The phone rang, and a gardener in tearful hysteria was there pleading for me to take her monarch caterpillars as she was totally out of milkweed leaves. At the time we had quite a few plants representing several species, both native and imports. I was shocked however when she brought me a box with 100 plus caterpillars. I went out to the garden ...Read more

It has been well over a decade since I last wrote about the scarlet sage, and this year it seems like I am discovering an old friend. It is like this plant I grew up loving had disappeared, but in truth, while I have been growing other flowers the scarlet sage has simply gotten better.

There is a good chance you have forgotten about this plant,...Read more

All over the Southeast America's most beautiful berry is astounding those who come across it in the wild. Those who have incorporated it into their landscape, however, are in a state of celebration. This berry is the American beautyberry, Callicarpa americana.

It is native in 14 states; from Missouri to Tennessee and Virginia to Maryland and ...Read more

Over the last few years, I have 'waxed poetic' if you will, about birds, bees, and butterflies but have given hardly a mention to the lowly moth. I say lowly only in the numerical position of where most people place the moth.

Oddly enough, moths have brought great joy to my family this summer in various locales of Georgia. If you can believe, a...Read more

This year it seems the caladium has appeared in both landscapes and as component plants in mixed containers including baskets. The caladium has been a little cyclical in popularity over the past couple of decades, but innovative designers have shown us we just haven't pushed the envelope with the artistic opportunities.

In 2017 it's been ...Read more

It's been 20 years, 1997 to be exact since the Georgia Gold Medal program gave the award to one of the most persevering native perennials of all time, the Rudbeckia triloba.

At the time, finding one at the local garden center was rare even though it is native in 34 states. If you think about it, it is quite remarkable that a plant with no ...Read more

When it comes to the backyard wildlife habitat, the cup plant has it all. To me, it is the flag bearer perennial for bees, butterflies, and birds. It is a stalwart native in 34 states from Louisiana north to Canada crossing every border east. Alas however its size is quite imposing. It is big, bold and wonderful, and this is the time of the year...Read more

The Hydrangea paniculatas have to be the showiest plant in the summer garden, and I have an-affection for them all. Chantilly Lace and Pinky Winky, however, has captured my heart not only for their beauty but their proclivity to attract pollinators.

Here at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens, we have several of the leading varieties of what ...Read more

The past couple of years I have been amazed seeing the potential of Silver Falls dichondra in mixed containers. This plant often ignored because it's silver or gray and of course is a cousin to the weed we fight in our precious lawns.

Silver Falls may be the ultimate spiller plant for baskets and mixed containers. While a showy trailer, Silver ...Read more

It has been eight years, and it is still causing an uproar in the gardening world. If you are an avid gardener, then you probably caught my 'tongue and cheek' on one of the best zinnias to ever hit the market, Uproar Rose. This beauty gives you bouquets for the vase and living arrangements in the landscape.

Uproar Rose was selected in 2009 as ...Read more

Fourteen years ago, Prairie Sun one of the most beautiful gloriosa daisies was chosen as an All-America Selections Award Winner. This award followed on the heel of Indian Summer another outstanding selection, and this might night have garnered all the love and attention it deserved. Thanks to progressive greenhouse growers and a new generation ...Read more

Twenty years ago something odd happened in the plant world, and as I look back now, I realize it flew under the radar. In 1997 a new plant called New Wonder Scaevola won the Georgia Gold Medal, Mississippi Medallion, and Louisiana Select awards. That trifecta was indeed quite rare. This little plant from Australia captured the imagination of the...Read more