Southern Superstars in the Garden

We lucky southern gardeners are blessed with some of the best options for landscape plants. Our mild winters enable us to grow many plants that would not be reliably hardy in northern climes, though our tough summers can sometimes test a plant’s limits (not to mention a gardener’s). While it’s hard to limit to just a few, I’ve selected a few of my own favorite plants to highlight below. These are plants that will really go to work for you and show their stuff during the upcoming spring and early summer months. I've focused on woody landscape plants and perennials, since you will have these for years to come once they are planted.

Woody Landscape Plants add structure to your landscape and provide winter interest through their shapes and texture—often called the ‘bones’ of the garden because they provide the framework for other plants. We’re not just talking trees—shrubs, in particular, are often overlooked. I tend to lean towards flowering trees and shrubs, as I want to get as much seasonal interest as I can out of each plant. Beautiful flowers, often accompanied by lovely fragrance and interesting fruit later on, are exceptional bonuses in my book. Consider adding the following southern superstars to your garden:

The fluffy white floral clusters of the Snowball Viburnum (Viburnum opulus) stop passersby in their tracks here at the Garden, and will do the same at your home. It resembles a massive 25-30’ hydrangea—gorgeous! As it fades, the blooms of the Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus) are gearing up. They are more delicate—feathery dangles that change from pale chartreuse to a soft white as they develop. Though it seems exotic, it’s actually a southern native. Another great native is the Oak Leaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), which begins its floral show in June. Its snowy white panicles are visually cooling, and then turn a soft pinkish red color as they dry and remain through the summer. It’s a shrub with multi-season appeal as it provides fall color and winter interest with its peeling, cinnamon-colored bark.

Perennials live for multiple years-- often many, many years-- though they die back to the ground each winter and re-grow from the roots once spring weather is conducive to their growth. Collectively, they provide a changing palette of color and texture through the season as they come in and out of bloom, so add interest and keep the garden from looking the same throughout the season. Many are referred to as ‘passalong plants’ since you can divide them and share them with friends as the clumps increase in size from year to year. There are many choices (really!), but here is a sampling of some of my own favorites for the southern garden:

Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata) is one of the first perennials to show color in spring, and heralds the onset of many old-fashioned favorites like spicy-scented Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) and simple but lovely Shasta Daisies (Leucanthemum superbum). Yarrow (Achillea spp.) offers lacy, fine textured foliage as well as flowers and will re-bloom for a long time if spent flower heads are removed—called deadheading—as will many other perennials including Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Beebalm (Monarda didyma), and Speedwell (Veronica spp). All of these are very easy to grow, and will provide years of pleasure for very little work on your part.

As you can see, there are many wonderful plants for great southern gardens—those listed above provide just the briefest of starting points, and I didn’t even include bulbs, or vines, or … the list is endless. However, those are blogs for another day. Now, get outside and plant a superstar in your garden, or drop by and enjoy a few plantful moments here. Happy spring, everyone!

Family Gardening: Planning a Garden with Your Kids

It’s late April, and the spring gardening season is in full swing! The average last frost date (April 18th here in the Charlotte area) has passed. While this doesn’t guarantee that we won’t have another frost, it’s a pretty good bet. So, consider the ribbon cut and get out there and dig!

Planting a garden is one of the best—and most economic—family activities I know. If you want to have a great adventure with your kids this summer, consider planting a garden together. You’d be surprised how many special moments you and your children will have checking on and maintaining your garden together.

Although there are endless ways to enjoy gardening with your children, I’ve accumulated some tips and advice as I’ve worked with kids and families over the years. I’ve listed a few below that relate to garden planning. I’ll post a few more each week for the next couple of weeks on what to grow, and garden maintenance. (It could grow to more... we'll see!)

Shared ownership. We all like a say in what goes on around us, and kids are no exception. The garden is the perfect arena to include them in decision-making; besides, they will wander out to the garden much more often if they feel like they have some ownership in it. Let them in on the decisions about what to grow. Provide a few choices for them to select from, or peruse the garden catalogs or local garden center together. Ask everyone in the family to choose one crop, or perhaps everyone gets to choose one type of tomato and then have a contest to see whose tomato produces the most fruit.

Start small. If you are planning your first garden, start small. You don’t need a half-acre in order to produce a lot of food. In fact, you will be surprised how much produce you can harvest in a small plot. I recommend starting with a 4’ x 4’ plot, or a few containers on the patio or balcony. Better to smart small and have fun with it than to create a large garden that becomes a chore to maintain.

Don’t worry about perfect. Perfect gardens really only exist in books—don’t worry about it! Your rows do not have to be perfectly straight, nor your garden weed-free. Instead, focus on enjoying your garden together. Family gardening time is some of the best family time you’ll get—no TV, and just each other for company. You’ll have actual conversations! The important part in planting is that you do it together and keep it fun—a few minutes at a time a few times a week may be all the time you and your kids have to spend in the garden, and that’s okay. The entire garden doesn’t have to be planted at one time. Let it fit your schedule—you’ll all be happier in the end. You can always add more later or next year.

Be adventurous. Don’t be afraid to try new things together—one of the best lessons you can give your kids is to model being an enthusiastic and curious learner yourself. Don’t get caught in the trap of thinking you have to know all the answers; instead, teach your kids the joy of trying something new and waiting to see how it will turn out. Remember, all great gardeners have killed a lot of plants as they learn and discover what works in their gardens. If you see a plant that looks interesting, but that you don’t know how to grow, that’s okay—investigate it with your child and then try it if it seems appropriate for your conditions. Gardening is an ongoing investigation, and you never stop learning.


The most important thing to keep in mind is to keep your garden project interesting and engaging for you and your kids. Have fun with your kids in your garden this summer, and turn them into lifelong gardeners. It’s one of the best things you will ever do as a parent!

Have some feedback, or some additional tips based on your own experience? I would love to hear them—please post a response and help foster family gardening.

Thanks for reading-- now get out there and garden!

Cindy