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

Recently at a holiday party a friend commented to me that one doesn’t hear much about evergreen gardens.  I have thought about this and wondered why when there are so many great plants that offer evergreen foliage year around including varieties for sun and shade.  Garden designer David McMullin put it well when he said that December is the time when conifers “emerge out of the dead brown stuff.”  Yet, they are not usually the first choice for gardeners when it comes to selecting evergreens that appreciate shade.   By integrating some of these conifers into your landscape and combining them with broad leaf evergreens as well as  deciduous trees, shrubs and perennials  you can create a landscape that offers beauty and interest throughout the year.

The Atlanta Botanical Garden boasts a good variety of conifers for both sun and shade .  Jamie Blackburn, a curator of horticulture at the garden, shared some of his thoughts about conifers that are well suited for the shade.  One that may be familiar to some  is Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Prostrata,’  the prostrate Japanese plum yew,  an effective groundcover. (It is also reported to be deer resistant but experience tells us that results may vary depending on how hungry the deer are)    If  you want a more upright plum yew, like a Christmas tree, look for seedlings that have a central leader, as these are more likely to form a pyramidal shape as they mature.  The  upright fastigiate cultivar of this species  is typically  much more narrow than it is tall.   Some shade tolerant conifers on display at ABG, although not widely available,  are worth seeking out.  These include Torreya grandis,  Taxus chinensis, Chinese yew, and Tsuga chinensis, Chinese hemlock, which is resistant to the wooly adelgid, a devastating insect that attacks our eastern native hemlock Tsuga canadensis.  There are cultivars of Tsuga canadensis that appear resistant to the adelgid  like ‘Gentsch White,’ a rounded compact plant whose branches have  silvery tips; it grows 4’ tall and wide, perfect for smaller shade gardens or containers. 

Below is a list of additional  conifers that tolerate shade. 

Podocarpus lawrencii- Mountian plum pine as it has been called grows only 12 to 18inches tall.

Thuja koriensis ‘Glauca Prostrata’- Korean arborvitae is low growing with silvery blue foliage. 

Thujopsis dolobrata ‘Nana’- Hiba dwarf arborvitae has  a shrubby rounded habit and shiny foliage.   It grows 3 to 4’ tall and wide. 

Torreya nucifera- Japanese Torreya grows 20 to 30’ tall and 8 to 12’ wide. 

Tsuga yunnanensis-Yunnan hemlock grows 30 to 40’ tall and 18 to 25’wide, forming a graceful pyramidal shape. 

 

 

Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Prostrata'

 

 

Sources: 

GardenHood, 353 Boulevard SE, Atlanta, GA 30312, 404-880-9848

www.gardenhoodatlanta.com

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

www.mcmahansnursery.com

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

www.scottsdalefarms.com

Woodlanders Inc., 1128 Colleton Ave. SE
Aiken, SC 29801-4728, 803-648-7522

www.woodlanders.net

Yucca Do Nursery, P.O.  Box 1039, Giddings, TX 78942, 979-542-8811

www.yuccado.com

     I enjoy shopping for the plant lovers in my life.  Whether it’s a container garden, a pair of pruning shears, a truck load of compost, a shade tree or a conifer, it’s easy to shop for gardeners.  I prefer to select gifts in person but if you shop online there are also many options.  Let’s start with the obvious choice of plants.  Winter is the perfect time (provided the ground is not frozen) to plant a deciduous fruit or shade tree  or conifer (Chameacyparis, Cedrus, Pinus and Cryptomeria to name a few)  in the south.  Of course, the  best gift is when you purchase and plant the tree for the recipient.  At the end of this column I have included a list of garden centers and nurseries in Georgia that offer a variety of choice plants for sale as well as other gift items mentioned here.  Bird houses, watering cans, garden sculptures, decorative containers, water gardens, bat houses, owl houses, tools, gardening books and gloves are just a few ideas. 

  If you like the idea of giving a gift that also helps the community, there’s still time (until December 18) to purchase a tree to be planted in honor of someone special in your life.  For just $25.00 you can order a tree from Trees Atlanta (www.treesatlanta.org a membership is also an good gift idea ) that they will plant in a part of town or neighborhood  where they determine trees are needed. They will send  a holiday  card to the person you are honoring informing them of the gift.    A one-year membership to the Atlanta Botanical Garden (www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org)  is only $55.00 for individuals and $75.00 for a dual membership; which gives you unlimited admission for 12 months.  For me it’s a bargain  as I visit the garden at least  once every two weeks.   If you know someone that likes to visit private gardens, consider a membership with The Garden Conservancy www.gardenconservancy.org.   By joining you can “help ensure that America’s treasured gardens remain intact as part of our natural and cultural heritage.”  And, with a $50.00  membership you receive a copy of the Open Days Directory- a source for finding out about outstanding private gardens throughout the US,  and the days that they are open to the public (for a fee).  If you want to splurge for a magazine that is bound to inspire,  a gift subscription to the British publication Gardens Illustrated www.gardensillustrated.com  is $75.00 for 12 issues.  (It sounds like such a good idea that I just ordered a subscription for myself)  For the practical gardener, consider the American publication Fine Gardening at $29.99 for 6 issues (one year) www.finegardening.com,  a Taunton Press publication;  full of  ideas about garden design, noteworthy plants, and lots of other useful information.

  What about a garden design consultation to be used toward a landscape plan.   If there’s a garden designer who’s work you admire contact them about a gift certificate.   A gift certificate for your favorite mail order nursery also makes a great gift.  

Sources

Call ahead for hours of operation.  Most of the nurseries listed also have websites.

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

 Land Arts Nursery, 809 North Broad St. (Hwy ll 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

 

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.   

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.

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. 

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

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.

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-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’-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. 

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