Description:  Red camellias blooming in mid-February Background:  Before moving to Georgia, I cannot recall ever seeing camellias. I was invited to a party at a colleague’s house the first December after moving south from Washington, DC. Winters for me started in November and lasted until April and always brought grayness and ice.Continue Reading

Description:  A bellflower cluster (Campanula Carpatica) shot in the late afternoon sun Background:  I knew almost nothing about bellflowers when I bought this plant. What little I knew had been gleaned from the label on the pot. They made their way to the garden by overwhelming me with their bluish-purple color presentedContinue Reading

Description:  Resurgent bee balm, Jacob Kline Background:  Bee balm has a unique flower. It strikes me as looking like a court jester’s cap, the kind with bells and such. When people passing by pause to ask a question about the garden, invariably, they point to a bee balm bloom and ask whatContinue Reading

Description: Pink Flirt Daylily Background: I grew up seeing orange and pale yellow daylilies everywhere. We had a huge mound of the orange ones in our yard. I always considered them as little more than weeds, as yard background noise. My attitude toward daylilies didn’t change until I discovered there were othersContinue Reading

Description: Portrait of a small bouquet of rosemary flowers Background: When I planned the herb garden, two herbs, rosemary and thyme were accorded top billing. These I use frequently, and I liked the idea of being able to step outside and get them fresh. Thyme, I had successfully grown in the past,Continue Reading

Description: A garden in full bloom, late-April Background: I live on a street in the middle of the city. Lots are small with front yards to match. Tired of trying to grow a decent lawn, I settled on flowers. Having decided to plant flowers, my design inspirations were bees, butterflies, birds, colors,Continue Reading

Description: Overhead shot of a coneflower cluster taken immediately after a welcome summer rain Background: I knew my garden would have coneflowers before even considering any other plants. They have a certain relaxed elegance that handles summer sun with grace. Here in Atlanta, the first round of buds appears in late AprilContinue Reading

Description:  A bed of pincushion flowers in early spring on a mildly hazy, beautiful April day. Background:  Pincushion flowers made it into the garden purely on color. They are the exact shade of lavender that I love. The foliage is also interesting because the leaves take on different forms. The first yearContinue Reading