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: Early season gardenia in soft late-afternoon light Background: We have a large gardenia tree. It regularly grows to more than six feet in height. When it gets this tall, I chop away six to eight inches or so and hope I’ve done a good job with no damage. I tried lettingContinue 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
Description: A sprig of catmint (Walker’s Low) against a background of coral azaleas. The shot was taken in the early afternoon while the sun was high in the sky. Background: Catmint blooms in early to mid-spring and has beautiful, small lavender flowers. Bees love it. I bought three plants from a smallContinue Reading
