Planning & Planting in the Landscape

When not much is visibly happening in the southern garden, this little personal area is ramping up for a theatrical late winter into spring show! Comprised mostly of natives and found plants from the original grounds of a 1890 Craftsman style home. Some of the plants like the Trillium were found 'out and about' and transplanted  to this very naturalized area. It does not look like much in the summer months, just a loose mix of evergreen leaves of ground covers holding on until winter has set in and spring is peaking around the corner. But when all is in gloom and it is cold outside the Hellebores are blooming pinkish to purple amazing blooms followed by Awesome Trilliums with loose sprays of returning naturalized violets and other fun white flowering bulbs, yellow striped Crocus and Grape Hyacinth. Each year I try to gain a little more ground by digging up crowded areas and dividing the tubers and bulbs and replanting in scarce areas. It's just a gorgeous little intimate area that brings joy and hope during the cold months. Just added a white Hellebore this past year so hoping it does well so I can start to divide it and mass it in years to come.

Enough so to be completely overwhelming! You have to really use your design training and stick to a plan because there are so many, too many, options of good looking artificial flowers, plants, trees, grasses,  on and on. It also helps to know something about plants in your region, so that you stick to looks that could actually survive and thrive in your area to help the viewer in their believability & hence their overall beauty, appropriateness and effectiveness. McElroy Home, Columbiana, Al, 2025.

This was a Local Project for me,  A great Estate Owned by Matt and Shay Reed. They purchased the classic brick home ten years ago and have  recently done a complete remodel to encompass their ever growing family and provide welcoming surroundings for friends and family. 

The home is centrally located on the 30 Acre Property backed by their own private lake and surrounded by neighboring lake vistas and rolling hills. Just an overall WOW property!

The home and land are managed and maintained by the fun and vivacious family of seven, not including the two lucky dogs River and  and Calico cat, Olive.

The Project was to create a landscape that reflects the Reed's taste for the carefree, loose and natural style of plants, while marrying the great design elements of the home to the landscape and vistas. 

Lucky for us, there were some great great large planters and urns cast about the property that we were able to utilize in the design of the overall landscape. They are fabulous pieces and just send everything over the top while paying homage to the original owners and builders great style and taste!