Wish List / Brief

February 29, 2020

Wish List / Brief

The following are the client's collected photos of favorite plants. Generally, they tell me that she wants vibrant colors and high contrast. Gardens can indeed look very drab being all green all the time. Luckily, modern nurseries provide exotic variegated and odd color hybrids that will fill the bill.

There are two trains of thought going on in the brief.

One is for bold/striking/high impact design. This can start to look commercial if taken literally.
The other is for cottage garden style English borders with lots of different flowers which can begin to look messy of not maintained.

There is a middle ground. These two can marry and balance out. Some striking evergreen structure plants in purple and gold to carry the garden through the winter with interest. And summer perennials of blue and white and pink planted in drifts. I think that is the way we will be going on this design.

Blue and Gold seem to be the dominant theme in the wish list. So high contrast plants outside the normal drab green range for foliage.

Pamela's List

Unfortunately, lilac is a plant that just won't survive in this zone. There is an Asian variety that is more heat tolerant but still gets powdery mildew in Georgia. Perfect placement and luck might see one live 5+ years.

I've seen one in the mountains of North Georgia where they get a longer chill.

I would recommend Vitex in its place. It's even called 'Arabian lilac'. Blooms in the summer and is available in the variegated form. Though the variegated forms are small at 6' to 8' feet. A choice variety for large size and bloom is Vitex 'Shoal Creek'. One caveat is that its leaves look just like marijuana so be prepared to answer that question to your neighbors.

Spirea is a deciduous plant and will look bare in the winter. There are other plants that fit the color profile that won't be bare half the year. 'sunshine' ligustrum gets a bit too tall at 4' ft. This berberis claims to stay 2'ft tall.

berberis dwarf gold

I don't actually have any experience with this plant. Apparently its zone 4-9. Invasive in the north east.

This is the photo I used to make one of the sketches in another post. Photos like this represent a very narrow sliver of time in a garden. How it looks the rest of the year is the important question. I will incorporate various blue perennials for spring and summer bloom that use the purple and gold shrubs as a backdrop.

Wisteria is invasive in Georgia. And to put it in a rural setting by a lake would be irresponsible. There is a plant called Sumer Wisteria that I find even more attractive. I would suggest that one.

Cottage garden borders.

Striking colors, deciduous.

may or may not be deciduous, berberis can be either. This is a strong contender as there is one that stays 2' tall.

Sweet Potato vine and petunia. Both are annuals. The potato can overwinter if it's planted below 8".

High contrast.

Cottage style.

Orderly symmetrical. I typically advise against symmetrical. I can attest from experience that as soon as you get two plants identically balanced, one of them will die. : ) Replacements at large sizes are expensive but available.

Oakleaf Hydrangea does well in our area.

Varigated Willow. deciduous. Pittosporum is an evergreen fragrant alternative.

weeping tree forms can be staked to reach the height you want. I reccomend a weeping cherry that grows to 30' in the second iteration alternates.

arborvitae / does well here -

laurel / damp shade - crepe / good for our area - buddleia / full sun well drained

smoke tree / requires lime in our acid soil, needs high ph

blueberry pink lemonade / pretty / deer magnet

Hydrangea lacy cap / 'tiny tough stuff' only 2' tall

buddleia / 'pugster amethist' 2 feet tall

buddleia / 'miss ruby' good drainage / 4 ft tall

Laurel / damp shade

Keith's List

Calycanthus - sweet shrub / deciduous

Lonicera Species, Winter Honeysuckle

spicebush MB

Daphne

H. Thuga 'tater tot' 'anna's magic ball'

Pittosporum 'Mojo'

G. Daisy 'ox eye'

G. Phlox 'cloudburst'

G. Geranium tiny monster

D. Dogwood 30' - Weeping Cherry 30' - Vitex 30' - Japanese magnolia 'Ann' 'jane'15' TB

D. Crepe myrtle - red Arapaho 20' - purple
'Black Diamond' 12' twilight' 20' - lavender 'Muskogee' 20'

Either of these are good choices for D. Deciduous to provide sun on the back porch in winter. All bloom in spring except Vitex and crepes which blooms in summer. Varigated strains Vitex Var short at 6' to 12'.
R. blandy boxwood