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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.”

 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!

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?

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.

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.

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……..

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!

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!

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.