Because they need sun to grow, they come up in early spring and go through their sexual life cycle and then die back before the deciduous canopy puts out its new leaves.  Mission accomplished, they remain dormant until next spring.  In many cases it’s as if the plants have disappeared (no top growth is visible)  even though the roots are storing up sugars for a performance next year.  To keep track of where spring ephemerals are growing  in your garden, George recommends that you combine them with ferns.  The ferns act as a marker and then they provide a transition to summer.    Other spring ephemerals that I spotted included  Mayapples, Podophyllum peltatum  and   Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis.  Patches of  the exotic  Primula veris ranged in color from the typical soft yellow to red and shades of pink. 

Shrubs like Corylopsis species and the striking Stachyurus praecox   ‘Rubriflora’ were also in full bloom and added to this spring scene. 

In another garden in my neighborhood I discovered a big patch of trout lilies, Erythronium americanum.  According to some the leaves look like a trout but I find the flowers to be charming. 

These are just a few of the delights that let us know that spring is really here.

Each day brings more blooms and new discoveries.  If you have a woodland garden think about adding some of these plants and you will be rewarded next spring and for many years to come. 

The weather forecast for Atlanta this weekend looks promising for getting out and working in the garden.  It has been a long cold, wet winter and I eagerly await the arrival of my early daffodils which most years would be in full bloom by now.   I realize I have a lot of clean up to do including cutting back my Tardiva hydrangeas (I cut them back to about 10”) and cleaning up perennials.  I will also spread red pepper flakes around my violas in an effort to keep the ubiquitous squirrels from digging and making a mess.  If it rains I’ll spread some more.  It’s not very high tech but it seems to help and requires a minimum of effort. 

During these cold days I have been thinking about some of my favorite spring flowering trees including Aesculus pavia, red buckeye, Chionanthus retusus, fringe tree, Cornus mas, cornelian cherry dogwood, Halesia tetraptera, carolina silverbell and Styrax obassia, fragrant styrax.   I was thrilled when I purchased my styrax from Piccadilly Farm in Bishop, Georgia last fall.  It’s only about waist high so I probably won’t get many blooms this spring but someday soon it will be a beautiful specimen.  It produces masses of fragrant white bell shaped flowers. 

 

Among the earliest bloomers Cornus mas (typically from mid-February to March) produces vivid yellow flowers on bare peeling  branches.  The selection ‘Golden Glory’ matures at about 25,’ making it perfect for small gardens.  For carpeting under this beauty I recommend Helleborus x hybridus and early blooming varieities of daffodils.  Blooming in April, the red buckeye  has handsome palmate  leaves and bright red to red-orange blooms.  (This native is poisonous if eaten so keep it away from animals and small children.)  While our native fringe tree, Chionanthus virginicus , also known as grancy grey beard is beautiful in its own right , it’s Asian counterpart Chionanthus retusus appeals to me for its glossy foliage, fleecy white blooms, handsome bark and sometimes dark blue fruits.  While it makes a fine specimen tree in the garden I have also seen it thriving as a street tree in Savannah, GA. 

Another April bloomer, carolina silverbell is covered with white pendulous blossoms which are beautiful to look up into.  In summer the attractive winged fruits add to its charm.  

In addition to my familiar favorites there are a host of spring flowering trees that are garden worthy.  I recently spoke with Luca Gianturco of Scottsdale Farms and Tiffany Fischer of McMahan’s (and GardenHood) about some of the trees they are excited about for this spring.  Here are a few of  their recommendations.  It’s worth noting that one tree showed up on both of their lists and neither knew what the other had said.  This makes me pay attention to Aesculus x carnea ‘Ft. McNair’ which has light pink flowers with a yellow throat and disease resistant foliage. 

Luca Gianturco, Scottsdale Farms

15639 Birmingham Hwy

Hwy 372

Alpharetta, GA 30004

770-777-5875

Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance , autumn brilliance serviceberry –flowers are pink in bud and open to white

Cercis canadensis – many different selections of redbud

Magnolia ‘Butterflies’- with canary yellow flowers

Tiffanny Fischer

GardenHood

353 Boulevard SE

Atlanta, GA 30312

404-880-9848

Cercis canadensis ‘Appalachian Spring’- the flowers on this redbud are deep purple-red in bud and open to bright, bright pink

Magnolia ‘Jon Jon’- A Gresham hybrid, this late blooming selection has flowers that are deep reddish-purple at the base and lighter towards the tips. 

Magnolia liliflora ‘Nigra’- also late blooming with deep dark burgundy flowers (almost black)

Prunus campanulata- early blooming small cherry tree with single  pink flowers

 I wrote this  column in early February about winter beauty right about the time a massive snow storm pounded Washington, DC and the surrounding suburbs in Maryland and Virginia where I grew up (I studied horticulture at the University of Maryland) and where some of my family still lives.  I started thinking that right about now they are probably not too excited about the winter garden, even if snow is pretty.  I also realize how lucky we are to garden in the southeast. 

Plants with interesting forms have always beckoned to me and winter is a season when I especially appreciate trees and shrubs with distinct branching as well as a particular growth habit, such as upright, fastigiate, weeping or pendulous.   Winter is also a time when we notice  bark, shiny, flaky, peeling or colorful.  Buds too, like those on big leaf magnolia,  Magnolia macrophylla, one of my favorite trees, or the distinct flower buds of Edgeworthia chrysantha, also known as paperbush.  Of  the plants I added to my garden last fall, paperbush elicits the most comments from my neighbors who wonder about this shrub which looks like it has been decorated with tiny pendulous ornaments on bare branches.  My yellow twig dogwood (the stems actually look more yellow-green) reminds me that I still want to add the shrubby dogwood called Cornus ‘Winter Flame’ and my Prunus mume has a few buds (it is a white flowered selection I bought from McMahan’sNursery last year).  I also have a small witchhazel with fragrant orange yellow flowers which I’m excited about even if I can’t remember its name.  Hellebores have started to bloom and daffodils are pushing up through the thick layer of  leaves in my woodland.   These are just a few of the gems in my garden that cheer me up especially on dreary days which there seem to be a lot of recently.

Below is a list of shrubs and trees with interesting forms or showy bark. 

Acer griseum- paperbark maple has shiny cinnamon colored bark and shines in the winter garden.

Acer palmatum ‘Sangu Kaku’- coral bark maple has coral red stems

Betula nigra ‘Dura-Heat’- a selection of river birch with beautiful bark and a high tolerance for heat and humidity.

Carpinus caroliniana- our native ironwood

Clethra barbinervis- a shrub with mottled bark, it also blooms in summer

Cornus mas ‘Spring Glow’ handsome bark and early yellow blooms

  Cornus sericea ‘Cardinal’- red osier dogwood with winter  stems

  Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’- Harry Lauder’s walking stick, twisted branches and showy catkins

Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’- winter king hawthorn has mottled colorfulbark and persistent red fruits

Fagus americana -American beech has beautiful smooth gray bark and tawny  colored papery leaves that sound like gentle rain when they blow in the breeze

 Parrotia persica- ironwood has colorful bark and tiny red flowers in late winter

Ulmus alata – winged elm- distinct branches and buds

 Stewartia pseudocamellia- Japanese stewartia with beautiful mottled bark

Sources for Edgeworthia chrysantha:

Ashe-Simpson Nursery, 4961 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.,Atlanta, GA

770-458-3224

GardenHood

353 Boulevard SE
Atlanta, GA 30312

404-880-9848

  Despite this winter which seems particularly long and cold this year in the South, spring will be here soon and many of these winter beauties will transform when almost magically overnight they put out their new foliage and flowers.

On March 5 and 6th, 2010, from 10am to 4pm,  take the opportunity to see thousands of lenten roses (Helleborus x hybridus) in full bloom at Piccadilly Farm which is located at 1971 Whippoorwill Rd, Bishop, Georgia near Watkinsville.  Turn from GA 53 at the Oconee Civic Center on to Union Church Rd., then right on Whippoorwill.  Phone 706-769-6516.  The owners Sam and Carleen Jones will be there to greet you.  Sadly they have no website, but the trip is worth it.    Purchase plants to take home!

Recently I was talking with garden designer David McMullin of New Moon Gardens about garden design. Knowing what to do and where to begin when you design your own garden can be a challenge and a complicated process but there are some basic steps to consider for designing any garden. And, now is a good time to prepare for spring when, if you’re anything like me you’ll have plant lust and may end up with plants that you don’t have a home for.  Sound familiar?

While I think it’s great (essential) to try new plants David and I agree that the best money you can spend is to a hire a professional garden designer to create a plan for your garden. Not only will this save you from costly mistakes, it will provide you with a guide to refer to time and again over the years.

My own garden is about four years new and it continues to evolve and change as some plants mature, others die and my tastes change. But, it’s important to note that I did start with a plan and a list of plants I wanted to include. The most expensive parts of any garden are the permanent structures but these also provide a framework and act as the bones in every season. In my case a low granite wall defines the space and acts as a seating area too. I chose granite to complement my granite house.

Helen Yoest’s autumn garden in Raliegh, NC

What follows are some basic steps that David recommends and that I think are useful for you consider when designing your garden.

1. Assess the site for what is possible and what is not. The latter is most important here, as creativity is best exercised under limitations. Likewise, the least effective gardens are the ones where there is a lot of money, plenty of land and the owner wants everything. When summing up a site, look for the light, look for the water, and for the ways in and out, and look in your checking account. Try to avoid expectations before you’ve gotten real about what’s possible.
2. Start applying the basic elements of design- balance, scale, symmetry. The most common mistake is an improper use of scale. Skimpy features in a garden make it look cheap and wrong. A rule of thumb is the smaller the garden, the bigger the features. Think broad strokes. (I suggest that for structures like arbors, if you think it’s big enough it could probably be one size larger. While this is not a scientific approach it works.) Think about the hard elements of your garden—the paths, the walls, the floor and the ceiling. They should all make sense, connect and guide the experience with a minimum of confusion. The materials used should be closely allied to each other, the architecture of the house and the broader landscape.
3. Understand how nature works, particularly the nature of your own backyard. Follow the weather, know its extremes, understand your seasons, and the patterns we experience, because they can be subtle but surprisingly consistent. Learn about where frost gathers in your garden, where the water flows, or where the breeze comes from. Learn about what kind of rock is under your backyard as this will affect the success of the plants you grow. If a hot, humid landscape with limited air movement will stop you from spending time in your garden during the hot summer months, plant a garden for spring and fall.
4. Know something about plants. Plants are an integral part of any garden and are the kind of furnishings that go into making a garden unique and personal and a joy through the evolving seasons. Select plants that will work for you and include those that:
   • will mature in place without an unacceptable amount of labor to keep them in check;
   • flower during the times of year when you will most appreciate their gifts; and
   • evoke a time or place or emotion that is important to you.

Rely on the best local and regional nurseries in your area for advice and as a source of plants.

Fountain in Nancy Goodwin’s garden

5. Stay fresh and keep inspired. There are many wonderful magazines and books to inspire you. Visit your local botanical garden and attend garden tours. Don’t be afraid make changes in your garden. And, remember that above all else your garden should please you. Go forth, plant and have fun.

There are many great garden designers in the Atlanta area. You can contact David McMullin at newmoongardens@aol.com or call him at 404-635-9023. His website is www.newmoongardens.com

Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18, 2010. www.chapelhillgardentour.net  for tickets and more information.  Take an opportunity to visit 9 private gardens and be sure to include a stop at the North Carolina Botanical Garden.

The plant catalogues have started to arrive and the timing couldn’t be better.

Even the hardiest of gardeners admit that with weather in the 20’s F sitting by a roaring  fire or under a warm blanket and planning ahead for next  spring and summer is the best way to spend garden time.    I already have a list of plants that I want to order from Plant Delights, some new to me and others that I have admired but never grown like Lycoris traubii, Traub’s surprise lily which produces golden orange spidery flowers in October. 

Many of the new introductions that appeal to me are compact, offer more than one season of interest and are adapted to grow well in hot, humid climates.  Of the All American Selections Winners for 2010 I look forward to growing Zinnia ‘Double Zahara Fire’with scarlet orange flowers and  Zinnia ‘Double Zahara Cherry’.  Both of these sun loving, heat tolerant annuals bloom for weeks from summer until frost and are perfect for the garden or in pots.  They are also resistant to leaf spot and mildew diseases.

 

To find out what other plant lovers are excited about growing in 2010 I decided toconsult with Jamie Blackburn, Curator of the Woodland Gardens at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and Bobby Saul of ItSaul Nurseries in Atlanta to hear what they recommend as far as new and favorite plants for our gardens.  What follows are some of their picks and a few of my own. 

Trees

Acer palmatum ‘Bihou’ – with golden bark  

Acer palmatum ‘Ryusen’- a strict  weeping Japanese maple with outstanding fall color

Acer palmatum ‘Tsukasa Silhouette’- a fastigiate cultivar

 

Shrubs  Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’- a compact selection with colorful foliage that changes with the seasons.

Buddleia ‘Blue Chip’- a dwarf butterfly bush I admired at the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raliegh, NC; easy to incorporate into the garden. 

Hydrangea paniculata cultivars including ‘Dharuma’- a dwarf selection with potential for smaller gardens and containers.  Other selections they have planted recently at the Atlanta Botanical Garden include ‘Big Ben’, ‘Early Sensation’ and ‘White Lady.’ 

Illicium parviflorum  ‘Florida Sunshine’-chartreuse golden foliage in spring and summer, bright yellow in fall and winter, upper stems take on a bright red cast

 

Perennials

Ceratostigma griffithii-great red foliage in fall with blue blooms

Coreopsis verticillata ‘Route 66’- this hardy yellow coreopsis has a red eye that bleeds to the tips of the petals

Chasmanthium latifolium ‘River Mist’-variegated Northern sea oats

Echinacea ‘Crazy Pink’- a 2’ by 2’ clump covered with pink blooms beginning in early summer

Heuchera villosa hybrids – great foliage color and they take the heat, including ‘Caramel’,  ‘Citronelle’, ‘Mocha’, ‘Pistache’

 

Sources for Good Plants including some featured here: call for hours of operation

Mail Order: Plant Delights,9241 Sauls Rd, Raliegh, NC 27603, www.plantdelights.com

Regional:

Ashe-Simpson Garden Center, 4961 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Atlanta, GA 30341   770-458-3224

Full Bloom Nursery, 6662 Holly Springs St., Clermont, GA 30527 770-842-2345

GardenHood353 Boulevard SE, Atlanta, GA 30312 404-880-9848

Habersham Gardens,2067 Manchester St. NE
Atlanta, GA 30324 404-873-2484

Land Arts, 809 North Broad St. (Hwy 11 at 78) Monroe, GA 30656 770-267-4500

 McMahan’s Nursery, 5727 Cleveland Hwy., Clermont, GA 30527 770-983-3666

 Scottsdale Farms, 15639 Birmingham Hwy, (Hwy 372) Alpharetta, GA 30004 770-777-5875