A Spring to Remember in Bonnie’s North Georgia Garden

A year with lots of rain and no late frost culminates in a spectacular spring show

Happy Monday GPODers !

Today ’s compliance is an spare kickshaw for me because we ’re getting an update from Bonnie Plikaytis and her incredible woodland garden in north Georgia . Back in former 2022 , I had the pleasure of writinga little piece on Bonnie and her gardenfor an issue ofFine Gardeningthat was one of my first article to be have in the photographic print cartridge ( On a related side government note – I ’ve had a few submitter ask if GPOD ever makes it to print , so for everyone ’s entropy , yes ! We ’re bringing back GPOD articles in print , so if you ’ve ever dreamed of realise your garden in those glossy pages , but sure to give in photos for a luck to be featured ! ) .

Bonnie has share her gorgeous garden several times in the yesteryear ( Here are just a few to check out : Garden Stumperies , Autumn Colors in North Georgia , Winter Beauty in Bonnie ’s Garden , andSpring in North Georgia ) , and today we get to see the highlight from the exceeding outflow she had this twelvemonth .

After a dry fall in 2023 , there has been 41.6 inches of rain this year in the garden through the end of May . The rainfall and normal seasonal temperature made for a arrant spring . works break forth and there was no late frost to damage the tender leaves . desire you bask a glimpse of this “ springtime to remember ” in North Georgia .

Erythroniumis a genus of bulbs in the lily family and some of the aboriginal species can be difficult to base . However , the hybrid ‘ Pagoda ’ is a vigorous plant(Erythronium‘Pagoda ’ , Zones 4–9 ) . normally call trout lily , this ephemeral perennial add a touch of elegance to the garden in later March .

Another late March blooming perennial is‘Belarina Nectarine ’ primrose(Primulavulgaris‘Belarina Nectarine ’ , Zones 4–9).It bring in a beautiful long - lasting soda pop of coloring to the garden as it wakes up .

In designing the entranceway garden along the private road , the theory was to have the viburnum and dogwood aboriginal to the property blossom at the same time to give a color echo . The last fourth dimension this happen as planned was spring of 2017 . bound 2024 the jazz band did not let down ! Thedoublefile viburnum(Viburnum plicatumtomentosum‘Mariesii ’ , zone 5–8)and native dogwood tree tree(Cornusflorida , Zones 5–9)were absolutely synchronized in their rosiness times to give the color reverberation so seldom seen . The weeping crimson laceleaf Japanese maple(Acer palmatum‘Inaba Shidare ’ , Zones 5–9)provides a lovely line of maroon foliage . This weeping laceleaf Nipponese maple complement the upright form of the dogwood and genus Viburnum .

Most people associate the colorful leaves of Nipponese maples only with fall foliation . Several varieties of Japanese maple also have stunning leaf color in the saltation . A staring lesson is ‘ Moonrise ’ fullmoon maple(Acer shirasawanum‘Moonrise ’ , Zones 5–9 ) . The leaves hold their red color for weeks before maturing to a lovely yellowish green .

Iris tectorumcommonly known as Japanese ceiling iris is a member of the topknotted iris mathematical group . It naturalizes easy in our timber garden and rosiness in mid - April . Last spring at theAtlanta Botanical Garden ( ABG)Plant Sale , I was delighted to obtain a motley form Ikeda Sunbeam Japanese Roof Iris(Iris tectorum‘Ikeda Sunbeam ’ , Zones 5–8 ) . In spring the plant life had elegant , variegated leaves to put the exotic lavender heyday . As the weather warmed into summer the leafage lost the variegation to become solid green much like the stock Japanese ceiling iris .

The weather in north Georgia is suitable for a legion assortment of rhododendron . This broadleaf evergreen provides yr - bout interest , however , when they blossom in spring , they take it to a whole new level ! One of several varieties in our garden , Rhododendron‘Purple Palace ’ ( Zones 6–8 ) was astral this spring with its lavish rich reddish - purple peak .

Rhododendron‘Anna Rose Whitney ’ ( Zone 6–8 ) is another diverseness of rhododendron that prosper in our garden . Valued for its large trusses of brilliantly colored pink wine - pinkish flowers , this works is a fairly fast agriculturalist and if goodish will develop to 12 foot tall .

By mid - May the garden was flourishing , and the ‘ Ruby Slippers ’ oakleaf hydrangea(Hydrangea quercifolia‘Ruby carpet slipper ’ Zones 5–9)was bloom . I often suffer on the deck to enjoy the arial view of the garden . Looking closely , it becomes clear that ours is genuinely a woodland garden with the naturalise expanse merging seamlessly with the tree diagram native to the property . The gemstone - run along cypress tree mulch itinerary circles our home and leads to a paved community walking lead that butt our property .

After year of looking for ‘ Little Redhead ’ spigelia(Spigelia marilandica‘Little Redhead ’ , Zones 5–9 ) , I lastly determine it at the ABG Plant Sale three years ago . This plant blooms in May expose striking red flowers with yellowed centers . Nothing seems to discourage this industrial plant in our garden ; sun , ghost , deer , hare , drouth , you name it this lovely perennial just keep going . In the background is a chartreuse golden fullmoon Japanese maple(Acer shirasawanum‘Aureum ’ , Zones 5–9)andSouthgate ® Radiance ™ rhododendron(Rhododendron‘Tyler Morris ’ , Zones 6–9 ) .

And of course , my garden companion Cody enjoying spring in his garden !

give thanks you so much for sharing this update , Bonnie ! It was such a prissy slip down memory lane to see your garden again and whether you have a stand out season or not , your amazing timberland hideaway is always a pleasure to portion out on GPOD .

Have picture to partake in ? We ’d love to see your garden , a particular collection of plant life you love , or a wonderful garden you had the probability to visit !

To submit , get off 5 - 10 photos to[email protected]along with some data about the plants in the picture and where you ask the photos . We ’d bonk to learn where you are located , how long you ’ve been garden , successes you are proud of , failure you learned from , promise for the future , favorite plants , or funny account from your garden .

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