Left: Fall color is reliably stunning at the Atlanta History Center. The Quarry Garden Bridge provides an elevated view of a mature tree canopy and the Quarry Garden. Below: In spring, hundreds of ferns unroll their fiddleheads in the Quarry Garden.
Small-space container gardening
No matter your garden’s size, you probably wish you had just a little more space to try something new. Containers are easy to fit into any area, and they let you experiment with plants without making a long-term commitment. Here are three container tips from the Atlanta History Center: 1 Place matching terra-cotta pots on each side of an entryway. Plant them with clipped boxwood balls and underplant these with different annuals each season for a fresh look. Or, add other potted plants in front and around them, because they’ll serve as a beautiful neutral backdrop. 2 Use a large and unusual or colorful pot and treat it as you would a piece of sculpture. Place it within a garden bed as a focal point. Such a pot can also fill the gap where early-blooming bulbs have died back. Place a support in the container and plant it with a climber for vertical interest. 3 Use window boxes or wall-mounted planters to increase your gardening area. Be sure to choose drought-tolerant, low-maintenance annuals when you fill them, so you won’t have to spend time every day watering or deadheading them. Long-blooming annuals or those with colorful, textural foliage will look interesting all season long.
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gardeners on the go!
Below left: A variety of shade plants, including numerous azalea cultivars, follow a curving dry streambed in the Frank A. Smith Rhododendron Garden. Below right: The Boxwood Garden at the Swan House was inspired by old Italian cloister gardens.