Spring Planting Plan for the Southeast

In her article “ Spring Planting Ideas , ” Michelle Gervais attractively illustrates the magical clock time that is the starting of spring : “ Our wintertime - weary spirit move up as hint of green begin to appear . We notice even the smallest patches ofsnowdropsandcrocusesas we push by at 55 naut mi per hour . The firstdaffodilsighting is a thrill , andtulipsare almost too colourful to bear . The palechartreusehaze in the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree seems to shift to luxuriant , vivacious greenish overnight , and every Modern sprout brings delight . It ’s the start of another exciting season , and the voltage and possibilities for our garden seem boundless . ”

While outpouring is often a ado of planting , planning , and perform the manygarden task in between , it ’s always a treat to have someplantsthat will kick back off the time of year with color while others are still awaken up and waiting for strong weather to show off their best . This spring planting plan was crafted by regional expert Hayes Jackson and would be a spectacular addition to anySoutheastgarden .

1. Party Lights™ holly tea olive

Name : Osmanthus heterophyllus‘Shien ’

Zones:6–9

Size:4 to 5 feet grandiloquent and 3 to 4 fundament wide

circumstance : Full sun to fond shade ; well - drain fairly acidulous soil

Native stove : Taiwan , Japan

afternoon tea olive are among my favorite broadleaf evergreens . Their stamina and the heady olfactory property of their flowers always make me smile and take a cryptic breath . I am also a lollipop for any plant with intensely colored new growth ; it feels like you are getting an spare bloom period , especially when the undimmed unexampled foliation outshine the on-key flowers . Party Lights ™ holly teatime olive deliver on both tally , with its sweet odorous but subtle fall flowers and pink new foliation that beams in the fountain landscape painting like a neon signboard . drouth allowance and pest resistance only tally to its ingathering . turn this peach as a hedging , add it to a basis planting , or use a individual specimen as a focal period . plant in a container , it is also a nice accession to a deck or patio .

2. ‘Redneck Nation’ fothergilla

Name : Fothergillamilleri‘Redneck Nation ’

Zones:5–9

Size:3 to 5 foot marvellous and wide

Conditions : Full sun to partial shade ; slimly acidic , intermediate to moist , well - drained soil

aboriginal reach : Alabama , Georgia , Gulf Coast of Florida

I have it away cagey plant names . daylily are the most ill-famed for having mirthful monikers , but is there anyone who can garden in the South without a ‘ Redneck Nation ’ fothergilla ? These little bush are fabulous and very underutilized . I spring up several fothergillas , but there is something special about having a novel species decorate your garden . F. milleriwas discovered in 2020 and immediately classified as imperiled . This cultivar is a useful and well - rounded garden improver that make its comportment know in all season with showy spring blossom , interesting foliation , gorgeous fall colour , and elegant winter branch structure .

3. ‘Alabama Gold’ tongue fern

Name : Pyrrosia lingua‘Alabama Gold ’

Zones:7b–10

Size:10 to 12 inches tall and 12 to 24 inches wide

Conditions : fond shade ; full-bodied , well - drained grime

Native range : China , Taiwan , Japan

I ca n’t get enough of unusual ferns , whether they are variegated , crested , or alone in some other way . But this one is specially close to my heart , since I was the one who found it , unknown , in a local nursery . I shared a works with Tony Avent at Plant Delights in North Carolina , and he baptize it ‘ Alabama Gold ’ . It is a gem with its bright , leathery forget that slowly spread to make an impressive display of just , gilded tongues . ( It is a tongue fern , is n’t it ? ) One of my plants has set off to fawn up the trunk of a heavy tree , which stool me very happy , and you should see the ones I have growing in a hang basket . It is boring to unfold , but totally deserving the wait .

4. ‘Weesie Smith’ creeping phlox

Name : Phloxstolonifera‘Weesie Smith ’

Zones:3–9

Size:6 to 10 inches tall and at least 36 inch encompassing

spring planting ideas southeast

Illustration: Elara Tanguy

condition : fond spook ; rich , moist , well - drained soil

aboriginal kitchen stove : Eastern

United States I had the pleasure of impose Weesie Smith ’s iconic Alabama garden years ago , and her plant selection and combinations were dead amazing . Weesie died in 2016 , but her passion lives on in pass - along plants like this tough native beauty . Each spring it sends up sweetly perfumed , lavender - pink blooms that are as attractive to pollinators as they are to nurseryman . I always prefer cultivar of species that are found in the wild close to my location ; choosing plants with local provenance can be an advantage for beginning and seasoned gardener alike . ‘ Weesie Smith ’ is just such a plant , and it has proven to be easy and rewarding to grow with minimal exploit . Make certain it gets some tad , especially in the Deep South .

Party Lights holly tea olive

Photo: courtesy of Star Roses and Plants

Hayes Jackson is an urban regional extension agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the liaison for Longleaf Botanical Gardens in Anniston , Alabama .

View the fullcollection of regional planting plansand see the rest ofissue 216 .

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Redneck Nation fothergilla

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Alabama Gold tongue fern

Photo: Plant Delights Nursery

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Weesie Smith creeping phlox

Photo: courtesy of Tim Alderton, JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University

Spring Planting Plan for the Southwest

Spring Planting Plan for the Pacific Northwest

Spring Planting Plan for the Northeast

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