This is a fabulous year for the garden. The French Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) are full of buds and it promises to be quite a show. I hope I am not putting a Hex on it. Considering the unpredictable weather we are experiencing, tomorrow could bring an artic blast! There are so many varieties I have not seen […]
Perhaps what I appreciate most about gardening in the south is the fact that it is year round. While many of the deciduous hydrangeas are loosing their foliage, the Arum groundcover is coming into its own and will soon blanket the ground. Then there are the shrubs that bloom a second time. Above, the […]
Arum italicum ‘Pictum’ is, in my mind, essential in any garden where it is hardy. This perennial sends out its foliage in the late fall and remains green all winter. The handsome leaves resemble arrowheads with strong creamy veining. They make a sensational groundcover. Since one NEVER cuts the leaves off daffodils (Narcissus), the Arum makes a […]
Evergreen ferns keep the garden looking lush in winter. Here the Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) adds texture to the camellia walk, (above & below) so does the Arborvitae or Moss Fern (Selaginella pallescens) (below) and the Tassel Fern. (Polystichum polyblepharum) Seating, painted matt black, does not detract from the real interest..STRUCTURE & PLANTS! This […]
Plants with a cascading habit, call attention to the ground plane. Above, The heavy flowers of Snowflake Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snowflake’), draw the eye to the Japanese painted fern (Athyrium nipponicum). The flower on ‘Snowflake’ has double sepals, significantly different from that of ‘Amethyst’ above, or ‘Alice’ below. Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ forming it’s […]
Every gardener/designer has their own ideas on groundcovers. I thought I would share what I do with my hydrangea. At the base of the shrubs, and forming a nice ‘sweep’, I plant the small tubers of Arum italicum ‘Pictum’. This delightful little plant is the ideal workhorse groundcover for any shrub that looses its leaves in winter. […]
