Fluffy Flowers

Garden Historic House and Garden Pilgrimage part 3

This is the final look at a delicious intown, deep south garden. Read about part one here and part two here.

The iron garden gate seperates the lawn from the parterre garden.

Before we step into the parterre garden I took a quick photo of where I had been.

Now to step forward into the parterre garden.

The parterre garden is full plants perfect for the south. The garden is half sun and half shade so it's an interesting mix of plantings. The above photo is the shade side and you can see oak leaf hydrangeas and annabelle hydrangeas off in the distance.

Delicate looking Queen Anne's Lace is actually tough as nails.

The above photo is of the sunnier side of the parterre garden. Here you can see agapanthus reaching for the sky.

Beautiful double daylily.

Rose Campion.

Agapanthus and Rose Campion.

This stone balustrade adds a lot to the formal look.

Beyond the parteere garden is the pool area. These photographs are coming in from the shady side of the parterre garden.

I love how the pool slowly reveals itself.

Many potted plants make this space feel cozy.

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

 

 

Garden Historic House and Garden Pilgrimage part 2

Yesterday I showed you a beautiful in-town garden. Let's continue the tour!

Lovely blue lacecap hydrangea.

Topiary is perfect for a formal garden. And it gives some definition to an informal garden too.

Of all the doodads that make a garden, stone statues are one of the most important. I have to refrain from buying too many as I'm addicted to stopping at all those roadside shops with a vast yard full of them for sale.

You can see the seperation of the garden room very well in the above photo. The short brick and iron wall separates the lawn from the parterre garden.

When I lived in town years ago I used to walk by this garden almost every day. This is what I saw, a beautiful iron fence with blocking fabric to keep out prying eyes. I was always longing to see what was behind that fence.

For the tour the gate was open and the garden's secrets were revealed.

A glympse of the house with it's pretty iron railing.

The piece de resistance of the front garden is the awesome fence.

They just don't build them like this anymore!

But oh, what a defining piece! It gives the garden such character.

Back in the back garden this is the lawn. The planted pots define the entry into the parteer garden.

Overlooking the great lawn is the house and this portico is a nice resting place. Those outside curving stairs you saw yesterday are to the left in the above photo.

Looking out from the portico.

Lovely decorations on the portico.

Another pretty iron side gate. Notice cast iron plant flanking the gate. This is one tough as nails plant for Georgia shade. I just planted some in my tiny bit of shade in my back garden.

The lawn, curving staircase and annual flower bed.

To one side of the lawn is a pergola covered with muscadine vine.

There is another lovely seating area under that pergola.

A closeup of the brick and iron fence with ivy.

Finally, a different view of the iron gate leading into the parterre garden. Thanks so much for coming along on this tour. Believe it or not I still have more photos of this lovely little garden so stay tuned for the final part soon!

 

Garden Historic House and Garden Pilgrimage part 1

Last week the Garden Club of Georgia hosted a historic preservation fundraiser in Macon. I volunteered to take tickets and was lucky enough to be placed at one of the most beautiful gardens.

This urban, in town garden was on a corner lot.

There were many formal elements elegantly crammed into a small space.

This small marble fountain was perfectly in scale. The interior of the basin was lined with painted tiles.

The above planter looks tiny in this photo but actuallly it was very large.

Rudbekia maxima are the yellow and black tall flowers in the back. I have some in my own garden and I love how tall they get.

Lots of brick paths squeezed into this space.

See that cut stone gazebo in the distance? That beauty was imported from Europe.

Delightful agapanthus.

The above row of Thuja Arborvitae 'Emerald Green' were awesome. I've been pondering what tree to plant on my back fence and these beauties have won me over!

This garden had five distinct rooms. This pool area is the very back garden room.

It maninly consisted of potted plants.

Creeping fig growing on the back wall.

Everything was symmetrical in this room: twin chairs, twin planters with two shrubs, twin lights, twin outdoor speakers. The only single item was in the middle. All this set against a wall of green. You can do this at home with modest gardenalia. Simply buy two of everything.

Above, you can look back from the pool area into the parterre garden.

I'm ready to relax by the pool.

More symmetry. This is a key to designing a formal garden.

Here's a closeup of that delightful stone gazebo. See the iron dome roof?

This beautiful wrought iron arched gate has been featured in several books. It used to stand on the grounds of a school several miles away.

Remember those sweeping curved steps at the beginning of this tour? Above you see a side view.

Lovely lacecap hydrangea in the side yard. Plenty more pretty pictures to come. Part two of this tour coming soon!

the garden tour with no garden

Last month I went on a garden tour in Macon, Georgia.

 

There were only five gardens on the tour. The ticket was $25.

I wouldn't really mind so much if all five of those gardens were fabulous.

But the truth is only one of them was fabulous.

The one you're seeing now was not the one.

This property was recently purchased by a man who lives in South Carolina.

It was obvious that the "garden" has simply a cutting back of overgrown weeds.

This was more of a "before" garden. The "after" will clearly be a few years from now.

But to include such a garden on a tour with only five gardens seems a bit much.

There have been many other tours I've taken all over the state that always have more than five gardens.

In fact, many of them have ten or more.

So I do have some experience from which I speak.

I look forward to seeing how this garden develops.

And will fork out another fist full of cash next time.

This beautiful rose was growing out of a crack in the parking lot concrete.

It was the loveliest thing about this garden.

my back garden

Yes, indeed...you're finally seeing behind the scenes in the Fluffy Flowers back garden. Last time I showed it off it was just getting started.

Oh my how things have changed!

It used to be concrete and grass. No life of any kind.

Now there are oodles of birds, bees, and bugs, yippee!

Plus, I've got my own personal weather station courtesy of my sweet husband. How cool is that?

Roses? Yep, got em!

Above yellow rose is Carefree Sunshine.

Cool doodads for decorations? Yep!

Entryways flanked by matching pots? Yep, got those too!

Cute dog statue hiding in the shadows? Yep!

Neato pots and roundy edging? Yep, got it!

Unique bench? It's there!

More dog statues and roundy flower beds? Yep and yep!

Pretty view into the neighbor's garden? Yep.

Dead peach tree to grow a climbing rose on? Yep!

Classic southern plants like Four O'Clocks? Yep.

Fantastic groundcovers like ajuga? Yep!

More roses? Yep!

Cool evergreen shrubs? Yep!

Edible blueberries and raspberries? Yep!

An inviting side path? Yep!

More cute dog statues? Yep! Are you sensing a theme here? :)

A welcoming backyard? Yep!

Climbing roses? Yep!

A place for future flowerbed expansion? Yep!

It's taken a lot of work but oh how I love my backyard garden now.

 

 

 

 

Athens Garden Tour part 2

Today we're back with part two of last week's awesome garden tour in Athens, Georgia.

Remember this awesome courtyard?

I can't get enough of it!

So serene and beautiful.

Love the above collection of pots.

But around the corner...

...is another little courtyard.

And even farther down is a pond.

I'm in love with the above Norway Spruce.

A completely irresistable path to the pond.

This was one fantastic garden. Stay tuned because my favorite garden on this tour is next.

Athens Garden Tour part 1

Last year I went on a garden tour in Athens, Georgia. I'm going to show you all the amazing gardens I visited.

This delightful garden had so many amazing features. I loved how these different groundcovers combine texture and color for such a beautiful effect.

If I lived here the bench in the above photo would be where I'd have my morning coffee.

Did you notice the above is a purse?

Where do those steps take me?

Fantastic fountain.

Love the plants at the base of the modern art pedistal.

A beautifully serene courtyard.

Again, the above photo has amazing texture and color. Love!

Stay tuned for the next part of our tour of this garden.

more Athens, Georgia Garden Tour

We're continuing our tour of 20th Annual Piedmont Gardeners Tour in Athens, Georgia.

This next garden represents all that is classically southern.

It's a complete contrast to the last garden we visited on this tour.

Whereas that garden had an incredible amount of personality sprinkled throughout, this garden by contrast is completely devoid of any personality.

This was a stunningly beautiful garden.

The great lawn was mighty impressive.

The use of rocks was fantastic.

Although I do have to say I've never seen a man-made waterfall that I actually liked. They always look artificial and weird.

I honestly have to say I didn't love this garden. It was clearly designed to be an impressive garden and it is that. It's very beautiful. But I wanted to see more of the owner's personality reflected somewhere.

This sitting area was welcoming and beautiful but it looks like it was bought straight off the showroom floor. I would love to have seen some personal details.

Hope you enjoyed this tour. Stay tuned for lots more.

Georgia Perennial Garden Tour

Here's a video I made of the gardens I visited back in June 2011 during the Georgia Perennial Plant Association garden tour. My very favorite garden during this tour was the first one I visited called "The Dog House". Louise Poer is the owner and designer of this garden. Not only do I love her dog theme but I was utterly and completely amazed by how she was able to artistically cram a colossal amount of plants and doo dads into the small space. This home is in a subdivision with very small yards. You simply would not believe how tiny this garden is until you set foot in it.

Louise's garden was also featured on the best garden show that was ever on TV, The Gardener's Diary hosted by Erica Glasener. Erica wrote about Louise's garden here. Martha Tate, producer of The Gardener's Diary, has also featured Louise's garden several times on her blog, Garden Photo of the Day. Finally, Better Homes and Gardens featured several photos of Louise's garden on their site.

I feel a little guilty for not mentioning the other fabulous gardens I discovered on this tour. They were all fantastic and I found lots of ideas on this tour. It's just that Louise's garden struck me right where I live so that I felt an instant connection with her garden. This year's Georgia Perrenial Plant Association garden tour is happening next month. Hope you can make it! If not, I hope you find a local garden tour you can visit.

Historic Athens Georgia Garden Tour

Today is the next stop of the 20th Annual Piedmont Gardeners Tour in Athens, Georgia. Yesterday's tour took us to a fantastic garden. Today's is a delightfully personal tour.

There is a lot to see in the garden of this restored Craftsman style house.

Including this totally adorable tool shed. I love it! Adore the light fixtures flaking the doors.

Ok, this crossvine is beyond fabulous and guess what? I have the same one, Tangerine Beauty, growing on my fence.

Pretty much a big ol' wow at the entrance.

Same fabulous light fixtures.

This custom iron gate is just a small hint at the artwork you'll see in this garden.

What I really loved was this second story vegitable plot.

When you climb up the little stairs you see a square foot vegitable garden. How awesome is that?

This is a very small back garden and I love how they've made use of every inch of space.

I've been stairing at my blank wood fence for so long wondering what to put on them to jazz it up a bit. Never thought of anything half as cool as these shelves.

Totally awesome artwork surrounded by crossvine. Love!

Meet Renfroe, the resident dog and guest greeter. He was sweet as cake!

Here's a nice overview of the back garden.

Love the colors of this birdhouse.

This is the upper terrace. Despite having a tiny backyard they managed to terrace it which looked fantastic.

They even managed to squeeze in a garage.

I fell madly head over heels for this ajuga. Must.Have.Now. It's called Burgundy Glow Ajuga and I have the perfect place for about fifty of them in the front yard.

Same agava is blooming in my front garden.

Love these blue urns flanking the entrance to the upper terrace.

A very inviting path.

Somehow they managed to squeeze in not one but two ponds on this small property. The other is in the front.

I love this blue glass globe with the white azaleas flanking it!

Ok, if they can manage to squeeze a hot tub and a sauna on this property then I'm pretty sure I have enough room too. Something to consider!

Delightful Craftsman detailing.

How about that fantastic rain chain?

Ok, I'm definitely not going to put a pond in my front garden but somehow it works on this property.

Nice roundy curved front path.

What I loved about this garden was how so very personal it was. All the artwork was fitted in so well with the plantings. I really enjoyed this garden a lot. Stay tuned for more garden tours from Athens, Georgia.

Athens, Georgia Garden Tour

Last weekend I went on the 20th Annual Piedmont Gardeners Tour in Anthens, Georgia.

This tour never dissappoints so lets take a look at the first garden.

As I follow the driveway to the back I can't help but be wowed by the neighbor's garden on the right.

Here's a great way to use vinca minor. Supremely invasive but looks great just dripping over the edge of these natural rocks.

Wow. I want to sit on that patio in the afternoon and sip some wine.

There are some delights in store here!

But first lets just admire the neighbor's garden through the fence again. Yum.

Awesome. That is the two car garage painted a perfect color to blend with with it's surroundings.

Totally love the curvy bed.

Ajuga (the one with the purple blooms) is my new favorite plant. I now have masses growing in my garden.

Delightful courtyard with potted sago palms. I used to love sagos, which is actually not a palm, but I heard a story about a dog who ate the seeds and he didn't live so I crossed that plant off my list.

I like the way this Clematis armandii drapes over the wall. I've rejected this plant too for now because the shape of the leaves is too tropical for my garden. I may change my mind someday though because it is evergreen and so few vines are.

I'm sure I've never seen creeping fig in a pot. Kind of a cool effect.

And here is the view from the courtyard. Such a pretty scene to dine by! The borrowed view from the neighbor's garden is awesome.

Fantastic tree canopies in this garden.

Right behind the courtyard is this delightful small pond.

How about all these fantastic plants surrounding the pond?

What truly impresses me are all the textures! Go ahead and click the above photo to make it bigger. You'll see what I mean and be rightly impressed.

Just past the pond the boarder continues.

Terrific textured tree.

How about that pretty bench? The brightness makes me want to go there.

Such a pretty spot.

And here is the view from the bench. It's pretty but feels like it needs a bit more of a focal point.

Traveling on further we arrive at the garage.

And off to the right, completly hidden from view was this amazing camellia.

I went out of my way to ask it's name but no one knew.

Oh how beautiful it was. Way prettier than my photos.

One interesting thing about this garden was the large photos of the garden on eisals throughout. I'm not sure if they were showing the garden at a different season or were there just to show off their art or maybe they were for sale. Couldn't tell but they were interesting.

Continuing past the garage you head to the next garden room which holds a parterre garden.

And the path to get there was a delight. I love how the path curves around a tree so you can't see the whole thing until you round the corner.

It was so pretty.

And it had neato things growing inside the boxwood.

The path I just travelled is to the right behind those shrubs.

I adore how they made this corner round.

Love the seahorse detail of this sundial!

This intricate iron bench is a perfect focal point.

The above photo is my favorite of this part of the garden.

There is a third garden room just down this path but the sun was too bright and the garden was too new for me to caputure any photos.

So we'll just turn back from where we came.

This is the first time I've ever seen a single flowered kerria shrub (yellow flowers). 

I have the double, pom pom one in my garden but I don't love it. Next year I'm taking it out and putting in the single.

I so loved this dog statue. Must find one!

And this garden tour would not be complete without yet another photo with the beautiful neighbor's garden as a backdrop. Nothing better than a beautiful borrowed view!

I snapped this photo as I was leaving. The front certainly gives no hints about the treasure hidden in the back! Stay tuned for more of this Athens, Georgia garden tour coming soon.

Henry County Georgia Garden Tour part 6

This is the last stop on the garden tour from last year's Henry County, Georgia Master Gardeners tour.

This most relaxing garden featured a pretty koi pond.

This dappled shade was perfect on the hot day I visited.

This was a garden for the whole family to enjoy!

Love the "jewels" added to this heart shaped tree wound.

This ends the Henry County garden tour but stay tuned for more garden tours next week!