Pink Frost - A fragrant Illicium

The cold weather is finally coming in so I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather we were having this Sunday to finish the Scented Garden in down town Madison. Recent heavy winds have brought down the last of the leaves in the canopy over the garden so the pansies will finally get some much needed sunlight to bring on the blooms. Unfortunately, the leaves had to fall somewhere and, you guessed it, most of them fell on the pansies....so clean up was called for or those poor guys would never get to see the sun.

The Fragrant Bouquet hostas were still looking really good and even putting out new leaves...but they did have to be trimmed back to make room for the pansies. Hopefully, they've stored enough energy in their roots to come a back strong come back in the spring.

The left over pots of Redbor and Lacinto kale, parsley and dusty miller found a home around the water fountain, along with Delta 'True Blue' pansies and a few 'Ultima Morpheus'. This was a rather forlorn looking spot since the autumn ferns didn't put out much top growth this summer....lack of water will do that. This is an area that isn't getting adequate moisture from the sprinkler system that is in place and that will have to be addressed before next summer. Sadder than the loss of the ferns is the condition of the Camellia sasanqua 'Tiny Princess' that lost most of its buds and leaves to the stress. Hoping on hope that it will recover! For now we have been cheated out of seeing a special little flower and enjoying its delicate fragrance.

But I digress...what I wanted to share is the wonderful find I made while planting more pansies around the Illicium 'Pink Frost'....it emits a beautiful fragrance!!.....without even brushing the leaves...it just lightly fills the air around it. This new introduction from Plant Introductions has waxy green and cream variegated leaves that are just now beginning to take on the color of their trade mark name...pink stems and a tint of pink to the leaves. If the pink colored pansies dressing the ground beneath it bloom as they should, this will be quite a pretty pastel corner.



This photo was taken in the summer...I'll follow up with others when it takes on more of its pink cast.

Pink Frost would be looking even better if "critters" hadn't been visiting it and slowly shortening the leaves. I suspected slugs but could see no evidence of their presence....until the sun light touched the leaves of the Sweet Autumn clematis vine hanging on the fence nearby....yep, covered in shiny trails.

Off with their heads!!! or at least off with the vine. In the right place, Sweet Autumn can be a beautiful asset when the white flowers bloom in the fall...even if it didn't have a nice fragrance. But, it is far too aggressive to live on a very small section of a fence in a very small garden.

Hopefully, the slugs will be less likely to hang around now...but Pink Frost is too special to allow "ya'll come" dining by such icky creatures....so stronger measures may have to be taken.

With the promise of rain to come this week along with sunny days in between, the Scented Garden should be lookin' pretty good soon. Maybe in time for the upcoming Tour of Homes?? We can only hope.

Tough Hosta - Sweet Name

Finishing up with the City Containers, I had some pansies left over so I decided to put them in the Scented Garden....they are scented you know...but even if weren't, the pansies would give a much needed lift to the winter version of this garden. But, as I was looking around to see where a bright spot was called for, I saw an unexpected bright spot already there.

The Fragrant Bouquet hostas that I installed in this spring were, as of November 3, still full, healthy and without blemishes or marred leaves. It has to be the micro climate that exists in this little 20x20 foot garden. Located on the corner of a busy street in downtown Madison, it gets a lot of heat from the thousands of cars that travel through town each day. In addition, two sides are brick from the adjoining buildings which have absorbed the sun's heat all day and can return it at night.

I'll be watching to see when they finally give it up and take their much needed winter rest. The temperature has dropped in the last two days to "frost level" so today when I go into town I'll be checking them out, hoping that they are still going strong. Their bright lime green adds a lot to that side of the garden and I will miss it when it is gone. Maybe I'll plant something nearby for that extra pop, although it will be hard to get much around their hidden crowns. Must do something. As I took these pictures I noticed how unattractive the base of the wall on the police station side is. Whatever goes there will have to tolerate low water standards since it is under the eave of the roof. Let you know what I find today!

Pansies All Snuggled In Their Beds

The pansies (and their companions) are "all snuggled in their beds", and what a pretty sight they are, even in their tender little state. The rains we've had have helped them get settled in with Mother Nature's finest drink. Now we just have to hope for at least a weekly rain to keep them healthy....the watering by the City Crew isn't always enough for the young plants to get established.

Had to include some pictures of the special plants for this year. Last year's experiences taught mer that dark colored plants just don't show up well in the containers, even close up; so I stayed with the brighter yellows, light blues, and bright reds. As expected, the yellows are the ones that catch your eye when you drive by; but I'm hoping that the sweet little blue violas will have the same impact when they fill the pot.

Check out this little cutie....a viola called Angel 'Amber Kiss'.

I love the color combo and the bright center. It's a compact grower so I'll be interested to see if it keeps up with the others in the pot.

My favorite blue pansy this year is Ultima 'Morpho'....

the combination of bright blue and crisp yellow just grabs your attention and seems to generate an automatic "ah". It has been paired with viola Sorbet 'Yellow Delight'. That yellow viola is, hands down, the very best!! It will be seen in lots of other combinations around town.

I used Pandora's Box pansy last year and it is a come back winner this year. The best adjective for this one is "sweet". Named appropriatedly, the blooms come out in a variety of soft, but deep, pinks...touched by pale yellows....each flower being slightly different. The dark throat seems to make it appear to be talking. You can almost imagine what it might be saying.

"Golly Gee" "I'm watching you" "Attention!"

The Rain series is being used again in the containers to provide a spiller effect since it is one of the pansies that naturally grows long. Frosty Rain is the lighter version with soft, light blues; very nice but it doesn't have the impact that Purple Rain does. The deep purple combined perfectly with pinks, and the bright blue throat made it a great companion for any of the blue pansies and violas such as Sorbet Baby Face Marina. No surprise that it was a show stopper with the bright yellows. I combined it with Majestic Giant Yellow where its huge blooms were a nice contrast to the smaller but bolder blooms of Purple Rain.

As the containers fill in I'll update their status. This year I put at least three kale plants in each containers for a fuller effect. Here's hoping that they don't become thugs. But that's what we have pruners for...encouragement!

Sorbet Baby Face Primrose is another super performer much like Yellow Delight but in a softer, buttery yellow color. It pairs well with the soft blues.

One of the big blue pansies that I chose this year is Delta True Blue. I liked the simple lines and bright yellow eye. Have to admit that I'm not a big fan of "face" pansies, but I did use a couple from the Majestic series since with their large size they were able to overcome the intensity of the face.

Delta Blaze Mix comes in a combination of reds and yellows....no telling what you'll get from the container but the colors are truly vibrant, the flowers a good full size and prolific. These were set out alone or paired with Yellow Delight.

(Yes, it's a "face" pansy....but with such a pretty face, who could resist it.)

Another mix I used was Delta Pink Shades. This group really has a wide range of colors - from the palets pink to a deep rose. But all the colors are pretty in their own right; and mixed with Redbor Kale they make a striking combo.

Well, those are the stars of the show. The supporting characters were minimal this year - kales, parsley and ivies. I'm counting on the kales to put on a lot of weight and fill up the center of the containers. Everyone has been fed with slow release Osmocote and a dose of Daniels liquid fertilizer so they are off to a good start. Stay tuned for more.

Wendy's Wish

The pansies are going in this week but before the summer season is out of our minds completely, I wanted to tell you about some great plants to consider for your garden next season.

Wendy's Wish Salvia was a real surprise for me. It is one of those plants that when seen at the garden center you would hardly give a second glance to because it won't look like much in a 4" container. The small, deep rose colored, bell shaped flowers grow along a thin stem; the small leaves are not a big factor on this 24-36" plant. It never needs to be deadheaded and blooms continuously from spring to fall. In my 24" diameter containers I did find that if it wasn't pruned occasionally it got too tall. But, the combination of Big Red Judy Coleus (36" height), Snazzy Coleus (18") and Wendy's Wish was a "big" success. All three grew together in proper proportions. This plant should definitely be part of your garden beds where it can truly shine without having to be cut back. I think most folks are familiar with Big Red Judy Coleus with its large rosy red leaves; if not, check it out because it is one of the best sun coleus around. Snazzy Coleus was new for me and is another great sun coleus; the predominately green and yellow leaves even took on a bit of red as the summer went on. All three of these plants are Proven Winners so ask your local garden center about carrying them next year.

Last season the dahlias I used in the containers weren't big successes, but this year I used another PW selection called Eye Candy (18-24") and this one was a super success. Its larger size allowed it to compete better with the bigger plants I need in the big containers. All dahlias look better with regular deadheading but Eye Candy was better about keeping a tidy appearance even with spent blooms. The orange/red and yellow petals were a good match for Oranges & Lemon Gallardia. These two bloomed non-stop all summer and into fall; check out the hungry bees fighting for the last bits of pollen on a day in late October.

Ribbon Bush and Illusion Emerald Lace

As October nears its end, another summer season is being gently laid to rest and those bright, bawdy and brilliant annuals are putting out their all before the first frost finally silences their noisy colors. It was a sad moment when I had to pull out the lush begonias and throw them onto the compost heap. But as I was taking out the plants from some of the more tired containers around town, I found a few surprises.

At the beginning of the season I was given a number of Proven Winner selections to try. There were two in particular that in their "plug" stage were less than impressive so I was curious to see how they would grow up. An unusual character even in its maturity, Ribbon Bush (Hamalocladium platycladium) should definitely be included in your garden or container next year. It's quirky light green leaves and growth structure resemble a Christmas Cactus but there are no flowers to be had. In a container this plant adds height, ranging from 18"-36"; and great texture without becoming a thug. I put one plant in the garden and, while it did great there, it didn't have the same wow factor as it did in the container. Knowing how it performs, next season I would mix it with flowering plants. Also considered as a house plant, I've saved this one from the compost pile and will see how it does indoors.

Another plant that really had me giving it the one-eyed treatment when I first saw it was Illusion Emerald Lace (Ipomoea batatas). This sweet potato vine looks like the regular Margueritte which has been attacked by OCD slugs. The unique leaf form gives a much lacier appearance but has a more controlled growth habit. The plants I had went into a garden setting and I can definitely agree that, unlike its cousin, the brilliant lime green foliage stayed within sensible boundaries. I'm not sure if there just aren't any slugs (OCD or regular) in the area, but I saw no damage to the leaves either. Now that I know how well behaved this plant is, I'll be trying it in a container next season.


Both plants are worth having for use in your garden or containers. Let your favorite garden center know you are interested so they can be looking for them.

Time for a Change

Change....it is in the air and it is affecting everything. At long last the steamy humid days of summer are giving way to the crisp, blue sky days of fall, and it is time for Mother Nature to put on a new dress. Speaking of new dresses, I recently came back from a garden writing symposium so totally inspired to write, to garden, to mend my misorganized self.....to change! Besides learning so much from the different sessions about how to better pursue my writing career, I was overwhelmed by the beauty and variety of the gardens in the Raleigh, NC area. Over 1200 pictures were taken!! Lots of inspiration for upcoming containers and garden designs.

The first thing I did when I got back was to check out the City containers and the Scented Garden to see how the plants were looking. Were they anxious to take a much needed rest from putting forth all that glorious color? Some were definitely ready for a long winter's nap in the compost pile. But not those dragon wing begonias.....my gosh they are at their peak of beauty right now. Sadly, it is time for the fall color change out and, while the begonias will continue to thrive until the first frost, they must leave and make room for the winter color. Another winner that keeps on going is the Centaurea 'Colchester White'....I know I've raved about it before but it bears repeating. It is a must have in any container. Its companions this year were Verbena 'Blue Princess' and PW Supertunia 'Lavender Skies'. While Blue Princess took a rest from blooming, Lavender Skies never stopped; and was the perfect "socks and shoes" for the centaurea all summer long.

It will be a challenge to decide which evergreen plants will remain in the winter containers. Many are now outgrowing their home and will crowd out the annual color. It is nice to have the evergreens; they are permanent color, save money and easy to maintain. But, folks like to be "wowed". I see them walking the streets looking at the containers and, guess which ones they stop to look at? Right, the DW begonias, the Colchester White, the Rustic Orange coleus. The conifers and ivy will definitely remain since they are terrific backdrops and accents for the pansies. Time though for the Autumn ferns to move over to the Scented Garden. With their roots happily fertilized and watered all summer they've become small shrubs, which will be perfect for softening the brick walls in the Garden.

A trip to the nursery brought out the lust for plants again. This season has been particularly difficult for the growers -- lots of rain and not much sun -- so the pansies were not as robust as usual. Still, there were many to choose from. This year I'm going with more violas; they proved to be hardier and more showy. There will be a good representation of pansies in yellows, oranges and reds...gets the attention of drivers as they tour the town. Look for a new pansy in the pots: Amber Kiss....I loved the bright unusual color. You'll have to wait until next blog time to see photos!!

The changes in me have already started and I like the results: lots more energy and lots more finished projects. The changes in the containers will begin next week and should be finished before Halloween. Next time I check in I'll let you know how the Scented Garden is progressing. The cooler weather and rain has made that area lush, green and happy. The 'Tiny Princess' camellia is heavily budded and ready for showing off; and the tea olive is, of course, blooming and fragrant.


One of the most important things learned at the symposium is that everyone likes change, even though they complain about it. Some like change to come about slowly; some like the sudden whosh of a complete makeover. I, for one, am looking forward to the change in season and all that it brings to the garden and the summer weary containers.

And The Winners Are!!!

August is nearly over….the summer containers have done their best fighting the intense heat of the past few months….and most of them still look great. I haven’t done any grooming this season just to see how the plants would fare if left unattended. As expected, the coleus have taken over some of the containers and are a bit gangly. Except for Rustic Orange…what a well behaved little girl she has been. Big Red Judy is just that….big and red; but she still has a nice form to her. Don’t know how many coleus I’ll put out next year. Maybe the answer is a container with just coleus and not partner them since they just take over anyway.

This summer eight more containers were added at the new Town Center between Jefferson and Washington streets (yes, that makes a total of 42 containers that need to be cared for). Because the Center itself has a uniform appearance I decided to make all eight containers look the same. It was late in the season when they were put out so plant selection was limited. Fortunately, I was able to find very full Pennisetum rubum and mature vinca and made them the focal points; creeping jenny and red thread alternathera were the spillers. All are doing well despite the late planting and minimal watering.

Fertilizer is now a must do!!! The verbena and petunias are not putting out as many flowers as they should and the leaf color is pale. So “Have Truck Will Travel”…Tom and I will take his truck loaded with five-gallon buckets of water dosed with Daniels Liquid Fertilizer and make magic happen. If the weather is kind, I’ll even do some grooming and get those out of control coleus back into shape.

Speaking of shape….the most well behaved plant out there is the Dragon Wing Begonia (red). A number of containers throughout the city have Dragon Wing in them and they are all doing great. One is in full shade and naturally very happy; three get sun until noon and they are just as happy. I do have one that gets full sun until mid afternoon and, while it looks good, you can see that it would be happier with more water to compensate...city watering only happens three times a week. Dragon Wing Begonias will be a regular part of my summer containers from now on!!

No surprise that the vinca love the hot sun and dry conditions. All that were planted are blooming their heads off….and speaking of that….they very nicely deadhead themselves too!

Somewhat surprising to me is how well the ivy has done in the containers. The ones originally planted three seasons ago have gone through freezing temperatures, high drying winter winds, hot sun and minimal watering and all look great. Admittedly the variegated types look a little worse for the wear at times. The hands down winner is Teardrop…dark green color and a teardrop shape to the leaves….goes with everything!

After I do the fertilizing and grooming I’ll report back and let you know who the “losers” are and get more pictures of the winners. No replanting for the losers at this late date so “what you see is what you get”.

A Miracle in a Bottle

Remember the stories of snake oil salesmen coming around and promising that if you bought their "magic in a bottle" you would be cured of all your ailments. There may have been some truth in those tales but for the most part it was just a great scam. I haven't found the newest snake oil treatment, but I have found something in a bottle that will cure the ailments of your beloved plants.

Daniels Plant Food is my new best friend! This past winter provided my Madison, Georgia street containers with major challenges. Freezing temperatures, high winds and no time for me to give them personal attention. When the weather did clear up enough for me to check on them, their condition was stressed to say the least. Some of the pansies were hosting a major aphid party so their decline was even more pronounced. I decided to give Daniels an opportunity to show its worth.

This first photo shows a container struggling just to give a few blooms. After spraying for the aphids, I dosed it with Daniels. Within three days I had a significant turn around...the pansies were putting out new blooms. I checked on the container every few days and daily I could see the difference driving by in my car!!

This next photo was taken after a second application of Daniels (about 10 days later). A quick check today showed the container full of pansies and the blue spruce sedum challenging them for space. Everyone was happy!!

But for sheer flower power, check out this container. It had not suffered from the aphid attack so the fertilizer applications really worked its magic. Daniels is so easy to apply in its liquid form that I don't see it as a chore but more of an application of LOVE.

It is time to change out the color for summer so I'll be able to see more benefits from my new "Best Friend".

The Scented Garden

At long last, it is finished. The idea was born many months ago, and like most of our “children” it seemed to take forever to arrive. And just like little babies, the Scented Garden has some growing to do before it can be fully appreciated for what it is meant to be…..in this case, an evergreen garden with fragrance and color for all four seasons.

This small garden (approximately 21’x21’) sits next to the Madison, Georgia, Welcome Center and is meant for visitors to sit and consider what they want to see while visiting our town. It started its life quite a few years ago with a beautiful concept. As often happens with gardens over time, this one needed some changes to bring it back to life. Due to the small size of the plot, every plant had to make a big impact; and I also wanted each plant to have some historical value. So….this is what we have today.

There are a couple plants that just had to be there! The Confederate Jasmine ‘Madison’ was named after our town because it was found here and proved to tolerate some of those colder winters we experience. And no southern garden can be without a gardenia so for summer fragrance we have the traditional Gardenia radicans; but a new shrub gardenia has been added. Gardenia ‘Heaven Scent’ grows to approximately 4’x4’ and will bloom all summer.

It is proving to be one tough plant because it has been blooming steadily despite harsh cold temperatures and high winds of spring.

Another southern standard is Daphne odora. If you have ever smelled this plant in early February then I need say nothing more.

Behind the Daphne is a very special camellia called ‘Tiny Princess’.

It is special because it is fragrant!! The blooms are white fringed with soft pink and the open, loose structure provides softness to the corner.

In the opposite corner is a new Osmanthus called ‘Fudhingzu’. This guy will bloom on and off through three seasons, with a more prolific flower showing.

The third corner holds a Banana Shrub (Michelia figo). And, yes, the blooms really do smell like bananas. They aren’t showy but they make up for it in fragrance.

Standing next to the Banana Shrub is a very special rose called ‘Old Blush’.

This China rose has delicate pink flowers that have a fruity fragrance. It is nearly evergreen and blooms all summer long. Not to be forgotten by any means is the climber rose that will run up a trellis against the Welcome Center wall. In the spring, ‘Zephrine Drouhin’ will give off a beautiful scent from its profuse pink blooms. The bronze new leaf growth will compliment the bricks of the building.

In the last corner I have planted a very different hydrangea. This one has variegated leaves and it too will have a delicate fragrance. Hydrangea scandens is not easily found but has been around a long time. It has an open structure that will allow it to grow gracefully over the gardenias.

Not to be forgotten, even the ground cover is fragrant. Sarcoccoa humilis is planted around the base of one of the benches. And last but not least, we have ‘Fragrant Bouquet’ Hosta planted around the water fountain.

There is still a lot of blank canvas in which to plant some annual color to help fill in the open spaces. More thinking to do in that area, so check in again soon to see how it all comes together.

Yesterday was the first day of spring, but we all know that winter chills still lurk around the corner, threathening to nip any tender new growth. But, the containers in the Madison City Project look wonderful.....and you can certainly see who are the champions. They survived three hard blasts of freezing temperatures and blustery winds. When things weren't bad enough, Mother Nature sent in four inches of snow. I know who are the "come back champs".....the violas...they are strutting their stuff right now. While all of the pansies that I planted are doing well, the violas are out shining their sisters.

One of the reasons I think that all of the container plants are doing so well is the addition of Daniels Plant Food. This is a new fertilizer for me and I love it!!! If I was doubtful, one particular container proved its merits. Aphids had overtaken all but the sedum and the pansies were stunted or dying. After a serious spraying with insecticidal soap, I fed it with Danials. Within three days I could see new lush green leaves and big blooms. A check one week later showed fully blooming plants filling the container once again. By the way, the sedum was happy with the new food and fighting for its space in the container.

I am looking forward to the containers looking their very best for at least the next six weeks. Madison has a number of big events coming up and we need for the City to have on its "Sunday Best". Color change out should happen the second week of May and I am really excited about the new plants that will be part of the new family of containers.

More new projects are coming this way....so stay tuned.