Happy Monday, GPODers!
I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and that spring is coming to life in your gardens even a fraction as vividly as what Steve Schmidt has experienced over the past month. We got our first tour of Steve’s garden in Atlanta, Georgia, back in December (check out that post here: Steve Says Goodbye to Summer in Atlanta), where we were introduced to his fabulous combinations and lush designs. Steve is back today to share the beautiful blooms and vibrant colors that fill his garden before the real heat of the peak season sets in.
Steve Schmidt in Atlanta, submitting some new pictures: Here are a few of my better pictures from mid-March to mid-April as spring rapidly transitions in Atlanta. We’re now experiencing well-above-average temperatures . . .
Flowering of the matsuzaki stachyurus (Stachyurus praecox var. matsuzakii, Zones 8–10).
Nuccio’s Gem camellia (Camellia japonica ‘Nuccio’s Gem’, Zones 8–10). Always iffy in February and March, because if the temp gets around freezing or below, the flowers turn brown and drop.
‘Vancleave’ buckwheat tree (Cliftonia monophylla ‘Vancleave’, Zones 7–10) flowering.
Bicolor epimedium (Epimedium × versicolor ‘Sulphureum’, Zones 5–9) and star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum, Zones 4–9).
Prague viburnum (Viburnum × pragense, Zones 5–8) with Dream Catcher® beauty bush (Kolkwitzia amabilis ‘Maracdo’, Zones 4–8) behind.
Formosa azalea (Rhododendron indicum ‘Formosa’, Zones 6–9)—from one I have propagated a few more to populate the yard—with star of Bethlehem.
Jake’s Red Oconee azalea (Rhododendron flammeum ‘Jake’s Red’, Zones 6–9). Phone camera not good at dealing with intense reds and pinks, and to some extent orange. This is a young shrub so look forward to it gaining more size.
‘Rising Sun’ Florida azalea (Rhododendron austrinum ‘Rising Sun’, Zones 7–9). This particular native azalea gets the most sun and does better than four of the five other varieties (Jake’s Red also gets more direct sun, so outperforms the other four). A work in progress getting the siting right.
Some of the plants filling in around the eventual sunken garden: ‘Asian Beauty’ linden viburnum (Viburnum dilatatum ‘Asian Beauty’, Zones 4–8), Florida Sunshine illicium (Illicium parviflorum ‘Florida Sunshine’, Zones 8–9), red buckeye (Aesculus pavia, Zones 4–8), volunteer maroon acer, and hemlock. In the broken pot used as part of stacked stone retaining wall around the sunken garden is American ipecac (Gillenia stipulata, Zones 4–8) (lower right). A new addition last year, so looking forward to seeing it grow and flower this year.
Lastly, can’t resist a picture of one of the critters—a Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) on the leaf of ‘Georgia Peach’ heuchera (Heuchera × ‘Georgia Peach’, Zones 4–9). The seed heads of one of the native weeds I encourage, ragwort, is in the foreground.
Thank you so much for sharing your vibrant spring garden with us, Steve! Your thoughtful plant selections and design choices always spark intrigue and inspiration; I hope we get to see more from your garden this year.
While Steve has been enjoying big blooms and fabulous foliage for the past month, I know many spring gardens are just starting to pick up speed. No matter what stage your garden is in, consider sharing your photos with Garden Photo of the Day.
Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5–10 photos to gpod@taunton.com along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!
Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.
Fine Gardening Recommended Products
ARS Telescoping Long Reach Pruner
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Telescopes from 4 to 7'. Cut and Hold (160) Blades. Drop forged blades for unsurpassed long lasting sharpness. Lightweight, 2.3 lbs., for continued use. Perfectly balanced for easy pruning.
Pruning Simplified: A Step-by-Step Guide to 50 Popular Trees and Shrubs
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Pruning Simplified shows you exactly how to do it. This must-have guide offers expert advice on the best tools for the job, specific details on when to prune, and clear instructions on how to prune. Profiles of the 50 most popular trees and shrubs—including azaleas, camellias, clematis, hydrangeas, and more—include illustrated, easy-to-follow instructions that will ensure you make the right cut the first time.
Buffalo-Style Gardens: Create a Quirky, One-of-a-Kind Private Garden with Eye-Catching Designs
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Buffalo-Style Gardens is a one-of-a-kind, offbeat garden design book that showcases the wildly inventive gardens and gardeners of Buffalo – and offers readers "the best of the best” ideas to use in their own small-space gardens.
Comments
Your azaleas are truly beautiful.
FABULOUS photos of plants that are (mostly) unfamiliar to this northern gardener. And thank you for sharing a picture of the critter.
You have a marvelous selection of plants - thanks for sharing the beauty!!
Thanks for sharing, Steve. It’s just lovely. I have a woodland garden in Augusta, so this is helpful for me to study.
I didn’t know about Gillenia, but thanks to you, I just bought it on Etsy
Please share more pics in the future.
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in