Heuchera 'Caramel' and Penstemon 'Husker Red'
Just in time for Mother’s Day
May 8-Eagle Eye Bookstore, Decatur, GA 1-2:30pm Book Signing by Erica Glasener
Proven Plants Southern Gardens
2076 N. Decatur Rd., Decatur, GA 30033
404-486-0307
While they last I will have an assortment of plants to give away. One plant for each copy of my new book that you purchase. Free advice. Come with your plant questions.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 27, 2010 from 6 to 9pm at Trees Atlanta Kendeda Center.
Live music, cocktail buffet, silent auction with lots of great items plus a live auction. This event is to raise money for the beautification and enhancement of the Historic Oakland Cemetery landscape, to purchase tickets ($50.00 each) and more info visit www.oaklandcemetery.com
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
witch hazel in February
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.
winterberry in the landscape February
Winter buds of Edgeworthia chrysantha
It’s not too late to register for the Callaway Gardens Symposium, January 29-31, 2010 -call 706-663-5153 or visit www.callawaygardens.com I’ll be teaching a workshop and giving a lecture
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.
Chameacyparis obtusa 'Sunspray' with violas, thyme and sweet alyssum
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.
Pinus bungeana bark
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
Deciduous holly 'Sparkleberry' in container with parsley
Atlanta, Georgia- On Friday, October 9, 2009 from 7-10pm Cooper Sanchez presents his fifth Atlanta solo art show and third independently produced art event (one night only) in the old greenhouse ruins at Historic Oakland Cemetery. After working in the cemetery over the past year as part of the tornado recovery and restoration garden installation, Sanchez developed this body of work from an interest in things forgotten, past and in a state of ruin. For more information about Cooper and the event visit www.coopersanchez.com
Walking in early May through masses of Ox-eye daisies, Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, Coreopsis lanceolata and poppies just beginning to bloom, It’s hard to believe that just a few years ago this same area was covered with kudzu and mulberries. For artist Cooper Sanchez and his wife Michelle, transforming their back yard in Clarkston, Georgia into a meadow is a labor of love. Creating a meadow garden was a vision they had early on.
Once established, and if it’s done properly, with consideration to the natural plant communities in your region, a meadow, unlike a lawn, is not only beautiful but can be low maintenance. Meadow gardening is just one way to have a more sustainable landscape.
I asked Cooper to tell me about how and what he did to begin his meadow. He says that when he started he had to take down the mulberries to bring the kudzu to eye level. “It was an acre of this-the hardest work you can imagine.” He goes on to say one should be prepared as it will probably take two years to clear an area that is heavily infested with weeds. He learned early on when trying to eradicate kudzu that you will never dig it all up. He tried hand pulling and weed killers. He found it effective to poison kudzu vines at the ground level rather than spraying the foliage. (If you don’t want to use any chemicals you can cover large areas with black plastic with 3 to 4 inches of mulch on top of the plastic. Leave the plastic for 2 to 3 months which should kill most of the weeds.)
Once he got rid of most of the weeds the soil had a fair bit of organic matter and he was ready to sow wildflower seeds. Cooper selected and planted his first seeds 2 and a half years ago. Fall is an ideal time in the South to sow wildflower seeds but you can also sow seeds in the spring. He broadcast all of the seed by hand and has added some plants too. The first year he had plenty of plants but many of the perennials did not bloom until this year. Ox-eye daisies are his spring work horse this year. There are also yarrow, Achillea species, poppies and grasses. As far as colors, at first he wanted to limit his palette to mostly white and warm colored flowers. He thought that if he were going to have a potentially wild and unruly meadow, at least he would have a sympathetic color scheme. Greens are also great and this year he has a lot more cool colors arriving on the scene. And yet, it is only somewhat planned. In addition to yarrow and coreopsis there are larkspurs of blue violet and other colors. When I asked about the biggest surprise he replied that everyday there are more and more surprises including lots of bees, birds and other wildlife that is attracted to the meadow. It turns out that some of the roadside weeds and native grasses he rescued growing along railroad tracks and under power line easements are some of his favorites. In fall the garden will turn shades of rust and brown. I asked when he might mow down the meadow and he is not sure yet. He makes reference to the Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf who leaves his dead plants for structure in the winter garden waiting until the last minute to cut them down, maybe February. Cooper says they will wait and see. For now he looks forward to seeing what will bloom this summer.
Erica’s plant pick
Jethro Tull Coreopsis
Botanical name: Coreopsis ‘Jethro Tull’
About the plant: This perennial hybrid coreopsis has golden yellow fluted petals and blooms for months in the garden beginning in mid-spring. It grows 15 to 18 inches high and forms clumps 18 to 24 inches wide.
Use in the garden: Mix it in the meadow garden or border for long season color. Combine it with Ox-eye daisies, coneflowers, salvias and poppies.
Planting and Care: This perennial likes a lean well-drained soil and full sun.
Source: Ashe-Simpson Garden Center, 4961 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
Atlanta, GA 30341
770-458-3224
Seed Source for Wildflowers: www.americanmeadows.com
Or call 877-309-7333
It’s hard for me to resist roses that are fragrant and, for the most part , undemanding in their needs. Among those that show up on my list of perennial favorites are Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea,’commonly referred to as Yellow Lady Banks. In late Spring this species rose produces masses of small double yellow blooms on long canes. Mostly thornless, Lady Banks looks good even when she’s not flowering. Be sure to give her lots of space as she develops into a large plant over time. R. ‘Buff Beauty’ makes a great climber or rambler, displaying masses of apricot-yellow roses with a strong tea scent; while R. Perle d’Or a compact shrub, produces clusters of small double orange-pink flowers for months. A repeat bloomer it also flowers in the fall. I plant it with asters, hardy mums and burgundy leaved Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diablo.’ For perfume R. ‘Zephirine Drouhin’ is hard to beat. In my garden it begins to bloom in late April, displaying large deliciously fragrant, double pink blooms. Mildew resistant and thornless , this beauty scrambles up a trellis in my mixed border . Its nearby companions include Acer palmatum ‘Villa Taranto,’ a cutleaf Japanese maple with new foliage that is tinged in red; and glowing in front of this rose, the soft yellow spikes of Baptisia ‘Carolina Moonlight.’ At the base of ‘Zephirine Drouhin’ a large Rosemary provides an effective evergreen anchor.
During a visit to a garden in Nashville a few years back I admired the deft way the gardener trained the pink flowered Rosa ‘William Baffin,’ and Clematis ‘‘Henryi, with large striking white flowers, to grow up the same arbor. The effect was charming. Next to the same arbor she added the diminutive shrub rose Rosa ‘Marie Pavie.’
David McMullin of Very Good Plants www.verygoodplants.com is offering a limited number of heirloom roses this spring including R. ‘Altissimo’ a climbing Floribunda with single red flowers; R. ‘Climbing Cecile Brunner,’ a fast growing large climber with blush pink blooms; Rosa chinensis ‘Mutabilis,’ the Butterfly Rose, a carefree shrub offering flowers of yellow, pink, orange and red; and R. ‘Old Blush,’ also a shrub type, which grows to about 5′ tall with small medium pink flowers over a long period. Happy companions for all of these roses include Siberian Iris, hardy geraniums and herbs like rosemary and golden creeping thyme.
As a group, Knockout roses continue to be a popular choice for the landscape as shrubs, hedges, screening or part of the mixed border, not only for their nonstop flowers but for their resistance to pest and disease problems. A few of the popular selections include red, double red, pink, double pink and most recently a yellow with fragrant flowers called Sunny Knockout, with flowers that open bright yellow and fade to a cream yellow.
Rosa ‘Home Run’ is one of the offspring of the Red Knockout rose with single poinsettia-red flowers. It grows 4′ tall and wide and is a good candidate for the garden or a container.
Erica’s Pick
Altissimo Rose
Botanical name: Rosa ‘Altissimo’
About the plant: Altissimo is a climbing Floribunda rose with single rich red flowers that are mostly single. A repeat bloomer it is also disease resistant and grows 8 to 10′ tall by 5 to 6′ wide.
Use in the garden: Train it to grow up a fence, wall or arbor. Combine it with perennials and cool season annuals like snapdragons.
Planting and care: Plant this rose in full sun. Water and fertilize it on a regular basis for the best results.
Sources: Very Good Plants, 7011 South Goddard Rd., Lithonia, GA 30338 Open Saturdays through June, 9am-1pm. Visit www.verygoodplants.com for directions.
Roses Unlimited, 363 N. Deerwood Dr., Laurens, SC 29360,864-682-7673 www.rosesunlimitedownroot.com
For Knockout Roses, Ashe-Simpson Garden Center, Habersham Gardens, Land Arts Nursery and Scottsdale Farms.
