When The Man and I lived on the West Coast, I often called home, and my mother would invariably say, “Your dad and I have been working in the yard today.” This always made me wonder what they could possibly do to work in the yard every day. It kept them healthy, but how much effort did it take to keep the yard “nice”?
Then I inherited the house with its two acres and quickly learned why they were out there daily. Mom, known locally as Miss Anne, and my dad built this house in 1983. Back then, it had maybe five trees and was otherwise bare land. Today, over one hundred trees grace the property, including dogwoods, Japanese maples, oaks, and crepe myrtles that Miss Anne allowed to grow naturally, rather than pruning them harshly as is common in the South. Holly trees, laden with red berries just in time for the holidays, add festive cheer. Mom planned the property to have something blooming every month, but spring and early summer are the show-stopping seasons.
As I write this, the gardenias are just beginning to bloom. In a few days, their sweet fragrance will envelop the entire front yard.
Thirty years ago, I gave Mom a Spanish Dagger, a member of the Yucca family. Today, six clusters thrive on the property, flourishing in Georgia’s humid climate.
Miss Anne’s azaleas, left to grow as they wished, make early April a vibrant spectacle, signaling that The Masters is just around the corner.
My father discovered a native azalea in North Georgia near Helen while exploring with local botanist JR Beasley. JR propagated a cutting for commercial sale and named it the Richard Bielski. I’m now nurturing a small one in the front yard.
Other beauties in the yard include blue hydrangeas, irises, daffodils, and plants I haven’t yet identified.
I’ve added a row of strawberry cream hydrangeas in front of the house and a striking “installation” of zebra grass in the side yards. Five citrus trees, grown from seeds gifted to me in 2014, form a charming hedge near the greenhouses. They once produced tiny limes but never grew large enough to harvest.
I’ve tried growing vegetables over the years but now focus on raising herbs to dry or use fresh in cooking. The
Cat’s love the catnip I grow for them. My herb garden includes sage, basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley and thyme. In the past I added tarragon, cilantro, dill, and marjoram. I rarely include them in cooking and have omitted them this year.
Till next time…
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