Between trying to weed, (while avoiding the bees) clearing the remaining winter debris, feeding & pruning the clematis that have already budded, trying to finish the seed selection and ordering … it has been a busy time. Spring is here…there may still be cold snaps but we are on our way.
Above, scenes from the Bothy and the endless ‘to do list’
The daffodils in the cutting garden are slowly diminishing and should be replaced this fall. Some have lasted several years, others just one or two seasons at most. Replanting this area is quite a challenge since there are no guidelines in the autumn. One thought was to plant the bulbs in peat pots and then transfer them to their appointed rows in spring when one can see where they are needed, but that plan never came to fruition.
Several years ago I devised another scheme … transplanting Muscari where the daffs had failed. Muscari sends up its foliage in the autumn so it would simply be a matter of trading the Muscari for a daff bulb. But when the spring came and the blue Muscari bloomed with the remaining daffs, the scene was so spectacular that I decided to leave it. Now however, this area needs attention.
Some Daffs have come up ‘blind’ this year; that is lush foliage but no flower bud. I am attributing this to the lack of cold weather…we will know for sure next spring, but this section of the cutting garden is a big disappointment this season.
Above, these were 100 Tete`a Tete (head to head) narcissus..now it is only ‘Tete’ and very few are left. They did give a wonderful show and filled many mini vases over the last few years. I will replant that variety.
Do you have a favorite variety of daffodil?
Posted in Bulbs, Cutting flowers | Tagged cutting garden, daffodils, narcissus, Tete a Tete | 8 Comments »
Read all about it, my interview with HGTV…. All about hedges and their usefulness.
Posted in Companion Planting, Garden Design, Garden Rooms, Shrubs | Tagged hedges, HGTV, HGTV interview, privacy | 9 Comments »
“For oft’ when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood
They flash upon that inward eye…”
The meadow is a moment in time. The living garden, evolves…. the daffs fade… this moment is gone.
One looks forward to this annual ’happening’ with much anticipation and it is celebrated with much wine. Spring has arrived!
“I gazed -and gazed- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought.”
Posted in Bulbs, Garden Design | Tagged daffodils, living garden, SPRING, Wordsworth Meadow | 3 Comments »
Hellebores are by far the most important perennial in all the garden. These are the widely grown Helleborus orientalis .
They form a carpet among the camellias and under the hydrangeas. Stunning when they bloom, they exhibit handsome foliage all year-long and are tolerant of the shade the hydrangeas provide during the summer when many are hidden under their foliage.
Below, is the Heronswood “Party Dress Strain’. It is tiny with absolutely no landscape value whatever.
In a vase as a dinner companion, however, Joy!
Posted in Cutting flowers, Groundcovers, winter garden | Tagged Double Hellebores, handsome foliage, Hellebores, Helleborus orientalis, Heronswood's Party Dress Strai, Landscape value | 4 Comments »
The Wordsworth Meadow is in full glory. The very first time I looked at this property, before I saw the interior of the house, I imagined this area flooded with sweeps of Daffodils “fluttering and dancing in the breeze.”
It was a privet and wisteria jungle that took me months to clear. Then the planting began. the first autumn I ordered 500 bulbs recommended for the south. The following year I planted more, but when spring arrived, only a fraction of the original planting returned.
Does this look like 500 daffs? Today,this is what is left of the original planting.
Devastated, I thought my plan for this area would have to be abandoned untill I passed an old deserted homestead with a neat line of daffodils… big, fat,full clumps with many blooms. If these daffs could survive and INCREASE over the years….they were for me.
And so it began, sourcing, digging, dividing and replanting. Yes, I ALWAYS ASKED FOR PERMISSION. I still regret those that were bulldozed to make way for a strip mall before I could find the owners.
There are no words to describe the joy these bring every spring as I watch them multiply over the years.
Do you think it was worth the effort?
Posted in Bulbs, Garden Design | Tagged bulbs, daffodils, narcissus, Wordsworth Meadow | 8 Comments »
I can’t believe I went from this..
to this in one day!!
How wonderful to be back in Georgia, where it appears we are in full-blown spring….
The gardening to do list grows daily as the overwhelming season is upon us. Trying to separate the list into A) what will make an impact in the garden visually, and B) plant requirements. e.g. weeding and feeding.
All the camellias, both in the Circle of Friends, and the Camellia Walk are in bloom along with the Hellebores.
Permeating the air is the fragrance of Daphne odora…. The garden is truly magnificent. A celebration of all the senses.
The daffodils… well, they deserve their own post.
Posted in Camellias, Companion Planting, Flowering Trees, Garden Design, Outdoor Living Spaces, Shade Gardening, Shrubs, Small trees | Tagged camellias, circle of friends, daffodils, Daphne odora, spiraea Fujimo Pink, SPRING | 4 Comments »
Well, it really turned cold …. for middle Georgia. The temperatures were in the teens last night, according to my thermometer. The predicted 20 degrees was 18 here in my micro-climate.
While I dread the camellias that are open, turning to brown mush, above. I am thrilled that the peonies will have the required chill hours to put on a show. See what I mean about mixed emotions?
Still, it is better to look at the bright side, I cannot control Mother Nature, (much as I try) and the closed buds for future blooms look perfect….so far.
I will be out-of-pocket till the end of this month with little or no access to the internet (YIKES ?!!) So, have a fun January and keep warm.
Posted in Camellias, Shade Gardening, winter garden | Tagged Camellia, chill hours, frost-kissed, micro climate, peonies | 5 Comments »
This time we had to see if there was any damage in the garden. We had already heard the loud thump as a huge limb fell in the drive. Our guests thought it might have hit their car, which it did not…. but not by much!
This is the other side of the coin… gardening under trees can result in some damage in a windstorm. and these storms are not uncommon in Georgia.
Below,the evergreen planting of Viburnum awabuki ’Shindo’ meant to hide the garden shed is ravaged! A large limb (not shown) came down right in the middle of it.
Some major pruning and clean-up, is now on my “To Do” list.
Still there is so much beauty out there I can hardly complain…
While Mother Nature is editing the garden……..
Posted in Garden Design, Viburnums, winter garden | Tagged garden design, storm damage, viburnum awabuki 'chindo', wind storm, winter garden | 8 Comments »
Although it has been a bit dreary and raining I couldn’t resist taking a walk in the garden today. I could see the Japanese Flowering Apricot (Prunus mume) from the kitchen window but to experience the fragrance I needed to venture outdoors.
Plenty of eye candy wherever one looks. 
Here at Hamilton House, the scale is so vast that a plant had virtually no impact unless it was large and from a landscape point of view, there needed to be several of the same plant to form a balanced composition.
There was, initially the temptation to plant several plants close together so it would in a very little time have more impact; but I opted not to do that. I had seen that done in several gardens in Atlanta and always wondered which plants would have to be sacrificed when they outgrew their space. Instead I went with the tried and true technique, where, no matter the size plant I started with, it was planted with plenty of space to allow it to mature to its ultimate size.
Needless to say the first several years everything looked silly as the plants were small and one could see clear across the entire garden.
Today, 15 years later, I know it was the right choice.With a little pruning here and there, everything (well, almost) can be kept within bounds.
Still to come (above) Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’
The bees are happy too!
Posted in Camellias, Flowering Trees, Garden Design, Shade Gardening, winter garden | Tagged balanced composition, Camellia, Camellia Herme, camellia magnoliaeflora, camellia Rutledge Minix, Daphne odora, Prunus mume, winter garden | 2 Comments »
Dear Readers,
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks for your gift of support throughout the year.
Warmest wishes for a wonderful holiday season and may you enjoy a happy healthy new year filled with love, light, joy and great gardening!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged heartfelt thanks, holiday season, new year | 3 Comments »
Yesterday I visited with Margaret Moseley. As usual I came home with a list of ’must have’ plants.
Margaret has been an inspiration for many gardeners. Every season her garden is filled beauty wherever one looks.
Above, a welcoming entrance… the large tree to the right is a Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), straight ahead is a Japanese Flowering Apricot (Prunus mume).
Margaret laid those stones when she was in her 70′s!
Below, a seating area beneath a flowering cherry tree (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’) surrounded by azaleas, camellias and underplanted with a variety of textured & fragrant groundcovers… 
Well thought out focal points….
Her philosophy…
Camellias in bloom…. my new plant list…
Some of these Camellias are heirlooms, rare in the trade. While they may be a challenge to locate, don’t give up, they are out there.
One of my personal favorites is Camellia japonica ‘Ava Maria’ (above). When I first saw it in Margret’s garden the hunt to acquire one was on! Her very generous daughter Jane located it for me. It is a gift I treasure, as is Margaret’s friendship.
Note: plant names are visible if cursor is on photo. To read more on Margaret & her garden visit GARDEN PHOTO OF THE DAY. She is often featured.
Posted in best friends, Camellias, Cats, Focal Point, Garden Design, Outdoor Living Spaces, Shade Gardening, Small trees, winter garden | Tagged Camellia 'Daikagura, Camellia Ava Maria, Camellia Cotton Candy, Camellia Martha's Dream, camellia Yultide, Focal Point, Ginkgo biloba, Margaret Moseley, Prunus 'Kwanzan', Prunus mume, Seating area | 5 Comments »
Some great plants for both the landscape and holiday decorations.
Hollies… you cannot beat them for their beauty this time of year. Above, Ilex x ‘Emily Bruner’ with berries that encircle the stem…
The Buford Holly (Ilex cornuta ‘Burfordii’) exhibits a heavy fruit set in clusters, except when a late frost kills the blossoms.
Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica); I refer here to the species and not some of the newly engineered dwarfs. Gorgeous grape like clusters of berries that last a very, very long time. (Note, this is NOT a bamboo)
The Viburnum berries that were wonderful & fresh for Thanksgiving are looking a bit tired but still ornamental…
The yellow berries of Viburnum ‘ Michael Dodge’ almost ready for the birds. When they are ‘ready’ they will be devoured in a day.
Happy decorating! And thank you WORDPRESS for the snow.
Posted in Shrubs, Viburnums, winter garden | Tagged berries, heavenly bamboo, hollies, Ilex Bufordii, Ilex Emily Bruner, viburnum, winter berries, Yellow berries | 3 Comments »
If you don’t like the weather “Wait a minute” I was told when I first moved to Georgia; so it’s no big surprise that while last week was cold & rainy and even frosty some mornings, this week we are in the high 60′s.
I have no idea when the Fragrant Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) started to bloom but here it is Dec 3rd.
Wonderfully fragrant, not overly sweet but a clean rather fresh scent, usually starting in mid to late November in my garden.(I usually look for it around Thanksgiving)
Not the best looking shrub in the border, rather a bit course and ragged so I camouflage it with a clematis during the summer.
Winter blooming shrubs or perennials are worth their weight in gold…even at today’s prices.
Posted in Shrubs, winter garden | Tagged Cimonanthus praecox, fragrant shrubs, Fragrant Wintersweet, winter flowering shrubs | 6 Comments »
It has been raining, or just plain cold and not pleasant to be working outside right now, so I’m just taking it easy.
That means cuddling with the kitties in front of a fire….
Meet Dahlia, above, she is shy and this is her first appearance on the blog.
Her pillow, a gift from Margaret Moseley, who, like me, has too much garden and too many cats! (Can one ever have enough of either?)
Catching up on reading & researching camellias.
There is always room for one more.
Just have some baking to do…. don’t hate me… this is the first time ever I’m ALMOST prepared!!
Posted in Camellias, Cats | Tagged gardening magazines, kitties, Margaret Moseley | 12 Comments »
