My name is Dodie. I’ve been gardening in northern Alabama for 15 years. Our urban property is in a historic neighborhood in Decatur. It had a wonderful backbone of plantings created by owners of the home in the mid-80s. We moved to lovely Zone 7b in 2008 from Zone 9 (Houston area), and I have absolutely reveled in it!

Even though the garden had been neglected for years, the Japanese magnolias (Magnolia liliflora, Zones 5–8), star magnolias (Magnolia stellata, Zones 4–9), oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia, Zones 5–9), native dogwood (Cornus florida, Zones 5–9), American boxwoods (Buxus sempervirens, Zones 5–8), Magnolia grandiflora, and bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla, Zones 5–8) were in good shape and provided the inspiration and structure for our garden renovation. The former owners had also planted a ligustrum hedge along two sides of the fence in the backyard, which had grown into small trees over the years. They created a perfect canopy for azaleas (Rhododendron ‘Pink Ruffle’ and ‘George Tabor’, Zones 7–10), which were planted the year after we moved into the house.

The gardens have been a continuous work in progress. They are my playground, my gym, and my sanctuary. Last year we eliminated the little bit of lawn that was left in the back, enlarging beds and creating a brick sidewalk, bubble rocks, stone benches, and soft lighting throughout the garden. We also upcut three arborvitae ‘Green Giant’ (Thuja ‘Green Giant’, Zones 5–9), which resulted in plenty of room for new shade plants. I added hosta (Hosta ‘Golden Tiara’, Zones 3–8) and heuchera (Heuchera ‘Dale’s Strain’, ‘Catching Fire’, and ‘Carnival Rose Granita’, Zone 4 – 7). In the sun areas, I added Baptisia ‘Blueberry Sundae’ (Zone 4 – 9), oriental lilies (Lilium ‘Casa Blanca’, ‘Stargazer’, and ‘Presidente’, Zones 4–9) to the existing mix of pink Knock Out roses (Rosa ‘Pink Knock Out’, Zones 5–9), ‘Rose Glow’ barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Rose Glow’, Zones 4–8), daylilies (Hemerocallis fulva ‘Keanso’, Zones 3–9), tall garden phlox (Phlox paniculata, Zones 4–8), and sweetspire (Itea ‘Little Henry’, Zones 5–9). I love the explosion of pinks and oranges in early summer! Canna lilies ‘Australia’ (Canna ‘Australia’, Zones 7–10 or as a tender bulb) are like purple exclamation points in the sunny spaces.

Two photos show an overview of the garden in winter. The other photos show mostly views of mid-to-late spring and early summer. I can’t wait to see how much the new plants have grown. Hopefully the hostas and heucheras will fill in the bare spaces. My goal this year is to add late-summer perennials that will keep the color coming through July and August and to find a low-growing perennial to edge the beds and replace the white impatiens I planted last year. I know that no matter what I plant it will not match what’s in my brain, so I always have something new to work on! Happy spring y’all!!

Spring bloom from azaleas and tulips

Overview of the back garden in early spring, with magnolias just coming into bloom

Bigleaf magnolia in bloom

This is the garden in early spring, but lots of beautiful trees and evergreens keep it full of interest all year.

An explosion of color in summer from daylilies, phlox, lilies, roses, and more

New plantings settling in and already looking great

Another view of the new plantings in their spring bloom

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