During our recent Summer Open Nursery and Garden, I was able to spend a good bit of time with former JLBG staffer, Jeremy Schmidt, now of HortCo, to discuss our plans to rework an old rock wall in our Sunken Garden. With our plans now in place, we have already begun to relocate existing plants,
Here’s a favorite combination in the summer garden, featuring the pineapple lily, Eucomis ‘Purple Reign’, Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Chameleon’, Geranium ‘Azure Rush’, and the dryland fern, Astrolepis sinuata. This area gets about six hours of full sun daily, with average to dry soil moisture.
Many folks who visit JLBG have asked about former staffer, Jeremy Schmidt, who departed almost three years ago for a stint at Alabama’s Bellingrath Gardens. In the 15 years Jeremy was here, he installed our 300′ long crevice garden, our 550′ rock lined stream, several other garden streams, our dryland welcome berm, and countless other
The Rock Man Returneth Read More »
Many folks don’t realize how the entrance to their garden sets their mood, as you drive in and out. Even apartment complexes now spend money on a somewhat higher quality of landscaping, understanding that it helps people feel better about where they live. Here is a recent shot of our home drive as we enter
Here’s a fun combo we planted in the woodland garden with a silver-center leaf Jack-in-the-pulpit, Arisaema serratum in a patch of Rohdea japonica ‘Sekkei-no-Homare’. We used the leaf color in the jack to echo the leaf edge color in the sacred lily.
Here’s another picture that shows contrasting forms and textures in the garden. In the center is a Cryptomeria japonica Gracilis’, backed by a clump of cast iron plant, Aspidistra sichuanensis ‘Spotty’. Rounding out the combination in the front is Alstroemeria psittacina ‘Variegata’
One of the bright spots in the fall garden are Aucubas, like Aucuba japonica ‘Ogon no Tsuki’. Even on a dark, dreary day, the bright leaves serve as a focal point to help lighten the mood.
A Bright Spot in the Woodland Read More »
A happy combination near the crevice garden includes Sedum ‘Pride and Joy’, Dalea bicolor var. argyraea, a hellebore, and an Iris. The challenge of gardening in drifts of one is to used textures and forms to make aesthetic combinations. The easy-to-grow, southwest native dalea allows for some great combinations in a region where silver leaf
Falling for Fun Combinations Read More »
One of many incredible plants discovered by our garden staff, is an amazing selection of the native (NC to Arkansas and south to Florida) Hymenocallis occidentalis var. occidentalis, found by Jeremy Schmidt on a 2012 botanizing trip through Alabama. We’ve always loved this August-flowered spider lily, but the extraordinary floriferous nature of this discovery outshines
The Queen of Flowers Read More »
For small gardens, we’ve long advocated a design philosophy of planting in drifts of one. Here’s a great portrait from the spring garden that demonstrated our philosophy, by combining Asarum nobilissimum, Impatiens omeiana, Trillium flexipes, Woodsia obtusa, and Aucuba japonica ‘Limbata’ in a way that uses textures, colors, and forms to make a pleasing vignette.
