Learning to See the Beauty of Nature in Our Gardens
About Ellen Honeycutt: I am a passionate native plant gardener near Atlanta, GA who is learning to appreciate more every day the relationship that plants have with our native fauna. I created a personal blog, Using Georgia Native Plants, to help increase the level of regional native plant information available to average gardeners. I try to emphasize the beauty and versatility of native plants as landscape choices as well as the value to the local ecosystem.
The southeastern region of the US is blessed with some exceptional growing conditions, and the native plants that have always made it their home are rich in diversity. With a region that encompasses mountain tops and coastal plains, a variety of plants exists to satisfy every condition you could have in a garden. Yet we [...]
I delight in the discovery of new blooms in the garden, especially in the spring when I’m hungry for signs of nature’s annual awakening. Luckily not everything blooms at once so I can find a succession of blooms from February to April, enjoying each bloom in its own time. I present here my list of [...]
The message that it is important to retain more regionally native plants in the environment is a message that is reaching more people. While the best way to do that is to preserve/conserve natural habitat, that approach is not always possible or within an individual’s control. Incorporating native plants back into our home gardens, landscapes [...]
Falling in love with native plants has been a process for me. It didn’t happen overnight. It was a long, slow love affair. It might have been beauty that attracted me first. A bright orange flower on the roadside was intriguing and colorful. I also admired how hardy it was – how it could stand [...]
Learning to identify woody plants by their bare twigs is a very useful skill. Despite our recent warm months, my region is still composed of woody plants that are deciduous (meaning they drop their leaves in the winter). Having bare branches doesn’t mean that I have to wait until spring to identify any mystery plants [...]
Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, evergreen plants and decorations in the home and the landscape are a welcome sight in the South. Evergreen trees and bright berries form the basis of these decorations, a delight to both humans and wildlife. Wildlife enjoy them in the garden, of course, using the plants for shelter and [...]
We’ve all heard that one doesn’t plant a tree for now, you plant a tree for the future. You make an investment when you plant a tree, especially one destined to be a tall canopy tree, soaring high above you, your home and most of the living things around it. Sure, you’ll enjoy it while [...]
You want a tree (or two). You recognize that fall is a good time to plant a tree in the southeastern U.S. because the cooler temperatures and ample winter rainfall helps it get established. Yet, with so many trees to choose from, which one is right for you? There are just three simple steps to [...]
So much of plant appreciation is focused on flowers that we sometimes forget to appreciate plants that exist in our landscape as foliage. Native ferns are true non-flowering plants – they reproduce by spores, not by the seeds/fruits that come from flowers. The spores can be found on the back of the fertile fronds or [...]
My favorite time to think of changes to the garden is right during the season that I want the changes. If something’s not working out or I decide I need a spot of color in that place by the driveway, I want to decide on those changes right then. So now is an excellent time [...]
Would you have plastic plants in your garden? Pest free, drought tolerant and ever blooming, what’s not to like? Yet despite these benefits, very few gardeners use them. For most gardeners, only the “real” things will do even though they have to work harder to keep them going. However these same gardeners don’t seem to [...]
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