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......

The Stepchild Gets Mulch...Finally!

• I wasn't working at the big house or the penthouse today, so it seemed the perfect time to actually work in my own garden. Since I've been meaning to put out pinestraw mulch since March or April, it only makes me about six weeks behind schedule. Fortunately my home garden tends to fall into the categories of "eclectic" and "eccentric," so I'm able to fall back upon that excuse.
  
  I think my home garden is perhaps an emotional response to working in very manicured gardens on a daily basis; "manicured" is definitely NOT an adjective most would use to describe my garden!
  
  Some possible reasons my home garden isn't considered "manicured":
  
• The 300 or so Cleome flowers that have self-seeded themselves since last year, coming up everywhere, including one growing in a crack in my driveway (I adore Cleome, but will definitely be putting out Preen next year);
  
• The New Dawn rose that finished blooming a couple of weeks ago, and is now so large that it threatens to topple its arbor or grab a small child who makes the mistake of walking by (or both);
  
• My Herbal lawn. When asked if I have zoysia, Bermuda, St. Augustine, or Fescue, I simply reply, "Yes;" (But it stays green year round......)
  
• My unique version of Botanical Latin names. I'm not sure why the AHS doesn't list, "Dad's Yellow Iris," "Alice's Monarda," and "Not Ogon Spirea," in their publications.
  
• The fact that my pansies are still in the ground, and actually still blooming their little blue hearts out; The IRS and summer annuals are supposed to be taken care of by April 15 in Atlanta.
  
  As could have been predicted, the rain starting pouring down after I had finished mulching about 25% of the garden beds.......why do I think I'm going to soon be seven weeks behind schedule?
  
  I'm trying very hard to care about being "behind schedule", really I am......
  

Some beautiful whites

Lots of things were blooming in the garden this weekend. I've come up with a few of my favorite whites, which are very cool looking to me when the temperatures are reaching 90 degrees in the sun!

It's a Jungle Out There!

This little guy looks quite ferocious up close....when you realize he's resting on the branch of an espaliered apple, he looks a little less fearsome!

Two More Containers

The Lion's Head Maples are doing beautifully in this warm damp weather, as is the Bonfire Begonia, which is just taking off.

The other container gets some morning sun, then shade the rest of the day. A little trivia about the "Song of India" dracena (all dracenas, for that matter). They hate chlorinated water! If you are seeing spots and blemishes on a dracena, try leaving the water in the watering can overnight for the chlorine to dissipate before putting it on the plants.

Full Sun Container

This one is in blistering sun most of the day. The Eucalyptus and Ptilotus "Joey" seem to be loving the heat!

Summer Containers

The summer containers are starting to fill out, and are coming into their own for the season. Here are a few shots from the cluster in the driveway at the Big House. It's in the shade most of the day, but the driveway has a whitewash over it, so it's very bright shade. The Australian Tree Fern has some beautiful new growth coming out, and we had a surprise Walking Iris bloom (typically we only see the blooms in winter in the greenhouse - I put the iris into this container for the texture of the leaves).