Show #41/5802: After A Long Winter Spring Color Is A Welcome Change
Summary of Show
Barnsley History
And, there is a tremendous amount of HISTORY BEHIND THIS ESTATE. It starts back in the 1820's when Godfrey Barnsely came from England and settled in Savannah, Georgia. His idea was to take raw cotton and ship it back to London for fabrication, then ship it all around the world. He was not only a cotton broker but a shipping merchant. Godfrey married a Savannah socialite by the name of Julia Scarborough. With the birth of each child Godfrey was amassing a greater fortune.
Heleborus
HELEBORUS is one of Eric's all time favorites, thus is excited to be standing in a mass planting that has obviously been here a long time. They have been here a long time, they naturalize themselves. They're great under shade trees, they're evergreen thus stay green all year. They will bloom as early as Christmas but this is April and there are still a lot of blooms.
Daffodils
DAFFODILS are known for introducing spring and opening the plant door. And they're beautiful. Eric likes the way they've used daffodils, they're very versatile. In one bed, a perennial border, the bulbs are integrated in among the violas and pansies and many other flowering plants with a wide range of different colors and foliage textures. The bulbs provide wonderful pops of color in this garden.
Daffodil Maintenance
If you want to START A DAFFODIL PROGRAM, consider drainage, drainage is very important. Actually it's number one because one must make sure the bulbs are not sitting in water. Water will rot the bulb. Second is planting the bulb. It should be planted at least 3 times as deep as it is wide. Fall is a great time to plant. Bulbs need chilling hours to bloom well. And when the bloom is gone and just the foliage remains, it is tempting to cut that foliage off. But that foliage is very important to the health of the bulb, it is the photosynthetic material which allows the bulb to build energy for the next year.
Tulips
At Barnsley TULIPS are very important in the spring landscape. Sandy says the word tulip comes from Turkey and the Turkish work for tulip means turban. They have many different colors and kinds of Tulips. Tulips are annuals in this part of the country but tulips typically are a perennial bulb, as is true of most bulbs. The reason we can't use them as perennials in the south is because of the chilling hours. Bulbs require a varied number of chilling hours. Daffodils have a very low chilling hour requirement. But, tulips require a lot of chilling hours.
Dogwood
The first they explore is a double flowering DOGWOOD. It's a nice understory tree that will grow underneath taller trees. They are one of Eric's favorite flowering trees. When the dogwoods are in bloom they're absolutely stunning and here they're dotted throughout the woods and on the edge of some of the meadows. One of the questions GardenSMART frequently receives is - How do I care for flowering trees and shrubs, specifically how do we maximize the bloom potential of these trees from year to year because some times the trees just don't perform so well. Often times it is a function of nutrition.
Native Azaleas
Sandy and Eric next discuss the NATIVE AZALEA. It too is a wonderful spring bloomer and they have a fantastic collection here. They have oranges, reds, whites and pinks. All are beautiful. The native azalea is much different than the traditional landscape azalea. They tend to be taller. Setting is very important to these plants, they don't want too much water. These are planted on the side of a hill which mimics where they naturally grow. If they get a huge rain being on a slope, the hillside will not hold that much water which is perfect for the azalea which is a mountain type plant.
Azalea Maintenance
Azaleas can be a bit finicky regarding MAINTENANCE. Several things should be addressed when planting them. The most important thing is to make sure the soil is acidic. It should be between PH 4.0 to 5. That is important for it to be able to survive, let alone bloom. Many parts of the country have basic soil, so have the soil tested through the extension service. It's not expensive and if you find the soil has the wrong PH there are many products that one can pick up from a garden center to acidify the soil.
Wisteria
WISTERIA is known as a flowering vine and, it's hard to beat from a beauty standpoint. They have a number of really nice selections at Barnsley. Sandy tells us about one. It's a white wisteria. Most are familiar with the blue or purple but the white still has a strong grape, sweet smell similar to the other types. The sun brings out the oils, thus smell and the wind moves that great fragrance around. Wisteria is originally from China. Eric points out that wisteria is a very aggressive plant, in fact in many places it's considered an invasive.
Iris
They're also known for their IRIS at Barnsley. They're planted all over the property. Sandy especially likes the Kool-Aid iris. Many don't associate iris with fragrance but it is a beautiful purple and smells like Kool-Aid. There are German irises, planted in the thousands, along both sides of the iris walk. They look at the yellow flag iris. It's a plant often used in certain areas for cleansing the water. Many plants like iris or meadow grasses are now being used to clean up areas where there might be heavy nitrogen or others things that might have gotten out of whack in the water.
Show #41/5802: After A Long Winter Spring Color Is A Welcome Change
Transcript of Show
After a long, cold winter early season color is a welcome change. In this Episode GardenSMART visits one of Georgia's premiere estate gardens, known for its spring color.
Scott Mahr, the General Manager of Barnsely Gardens Resort, welcomes Eric and GardenSMART, then fills us in on some of the history behind this property. And, there is a tremendous amount of HISTORY BEHIND THIS ESTATE. It starts back in the 1820's when Godfrey Barnsely came from England and settled in Savannah, Georgia. His idea was to take raw cotton and ship it back to London for fabrication, then ship it all around the world. He was not only a cotton broker but a shipping merchant. Godfrey married a Savannah socialite by the name of Julia Scarborough. With the birth of each child Godfrey was amassing a greater fortune. However Julia was becoming more ill. The U.S. government was selling off land lots in North Georgia and Godfrey thinking that the climate in North Georgia would be better for Julia's health, started amassing land via land lots. In total he amassed over 10,000 acres, to build the estate for his beloved Julia. Being a shipping merchant, as he was dispersing cotton all over the world he was bringing plant life back from all parts of the world. In fact, his oldest son, Howard, who was looking for unique plant life to bring back to Woodlands Georgia was killed by pirates off the coast of China.
The inspiration of these wonderful gardens, as well as the structures on this amazing estate are tied to history as well. The treatise by Andrew Jackson Downing, written in the early 1800's was Barnsley's inspiration as to how he was going to build his estate. He built this woodlands estate in the form of a manor home. It was so impressive that when Sherman was marching to the sea, and burning everything in his path that Sherman spared this estate. General McPherson actually stayed on the property for 2 nights and stationed a guard in front of the formal partier garden and told all - Do not touch the plant life. Bringing it forward to present time the resort stays true to Downing's writings. Downing wrote a book on English country cottages, the current day guest cottages and public buildings are designed from Downing's books.
A lot of changes have occurred over the years, there has been a tremendous evolution. But the gardens today are a 16 acre area isolated into what is referred to as the historic area. The plants are telling the story of this historic estate. The rose species, the boxwoods, the formal partier and the 10 acres of trails that wander through the plant life, brought here up to 180 years ago, take us back to earlier times. Eric feels this is one of the most beautiful places in Georgia and can't wait to get started. Scott turns it over to Garden Sandy, the Head Horticulturist for the property. Eric thanks Scott and is on his way to meet Sandy.
Sandy Sanders is the Head Horticulturist at Barnsley Resort and welcomes Eric. Sandy tells us about herself. For years she has loved plants, loved having them in her house and enjoyed designing with plants outside her home as well. Her Mom was an avid gardener, so she's always been around gardening. But she is new to the industry. For 14 years she worked in a cotton mill, in a supervisory position. But because of the economy, was laid off. She had a chance to go back to school, started in a brand new horticultural department and graduated in 2 years and is now at Barnsley. Her daily responsibilities involve a lot of maintenance. There is always changing of color. They try to keep color going throughout the seasons. Even though they will soon be planting summer annuals they are currently planning for the fall. But spring is particularly beautiful. Most people don't realize it can start as early as December, then into January with the roses, then into spring with bulbs, flowering trees and shrubs and it just keeps on going the rest of the year. Eric thinks this may be the perfect time to visit so they get started. Top
HELEBORUS is one of Eric's all time favorites, thus is excited to be standing in a mass planting that has obviously been here a long time. They have been here a long time, they naturalize themselves. They're great under shade trees, they're evergreen thus stay green all year. They will bloom as early as Christmas but this is April and there are still a lot of blooms. An interesting fact about these flowers - Actually it's the bracts around the outside that have the color, the flower is a smaller piece on the inside that produces seed pods. They have a great ability to naturalize. As we look under the leaves we see thousands and thousands of little heleborus seedlings popping up. The seed does take a long time to germinate so these are most certainly plants that would have come from last years seed crop. One could easily come in here at the right time of year, usually the winter, and lift these little seedlings and move them to different parts of the garden. There are so many of them right now that not all of them are going to make a plant, there's too much competition for light and nutrients. We're looking primarily at Heleborus Orientalis but they have other species as well. For example they have Heleborus Feotidus, also known as bear claw. Its leaves are completely different but the flowers are somewhat similar. Although they're more upright, they don't droop as much and they have a light green color. Heleborus is an early bloomer and an all round wonderful plant. It's a must have for the garden.
Bulbs are a very important part of the spring palette and at Barnsley they plant thousands of them every fall so they'll be ready to come up in the spring. They have early and late bloomers to extend the season. Top
DAFFODILS are known for introducing spring and opening the plant door. And they're beautiful. Eric likes the way they've used daffodils, they're very versatile. In one bed, a perennial border, the bulbs are integrated in among the violas and pansies and many other flowering plants with a wide range of different colors and foliage textures. The bulbs provide wonderful pops of color in this garden. They also have giant bluffs of daffodils where there must be tens of thousands of plants. One nice thing about daffodils is they last a number of years, coming back each year.
At GardenSMART we receive many questions asking about the difference between a Jonquil, Narcissus and a Daffodil. Technically it's the same plant, botanically they're the same plant. Narcissus is the latin name but all are referred to as the Daffodil. Narcissus, Jonquil and Daffodil are all the same. Top
Sandy has some advice for home gardeners. If you want to START A DAFFODIL PROGRAM, consider drainage, drainage is very important. Actually it's number one because one must make sure the bulbs are not sitting in water. Water will rot the bulb. Second is planting the bulb. It should be planted at least 3 times as deep as it is wide. Fall is a great time to plant. Bulbs need chilling hours to bloom well. And when the bloom is gone and just the foliage remains, it is tempting to cut that foliage off. But that foliage is very important to the health of the bulb, it is the photosynthetic material which allows the bulb to build energy for the next year. So it's important to leave the leaves in place. Eric often likes to tie the foliage in knots at the end of the year making them even easier to cut off once they do turn brown. In summary, Fall is a wonderful time to plant, make sure you plant them deep enough and leave the foliage in place until they turn brown so they'll be healthy the next year. If you follow these easy steps you should have beautiful daffodils next year. Top
At Barnsley TULIPS are very important in the spring landscape. Sandy says the word tulip comes from Turkey and the Turkish work for tulip means turban. They have many different colors and kinds of Tulips. Tulips are annuals in this part of the country but tulips typically are a perennial bulb, as is true of most bulbs. The reason we can't use them as perennials in the south is because of the chilling hours. Bulbs require a varied number of chilling hours. Daffodils have a very low chilling hour requirement. But, tulips require a lot of chilling hours. So, if we were to travel to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for example, there tulips get quite a bit taller because stem height is a function of the age of the bulb but as well has to do with the number of chilling hours it receives. So when we want to use them every year in this environment we need to dig them up, put them in the refrigerator, store them, then put them back in the ground in the fall. But it's such a dynamic, such an impressive plant that even as an annual it's an irresistible plant. Eric notices that Sandy has quite a few different types. What are some of her favorites? The purple varieties are hybridized cultivars. They use a lot of hybridized type cultivars because of the wide range of colors. In the species she likes the parrot or the peony flower tulip. It has quite a few colors that are really bright and vibrant and the flower is very different. Tulips come in almost every color and they use tulips beautifully at Barnsley.
As we think about how to plan our gardens for a full year of color it's very important to consider flowering trees and shrubs. They add a whole range of color and really complete the season. Sandy has a wonderful collection of different kinds of flowering trees and shrubs. Top
The first they explore is a double flowering DOGWOOD. It's a nice understory tree that will grow underneath taller trees. They are one of Eric's favorite flowering trees. When the dogwoods are in bloom they're absolutely stunning and here they're dotted throughout the woods and on the edge of some of the meadows. One of the questions GardenSMART frequently receives is - How do I care for flowering trees and shrubs, specifically how do we maximize the bloom potential of these trees from year to year because some times the trees just don't perform so well. Often times it is a function of nutrition. Look at a good fertilization program. Eric recommends something that has a three, one, two ratio. It could be a 16-4-8, anything that has a 3-1-2 ratio, which is a nitrogen heavy fertilizer. Also read the bag and see what kind of nitrogen it is putting out. A lot of fertilizers are ammonium nitrate which is not necessarily the best thing for trees and shrubs. That's a fertilizer better suited for grass. So find something that is a nitrate nitrogen or at least something that has a high ratio of nitrate nitrogen and as well Eric would recommend something that is a slow release fertilizer. There are products that release over a 6 month span, some as long as a year. Put that down early in the season. Think about the fact that even when the tree is not actively growing from a foliage standpoint, there is still a lot of growth out of sight that goes on during the colder months. So if we look at a late winter fertilization one will be putting the fertilizer down on the plant at the time it really needs nutrition to get everything jump started for the spring. Depending on the part of the country you live in, a late winter fertilization, 3-1-2 ratio, and something high in nitrate nitrogen, will make a difference from the standpoint of the bloom power of your flowering trees and shrubs. Top
Sandy and Eric next discuss the NATIVE AZALEA. It too is a wonderful spring bloomer and they have a fantastic collection here. They have oranges, reds, whites and pinks. All are beautiful. The native azalea is much different than the traditional landscape azalea. They tend to be taller. Setting is very important to these plants, they don't want too much water. These are planted on the side of a hill which mimics where they naturally grow. If they get a huge rain being on a slope, the hillside will not hold that much water which is perfect for the azalea which is a mountain type plant. They attract a lot of butterflies and bees, generally bring a lot of wildlife into the garden. When the sun hits these great plants they're electric. Top
Azaleas can be a bit finicky regarding MAINTENANCE. Several things should be addressed when planting them. The most important thing is to make sure the soil is acidic. It should be between PH 4.0 to 5. That is important for it to be able to survive, let alone bloom. Many parts of the country have basic soil, so have the soil tested through the extension service. It's not expensive and if you find the soil has the wrong PH there are many products that one can pick up from a garden center to acidify the soil. As discussed, drainage is important to azaleas, they don't like wet feet. A tip when planting is to take about half the pot and put it in the ground, leave the other half above ground and mound the soil up to the top of the pot or to the top of the root ball. Add some mulch and that will allow the feeder roots to be right on the surface. Even if one has compacted soil or clay those roots will be close to the surface and will be able to breathe. Eric thinks that's a great tip. Many ask when should one prune azaleas. They bloom on mature wood so if you were to wait too late in the year you would be cutting off next years blooms. A general rule of thumb, although different in different parts of the country, is to prune azaleas before the 4th of July, if not sooner. That guarantees that the subsequent flushes are going to produce new buds, meaning you should have beautiful azaleas year after year.
Top
WISTERIA is known as a flowering vine and, it's hard to beat from a beauty standpoint. They have a number of really nice selections at Barnsley. Sandy tells us about one. It's a white wisteria. Most are familiar with the blue or purple but the white still has a strong grape, sweet smell similar to the other types. The sun brings out the oils, thus smell and the wind moves that great fragrance around. Wisteria is originally from China. Eric points out that wisteria is a very aggressive plant, in fact in many places it's considered an invasive. So any time gardeners are thinking about incorporating an aggressive plant into the landscape it's important to make sure to have an appropriate situation for that plant. Here the vine is growing up a tree providing a beautiful, natural scaffolding. The tree defines its space and Sandy and crew invest no small amount of time making sure it stays in that space. And that is a commitment one must make when they entertain the thought of bringing an aggressive plant into the garden. This wisteria shows why they're irresistible, it has both fragrance and beauty. Eric thinks even with its aggressive nature Wisteria has a place in the southern garden.
Top
They're also known for their IRIS at Barnsley. They're planted all over the property. Sandy especially likes the Kool-Aid iris. Many don't associate iris with fragrance but it is a beautiful purple and smells like Kool-Aid. There are German irises, planted in the thousands, along both sides of the iris walk. They look at the yellow flag iris. It's a plant often used in certain areas for cleansing the water. Many plants like iris or meadow grasses are now being used to clean up areas where there might be heavy nitrogen or others things that might have gotten out of whack in the water. Iris does require some maintenance. From time to time they should be dug up and divided. Here every 2 or 3 years the dig them up and separate them. It doesn't hurt the plants, they will continue blooming. They have rhizomes which are like tubers and they lay sideways. Just dig them up, separate them, cover them, let them grow and they should be fine. The rhizomes will get congested, thus need separated. There are just too many roots for the amount of water. Give some to your neighbors, it's a great pass along plant.
There are more plants at Barnsley Gardens than we could ever discuss but Sandy wants to show us several more. One is a Viburnum Macrocephalum or the Chinese Snowball and is showing off its beautiful blooms right now. The banana tree is another interesting plant. It's a shrub and not related to the banana family at all but does have a wonderful scent when in bloom. It smells just like bananas.
Sandy has a parting thought. Just keep on learning, you're never too old to dig in the dirt. Those words have served her well. This is her second profession and one she truly enjoys.
Eric thanks Sandy for this garden tour. We've learned a lot. We trust many in the audience will find helpful hints within this show. Thanks Sandy, this has been an enjoyable day. Top
By Natalie Carmolli for Proven Winners® ColorChoice®
Fall is the perfect time to plant many woody perennials. Click here for interesting article that presents six outstanding shrubs that not only thrive when planted in the fall but also bring effortless color and interest to your garden next spring.
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