Hi GPODers!

Gardening makes such a wonderful life-long hobby because there are endless opportunities to gain more knowledge, experiment, and discover new plants. Just when you think you’re really getting somewhere with your garden, something new will come along that will have you itching to re-imagine your landscape, or, at the very least, rip out some plants and move things around. For Steve Schmidt in Atlanta, Georgia, his gorgeous woodland garden is just beginning to mature and fill in as he imagined it, but his garden journey is also beginning to evolve as he has more time to spend in the garden as well as more time to research native plants and methods for supporting his ecosystem. We have seen Steve’s garden twice in the past couple of years (Check out his previous submissions: Steve’s Springtime in Atlanta and Steve Says Goodbye to Summer in Atlanta), but today we’re finally getting a look at some wider scenes and the bigger picture. Steve has acquired a wonderful mix of woodland beauties that erupt into color during spring, but he is still far from “done” in this shady oasis.

Steve Schmidt here in Atlanta’s Virginia-Highland neighborhood. My residence sits high up a steep hill (25 steps from the alluvial floodplain of the stream to the subbasement level). Roughly a quarter acre of land is in the floodplain. It once was pretty much all kudzu, privet, ivy, fallen tree trunks and a colony of paw paws. Over the years, but especially after retiring, the land has been in transition. It’s now at a point where it’s coming together to share pictures. Even then, the more I read about pollinators, birds, native plants, etc, another layer of transitioning has been added as slowly I try to balance natives with non-native plants I like.

Following is a view from ‘inside’ the area I call the Sunken Garden. Cut into a gradual slope on one side with a raised berm on the downhill side helps define the space with a level floor. In part it serves to hold water when rains are heavy rather than it running off into the stream which borders the back of the property. Layering of shrubs, which haven’t all filled in just yet, surround this area. Included here are ‘Goldmound’ spirea (Spiraea japonica ‘Goldmound’Zones 4–8), ‘Grey Owl’ juniper (Juniperus virginiana ‘Grey Owl’Zones 2–9), ‘Winterthur’ viburnum (Viburnum naked ‘Winterthur’Zones 5–9), Southern indica azalea (Rhododendron indica ‘Formosa’Zones 7–10) (not fully filled in yet), American beautyberry (Callicarpa americanaZones 6–10) and spider azalea (Rhododendron stenopetalum ‘Linearifolium’Zones 8–11) (a very early bloomer). Currently one can see beyond to the West Garden with the later blooming ‘Blaauw’s Pink’ Kurume azalea (Rhododendron ‘Blaauw’s Pink’Zones 6–9) and the ‘Fireglow’ Japanese maple (Acer palmate ‘Fireglow’Zones 5–9).

Following is a closer look of blooms on the ‘Winterthur’ viburnum (still ‘young’ and not filled in so sparsely flowering), a stalk of the Southern indica azalea and the ‘Blaauw’s Pink’ Kurume azalea and ‘Fireglow’ Japanese maple in the background.

Also part of the plantings around the Sunken Garden are a ‘Florida Sunshine’ anise (Illicium small flowers ‘Florida Sunshine’Zones 6–9) red buckeye (Aesculus paviaZones 4–8) and American ipecac (Gillenia stipulatedZones 4–8). Through the gap a weeping blue spruce (Picea of the scrotum ‘The Blues’Zones 2–8) is visible.

Close-up of the American ipecac blooms with the ‘Florida Sunshine’ anise behind.

Outside the Secret Garden at the intersection of two paths is the weeping blue spruce with a couple of ‘Pretty Maiden’ mountain hydrangea (Serrated hydrangea ‘Komachi’Zones 6–9) in bloom.

Outside the Secret Garden in the shade of one of the very tall poplars is a newly placed moss-covered bench rescued from one of the many small older homes which was torn down to make way for a newer home. It is nestled in the patch of ‘Blaauw’s Pink’ azalea. Epimedium to the side; hardy anise and hemlock behind are part of the West Garden.

Another shrub enclosing the Sunken Garden is a ‘Venus’ sweetshrub (Calycanthus ‘Venus’Zones 5–9).

Twixt the Secret Garden and path running parallel to the stream (which in olden times was dubbed the Stillhouse Branch and that a neighbor is working to have that the official name on USGS maps) is a short dead end path—halfway down the slope. Chinese indigo (Indigofera embodiedZones 7–11), ‘Red Dragon’ knotweed (Peach tree microcephala ‘Red Dragon’Zones 6–8) and autumn ferns (Dryopteris erythrosoraZones 4–9) are on the uphill side. Kelsey’s dwarf red twig dogwoods (Horn silky ‘Kelseyi’Zones 2–8) and cypresses—bald (Taxodium coupletZones 4–9) and pond (Taxodium distichum our. overlappingZones 5–9)—planted between the stream and path.

The western property line was once a jumble of fallen and felled tree trunks. Over time, the wood has either been dispersed or decayed. Last year I decided to define the area….which was empty…..with a shrub border. The neighbors have a seating area with a fire pit on the right. As a nice backdrop I put in low shrubs. The ‘Fireglow’ Japanese maple frames the top of the picture. In the back the hillside ‘wall’ is visible. This shot was taken in early April when the Southern indica azalea was in bloom (foreground and back center). I have multiple such around the property, propagated over the years from a single plant.

More recently, these are the shrubs that now line the border. Included are: ‘Generale Vicomtesse de Vibraye’ hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla ‘General Vicomtesse de Vibraye’Zones 6–9) (notice the variability of bloom color—from blue to lavender to pink to cream), ‘Blaauw’s Pink’ azalea, ‘Little Honey’ and ’Snowflake’ oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Little Honey’ and ‘Brido’Zones 5–9). Hemlocks are to the left.

To fully capture all of his wonderful woodland garden, Steve sent in nine more photos that I could not fit into today’s post, so we will be returning to Atlanta tomorrow to enjoy more scenes from this spectacular garden.

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