Hi, everyone! My daughter just bought her first house in Athens and I will be going down in a few weeks to help her with the move. Because I garden, she has asked me for help with plants. She has some foundation plants in the front of the house, but wants to put some low maintance perienials and daylillies in. I don't know much about plants for Zone 7b and would welcome any suggestions for plants or nurseries in the Athens area. Do tall bearded iris do well in Georgia? I have quite a few and was thinking of sending her some when I divide them. Any help will be appreciated!
New House
Yes, tall bearded iris do well here :)
I don't get past all the metro Atlanta nurserys to make my way to the Athens area.
You can see what I grow....
My latest blooms :)
http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb196/soulgardenlove/June%20Blooms/?albumview=slideshow
New Bed Mothers Day weekend
http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb196/soulgardenlove/Secret%20Shade%20Garden/?albumview=slideshow
Earlier in the spring
http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb196/soulgardenlove/?albumview=slideshow
Hi suz, If you go to "Go Gardening" part of DG (under Products and Services) and put in your daughter's zip code, you should find nurseries and other sources near by. Grower's outlet in Loganville might not be too far. It has great prices, but the stock changes very quickly. Becky
Hi Suzsmile!,
My son graduated from UGA in Dec., so I made many trips to Athens over the last 5 years, LOL. There are some EXCELLENT buys on daylilies and such in the classifieds of Dave's Garden, and I have had wonderful experiences with several of the sellers there. I have scads of named daylilies, hundreds of true lilies and several dozen dahlias for continuous, (Nearly) carefree blooms from late spring until frost. And one Pink Swamp Hibiscus that blooms its head off in late summer with 7"blooms. Got that one on eBay, LOL. I have not had success with iris, but it's me for sure because everyone else around me has beautiful iris.
Athens area and surrounds is a great place to find wonderful nurseries - I think it must be all those people who took horticulture at UGA. I don't know many but loved my visits to Goodness Grows, Picadilly Farms and Thyme after Thyme. Bearded irises do very well as do daylilies. One thing you have to give up though is lilacs.
Belive it or not.. They are breeding lilacs for the south now. :) Started research in California and some varieties sold in the south are supposed to do well here... ??
:)
Susan
Suz,
We lived in east Athens for 3 years and did very well with reblooming tall irises, "Immortality" and "Hindenburg". I had another tall bearded iris called "Royal Chalice", I think, but don't remember if it was a rebloomer. We moved to Winterville, just 12 minutes from downtown Athens via the "loop". I don't have any tall bearded iris right now, but you can bet I'll be getting both the Immortality and Hindenburg again.
As far as garden centers & nurseries, there are:
1. Eastside Ornamentals
120 Walter Sams Rd
Winterville, GA
706-543-5500
15 miles from center of Athens.
2. Piedmont Azalea Nursery
1005 Piedmont Rd
Hull, GA
706-543-0095
17 miles from center of Athens.
3. Thyme After Thyme
550 Athens Rd
Winterville, GA
706-742-7149
17 miles from center of Athens.
4. Cofer's Home and Garden Showplace
1145 Mitchell Bridge Rd
Athens, GA 30606
(706) 353-1519
Our new Lowe's on the east side of town (Lexington Rd.) also has a fabulous garden center.
Hope this helps.
JoAnn
Hi Suz,
Welcome to the Georgia forum. Lots of very knowledgeable and especially nice gardeners here. As already stated, iris and DLs do well. There is a "Show Me Your Iris" thread (or something like that) here that you might like to look at. Shastas, black eyed Susan, coreopsis, and cone flowers are low maintenance here. Monarda, yarrows, veronicas and loosestrife all do well in the area. Herbs are great.
Looks like you got some great leads. Edith's Daylilies, also listed, is up my way in Cleveland, GA. She has been there years and has quite a collection. Might want some to bring home.
Laurel
Thanks everyone. I just got back and we visited Cofer's and we visited Lowe's, both the garden center and the store! My daughter's house has a low sloping hill behind it that backs up to the Georgia Power right of way. She decided that she will put day lilies and iris in there. The hill gets afternoon sun. Would hydrangeas do well there? I showed her a lot of perennials in the garden centers and got her information on drought resistant and deer resistant plants. She saw some that she like and will probably plant some perennials next year. I have ordered iris, day lilies and daffodil bulbs for her. She's so excited about her new house and is looking forward to gardening.
For both flowers and substance, I would look at Vitex agnus castus on that slope. It blooms for months and has a more interesting form and leaf, in my opinion, than butterfly bush. It's actually a small, slow growing tree that appears shrub-like. It is low maintenance. I'm posting a photo for you, but don't have a picture of the whole plant right now.
Deer love my hydrangeas, especially the oak leaf ones. A west side slope may be both too hot and dry for hydrangeas. Some of the hollies might be good too. Evergreen, low care and red berries that can last for months of interest. Lots of cardinals that love the berries are a bonus.
