

But gardeners might notice something else-the long, shadowy avenue of trees leading up to Tara the red-clay Georgian soil the high-walled Charleston garden where Scarlett visits her relatives after her husband has died and John Wilkes’ rose garden at Twelve Oaks plantation.Īll across the South, massive, ornate plantation homes were constructed with money generated through a slave-driven economy. Most Gone With the Wind fans swoon over the enduring love story, the spirited optimism of Scarlett in a restrictive society, and the detailed descriptions of how the Civil War ravaged the South. Francisville, Louisiana, four Classical figures carved of Italian stone mark the place where the house once stood.

And if you find yourself here around 5 o’clock, perhaps you’ll join us.At Afton Villa near St. The gardener, who had been busy planting hostas, Lenten roses, astilbes, and even more azaleas (if you can imagine) said, “I’d like one, too. But finishing the “Martini Garden” may have been the best.Īfter many weeks of lugging and setting paver stones, then shoppingįor the perfect bench, the engineer sat down to rest. Our yard has hosted many family celebrations over the years: birthdays, weddings, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter.

We cleared a path, and paired a bench with a sculpture given to us by our grandson, Brian, when he graduated from art school. The engineer figured it out: we needed hardscaping. To that we added several cultivars of azaleas popular in the South: Lady Banks, George Tabor, and White Ruffles. The Oriental Snowball Viburnum shading the little plot is one of many heirloom plants my parents gave me, keeping the tradition of pass-along plants alive in our family.Īfter removing 30 or 40 trees to put in a circular driveway in front of the house, we were left with a natural area of indigenous trees, including dogwood, holly, redbud, and wild azalea. As we wander back towards the house, there’s a bed of hosta sieboldiana, planted from seed many years ago. Just beyond, a walkway takes us through a small parterre-style shade garden of miniature boxwoods, hostas, and ferns. Eventually, we built the brick walks ourselves, connecting the various areas, just as we’d seen in England.Īn eight-sided brick gazebo caps the end of the retaining wall and overlooks the seventh green it’s one of our favorite spots for a meal al fresco.
#Front house azalea landscape design professional#
We needed professional help to dig out the rocks and roots and to bring in tons of sifted topsoil. It would take years to become established. The concept of English country garden “rooms,” with paths leading to beds all around the house, slowly became a reality. We leveled the entire lot and filled it with stepped-down walls, terraces, winding pathways, and even an addition to our home, until we had encompassed every inch of the property. My husband, Dick, an engineer, ran a complete topography of our property. Between our yearly trips abroad, we plotted our master plan.
