Jurrasic Park

I first saw "Rice Paper Plant" when I was touring Ryan Gainey's garden a few years ago, thinking how awesome and tropical it looked, just popping up here and there in different parts of the garden. It has just enormous leaves, something like Fatisa japonica, but with a lighter color and texture. At the height of summer, it is about five feet tall here in Atlanta. When I inquired that day, Ryan commented that it was "quite easy to grow."

I next saw this fabulous plant at Lisa Bartlett's garden. In her trademark "meek and mild" way , Lisa enthusiastically offered to give me a couple of shoots. On the day I was going back to get the actually shoots, Lisa said (only half in jest) that she would like my request for Tetrapanax papyiferus IN WRITING! When I asked why, she smugly said, "You'll know in a year or two....."

It's now been more than a year......

Fortunately I still think it's an awesome plant, and gives a really amazing architecture to the garden. It is in the category of Alice's cleome, however, in that it tends to be a little rambunctious. Definitely one of those that you want to keep on top of, but worth the added attention. My two shoots are now thirty......sort of like when little children ask for a pet bunny......

Wretched Excess and Bramble Ferns

An acquaintance of mine from college days (about 200 years ago), always subscribed to Queen Victoria's idea that "nothing succeeds like wretched excess" In fact, Travis believed this so much that he later developed a very successful party business from that notion. I think the older I get, the more I'm agreeing with him, particularly with reference to the wooded garden area behind my house. This is the same area that Frank regularly looks at and remarks, "What a great place for a swimming pool!"

Since I'm never going to clean a swimming pool, and only mow our little section of lawn because it was already there when we bought the place, the area behind the house is slowly becoming known as the wooded garden. I've cleared out many of the really nasty trees that were threatening to fall down anyway, and I've slowly been adding more things in. Most casual observers would probably call that part of my garden messy, but that's because I'm the only one who knows where the baby treasures are lurking!

At this moment it is raining and gray, but the forsythia is blooming its heart out at the base of the ancient sweetgum tree. Across the yard, the native azalea is getting ready to open soon, the witchhazel is covered with lemon yellow fringe, and the yellow twig dogwoods are positively glowing. I discovered the other day that one of them is the cultivar "Winter Flame (Cornus sanguinea 'Winter Flame'), but I can't tell Cricket, since she is wanting one!

So the point of all of this is that there are lots of great things in my back garden, and their ambundance is adding to my need for STRUCTURE this year. I've had some success controlling myself in the front garden, so now I'm trying to do the same in the back. That's where the Bramble Ferns (Hypolepsis grandulifera) come in! Last night at the GPPA meeting, I picked up twelve of these babies, and can't wait to put them into the ground and watch them take off!

If you're not familiar with Bramble Ferns, go to the website, http://www.fernridgefarms.com/, and check them out! They'll grow up to five feet tall, spread themselves out, and just fill huge spaces with their fluffy green fronds. I'm hoping that it's going to create a consistent backdrop for some of the specimens in the wooded area....if not, it's going to be my own little version of invasive bamboo!

I'm already excited to discover that they prefer ditches and slopes....now I don't have to fill in that old ditch in the back! I'm going to call it my "ravine garden"

The Magic Created by Garden Rooms

(Click the photo to enlarge, if you'd like)

Today was one of those days that come in mid-winter, when I know the weather won't stay like this, so I appreciate it even more. It was in the mid-60's, but there was enough of a blustery wind to remind me that it is definitely still February. The temperatures have been in the 50's and above for about a week now, so the spring flowers are starting to really show off in the garden.

I was walking through the garden early this morning, and came to the area that is named "Zone 35" on my official work list, but which we all call "the white swing." Most everyone knows that I have huge respect for the original landscape architect, and this area is one that has matured very beautifully over ten years. The additions I've made recently "garnish" this area in a way that I hope compliments the original design.

At this time of year, the white swing area is distinctly blue and white, although one wouldn't probably say that at most other times. I've attached a photo of this garden room taken last June, which shows the more wooded, dark green cast that it has most of the year.

This little area really demonstrates the beautiful magic that comes from dividing the garden into smaller "rooms." The garden in total is more than 4 acres, so it sometimes feels just massive; having little rooms like this brings things down to a more intimate scale. Since the deciduous shrubs are now bare and have been pruned back, what is left is the gray Crab Orchard stone, the pristine glossy white of the classic swing, and the distinct blues of the Vanderwolf Pine, the Carolina Blue Sapphire, and some Blue Atlas Cedars that are out of view in this shot. I realize I need to take a winter photo as I'm reading this back, since you also can't see the dozens of snowdrops and white pansies that lead up to the swing. It really is the perfect place to sit with a book to enjoy the unusually warm February day in complete solitude. Hopefully you're enjoying this beautiful season, as well.....

Any Big Plans for 2009?

One of the bloggers that I follow has a list of winter projects that she reviews in the winter. Since she's in the great frozen north, that winter is much longer than ours (thank goodness!). The premise is the same, however, and one I thought was worth pursuing more.

Do you have any major plan for your garden this season? Anything you've identified as "missing" in your garden world?

Mine is STRUCTURE, STRUCTURE, STRUCTURE!!!!

As much as I would like to be organized in my plant purchases, I am inevitably drawn to those "I really need one of those" purchases, that manage to stay in pots behind the house for weeks or months until I discover the PERFECT spot for them. Mike Francis (the Japanese maple guru) accused me (unfairly, of course) at this year's Southeastern Flower Show of redefining "competitive gardening" with my purchase of the Aurea pine, and my delight when he ran out of them shortly after my purchase!

In any case, over the past few years, the perennial bed has gone from a specific color driven design to a "mixed border," to a somewhat hodgepodge collection of things that all happen to like sun. A few "must have" hellebores, a daphne odora and some sweet woodruff plants have found their ways into the "only ferns" bed by the front door. The Japanese maple island seems to have discovered a couple of exotic hydrangeas and a dogwood or two......you get the picture.

All that said, my commitment this year is to add some STRUCTURE to my garden, which is affectionately called the step child. I'm sure by September it will look like Versailles......maybe with a couple of quirks.......(Check out the photo of a "redneck Stonehenge".....that's my fantasy!)

So what are your major plans this year?