A Garden Make-Over

by Anita Smelley

Earlier this spring I decided it was time for a refresher for my yard.  I’ve lived in this house for ten years now and did all the original work myself.  In those ten years came retirement, a little arthritis and a lot of back-breaking digging in the dirt.  Don’t get me wrong, I love digging in the dirt (even though mine is mostly clay) I’ve always said it was my therapy, garden therapy and good for the soul.  I have a small plaque in my garden with the saying “You’re nearer God’s heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth” and I do believe that.

The first thing that had to happen was to clear out the over-grown mess of umbrella palms, Asiatic jasmine, elephant ears, wood ferns and mint that had taken over.  Enter Teresa and Darrel Johnson otherwise known as The Plant Lady and Johnson Horticultural Services.  This project would not have happened without them and their crew!  At this point in life I am just not able to spend the hours needed kneeling in the sun to do the job.  Never again will I plant invasive species and spend countless hours pulling them up when they spread to literally every square inch of my garden.  There is nothing at all wrong with any of these plants, if you keep them contained… which I did not do.

Now I am all about keeping it simple, not over-planting and selecting hardy plants that will give me years of enjoyment rather than require constant attention.  I still love annuals, but will use them in pots and containers for seasonal color.  At least I can sit on a stool at my potting bench and not sacrifice my back in the process.  I am even using some potted plants in the garden beds to add interest and color.

We extended my front flower bed and while I kept my Shasta daisies and drift roses, we included three micron hollies, a crimson fire lorapetalum and a sunshine ligustrum.  Right now it looks a little bare, but as they grow they will fill in the spaces and not be over-crowed when they do.  We also did a mailbox make-over with a red mandevilla, two more lorapetalums and a ligustrum.  I must say I am very pleased with the front yard’s new look.

In the back yard two flower beds were completely cleaned out and got new plantings.  I have a lion’s head fountain there and on either side we planted a camellia sasanqua October magic and in front of those we planted bloom-a-thon pink azaleas.  This is where I improvised with some potted plants.  Along the back privacy fence I have a large, concrete celtic cross.  Now sweet olive trees, blue plumbagos and yes another sunshine ligustrum.  I think that may be one of my favorite shrubs.  It is a light green shrub and very airy-looking.  It just makes me happy to look at it!

Now that the transformation is complete I patrol daily looking for sprouts of the before-mentioned invasive plants and either pull them up by the roots or spay with a herbicide.  I hope the next ten years (and beyond) I will enjoy my beautiful landscaping.  It is the first place I go every morning.   I have my breakfast along with my cats each morning on my patio and just soak in how lovely everything looks.  I have another plaque on my sun porch that says “All gardeners live in beautiful places because they make them so.”  Can I get an amen?

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