Low-Maintenance Landscape Trend: Pocket Meadows
As homeowners look for more sustainable, lower-maintenance landscapes, pocket meadows are becoming an increasingly popular design solution. A pocket meadow is a scaled-down meadow planting made primarily of ornamental grasses, native wildflowers, and pollinator-friendly perennials. Unlike formal gardens, pocket meadows embrace a more natural look while still being intentionally designed to fit residential settings. These […]
Why We Should Avoid Sterile Cultivars
Walk through a modern landscape—whether it’s a city park, a new housing development, or even a carefully curated garden—and you’ll notice a pattern: plants that look perfect. They bloom reliably, grow predictably, and rarely drop messy fruit or seed. Many of these plants share a hidden trait: they are sterile cultivars. While sterile cultivars may […]
Design Series 2: What is a Moon Garden?
In short, a moon garden is a planting design principle tailored to the evening and night hours rather than the daytime. Here’s a deep dive into the idea of moon gardens, how they work in the North Georgia region, and how you can bring one to life. Key Characteristics of a Moon Garden Designing Your […]
Friends Don’t Let Friends Plant Wisteria!
Wisteria may look pretty but it can be highly invasive. Wisteria is a showy, woody vine that blooms in mid-spring and will grow to 10 to 25 feet, depending on the support it is given. There are four species in the genus, three native to eastern Asia and one native to the eastern USA. When choosing […]
We Brought Home a GALA Award!
Big Win! Our Team Takes Home a GALA Award We’ve got some exciting news to share — we recently took home a GALA (Georgia Landscape Awards) award for our project “Dahlonega Perennial Garden,” and we couldn’t be more proud! This project was all about blending beauty with purpose. The homeowners wanted to create a lawn-less […]
Tree of Hell: The Invasive Nightmare in Your Backyard
Have you ever noticed a tree in your yard that looks like a sumac but seems to spread like wildfire? You might be dealing with Ailanthus altissima, commonly (and ironically) called the “Tree of Heaven.” Don’t let the heavenly name fool you—this invasive species is more of a nightmare, earning it the nickname “Tree of […]
Your Guide to Winter Proofing Your Yard
As winter draws near, the trees turn bare, and the skies settle into that familiar, muted gray of the season.. Each year, I pick up new strategies to keep my clients’ plants—and my own—safe from the cold. It’s often a blend of experience, learning from past seasons, and keeping an eye on the weather to […]
Move Over Hydrangea – Versatile Viburnums for North Georgia
In North Georgia, the variety of plants you can incorporate into landscaping is impressive, from native wildflowers to towering trees. Viburnums are often overlooked in garden design, yet they bring a unique beauty that makes them a great choice. With their stunning white blooms, diverse foliage, and vibrant berries, these shrubs add beauty to your […]
Planting Communities
Designing Planting Communities for Resilient Landscapes Landscapes have changed significantly over time, evolving from the wild and untamed environments that welcomed the early settlers to the neat and orderly gardens we have today. Traditionally, our landscapes and planting communities have been shaped by historical norms—just visualize the manicured lawns and neatly clipped shrubs that we […]
The Inward Garden
This is my book review of “The Inward Garden: Creating a place of beauty and meaning,” by Julie Moir Messervy. It is one of my favorite design books, and I highly recommend it to everyone. This book was an epiphany of sorts for me. It explained why I am drawn to certain gardens and to […]
