Georgia Backyard Nature

Ravishing Roses

Roses are filling the garden with color. Despite their reputation for being finicky and high maintenance, these beautiful shrubs are worth the effort. The picture above is the splashy Fourth of July rose. Below is a true heirloom, my grandfather's favorite red climbing rose.

Roses do best in a spot with well-drained soil and at least 6 hours of full sun. They should get about one inch of water a week. A nice layer of mulch is essential. This is the pink Sweetheart rose. Isn't the delicate bloom divine?

Now there are varieties of roses that defy the conventional wisdom roses are fussy and hard to grow. Knock Out roses were developed by William Radler, a Wisconsin botanist.  He was looking for a hardy, disease-resistant rose and succeeded brilliantly. These lovlies are also heat tolerant which makes them perfect for Georgia. This is my double red Knock Out.

This is an heirloom pink Floribunda rose, passed down from my grandmother to my mother to me.

And last but certainly not least is the lovely Lady Banks rose. This vigorous climber only blooms for a couple of weeks in the spring, but what a show!! The Lady Banks lives a long time and can grow to a huge size.  In fact, there’s one in the Tombstone, Arizona, that was planted in 1855 and covers a mind boggling 8000 square feet!!

Glorious Grancy Graybeard

This glorious puffy cloud of  is the Grancy Graybeard in full bloom! Known also as a Fringe tree, this native plant thrives in woodlands from Pennsylvania to Florida and west to Texas and Arkansas.  The name comes from the spiraling feathery blooms, which resemble a gray beard.  It’s a small tree, growing only to about 20 feet, which attracts insects while flowering with a light fragrance. 

 

When I was a little girl, my family always took a trip to the Smoky Mountains in springtime. I  remember what a thrill it was to see the distinctive white haze of the Grancy Graybeard in the woods. Seeing my very own Grancy Graybeard in bloom always brings back  happy memories of those trips.

 

Southern Sunset

Electrifying Exbury Azalea

The azaleas are in full bloom now, but none is quite as eye-catching  as this orange Exbury Azalea. Set against a bank of hot pink blooms, this one really brings some amped-up color. 

 

Exbury Azaleas are members of the rhododendron family and many are native to the Eastern U.S. There are pink, white, and orange varieties.  There’s also another Exbury azalea in the yard which blooms a little later than this one. I call it a “true native” because it was here before the house was built and somehow managed to survive the bulldozer. I could say that it’s one lucky plant, but I’m really the lucky one to have such a survivor in the yard.

 

Sensational Serviceberry Trees

If you're looking for a hardy tree that's sensational in all four seasons and attracts birds, the Serviceberry is the answer.  In spring, clusters of delicate white flowers cover the tree followed by bright fruit that birds love. In fall, the lush green leaves of summer turn to striking gold and red.  In the dead of winter, shapely branches lend interest to an otherwise bleak landscape.

 

There are many varieties of serviceberries. The pictures above are the blossoms of the Princess Diana serviceberry.  The Princess Diana is about 20 feet high after twelve years. It’s thrived despite being mauled by a beaver two years after I planted it.

These are flowers of the Autumn Brillance Serviceberry. I'm so excited because this is the first year the trees have flowered, even though they're the same age as the Princess Diana.  The two Autumn Brilliance didn't do well in the first location. The ground was too hard and dry so I transplanted them about 8 years ago. The trees took off but the new location was too shady. Now they're tall enough for the upper branches to get more sun.

 

 

 

 

Serviceberries aren't that common here in Georgia, but they should be. Every yard needs one of these versatile trees. The birds agree with me, too.

 

 

Bright Bulbs

Here are a few of the late-blooming bulbs flowering in my garden. Above are some dainty Dutch Iris. These are small bulbs and easy to plant.

Here are the English Bluebells which are great for naturalizing in a shaded area. Mine are spreading nicely.

I have lots of varieties of Daffodils. The pink ones are the prettiest.

The Narcissus have a strong sweet fragrance.



What's missing? Tulips, of course. No one in my neighborhood plants Tulips because they're a favorite of the deer. The first fall I lived here, I planted over a hundred. They came up beautifully with plump buds and I looked forward to a kaleidoscope of color in the yard. Several days later, all that was left was a tiny part of the stalk. Just before they flowered, the deer descended and wiped them out in one night. 

These flowers look so pretty, I'm thinking about placing an order today for more bulbs. Let's hope I feel as enthusiastic when the shipment arrives in September.

Large Loropetalum

The Loropetalum  shrubs have finally bloomed and are covered with  hundreds of hot pink fringy flowers. I always look forward to seeing that big splash of color, but I was especially impatient this year. Even though the mass of color is beautiful, these shrubs are now too large. They need a good pruning because they’re crowding out other plants. Buds are formed in the summer so it’s best to prune right after flowering. Cutting them back in the fall or winter will affect next spring’s flowering.

 

Very soon, my Loropetalum shrub will get a drastic makeover. This evergreen plant is a vigorous grower and takes well to pruning. In fact, one landscaper said that it could be cut down to 18 inches high and still rebound. Loropetalum is a member of the witch hazel family. Hardy in zones 7-10, it should be planted in light or partial shade.  

 

My Loropetalum shrubs are on a steep bank next to the driveway. The main branches are now too thick to use loppers—I'll have to use a pruning saw to tame them. That will be hard work. Note to self—prune a little each year—it’s a lot easier.

Set for Spring

Are you ready for Spring? I am--both mentally and gardening-wise.  Last week I spotted the first few blooms on the flowering quince and realized it was time to get busy in the yard.

The flower beds now have a fresh layer of cypress mulch.

While cleaning the bird houses, I found this beautiful Titmouse nest made of moss and cat hair. with A lone unhatched egg was still nestled there.

Pine straw has been spread by the lake to provide easy access to nesting material for birds, especially the Bluebirds.  Winter roosts have been converted back to nest boxes and the poles smeared with a fresh coating of petroleum jelly to thwart ants.

Fresh dryer lint and cat hair are often used by birds to line nests so I put it an old suet feeder and hang it in a tree.

Crepe Myrtles, Abelia, Butterfly Bushes, and other shrubs have been pruned. This big chaste tree was cut back significantly this year to control its size.

Dead plants have been removed and new ones planted. I was so sad that my beautiful Yellow Twig Dogwood died last year. It's been replaced with a Red Twig Dogwood.

Trees have been pruned. The lower branches of the Flowering Crabapple were removed to provide more sun for the grass and surrounding flower bed.

So I'm so ready for Spring to pop and it seems the plants are, too. I spotted the first azalea bud today. Now I have to get busy with Spring cleaning the inside of the house. That's not nearly as much fun.

 

New Year's Nandinas

Color is hard to come by in the winter garden, but I recently noticed a nice patch of ruby red in the front yard. It was a group of three Firepower Nandinas glowing in the sun. The shrubs are several years old, but never came into their winter glory because they were planted in a shady spot. I moved them to the front yard and for the first time, the Nandina leaves turned to the signature red right after New Year’s.

I never thought much about Nandinas because they are so common here in Georgia. After seeing how much the Firepower amped up the yard, I began looking for other Nandinas. I spotted this Heavenly Bamboo Nandina in a bed near the entrance to the community pool. The foliage has a purplish tint and the berries look like they’re illuminated from within.

Hardy in zones 6-9, Nandinas require little care. They do best in well-drained soil with full to partial sun. Here’s another plus—deer don’t like Nandinas. The Firepower variety is a dwarf shrub, growing only 2 feet high and doesn’t flower or produce berries. Heavenly Bamboo grows to be 6-8 feet high and produces panicles of tiny white flowers in the spring and sports bright berries in the fall and winter.

I’m glad this is another transplant story with a happy ending. In the spring I’ll have to dig up that Heavenly Bamboo Nandina that’s been limping along in the shade of a cypress tree. Maybe this time next year I’ll be able to post a picture of my own Heavenly Bamboo berries.

Christmas Camellias

This morning I spied a splash of red in the front yard. It was a double red Camellia in bloom. The shrub is only a couple of years old and still small so I was amazed to see this brilliant flower.

While I was out admiring the camellia, I noticed a red bloom on the Sasanqua by the front door. That little flower is a true Christmas miracle because that shrub rarely blooms due to agressive pruning to keep it small.

The white Camellia is loaded with elegant flowers, too.

Later today I'm going to gather a bouquet of red, pink, and white Camellias and some holly berries. Won't that be a festive Christmas centerpiece courtesy of Mother Nature?