Lantana makes a pretty Fall garden!

Lantana is an easy to grow plant, which attacts butterflies all summer long. Here are photographs from Chastain Park in Atlanta, which I have taken recently. So you can see it is still going strong in the Fall. The park system planted a pretty yellow colored version next to deep wine plants, which really stands out.

The pink lantana in my yard grows by leaps and bounds all summer even in the sweltering Georgia heat. It retains water, so it doesn't need my attention. The only draw back to lantana is that it spreads... so give it plenty of room in the beginning. It is not meant for the mailbox area.

Add this plant to your list for planting next spring. Click here for the Chastain Park map. The park is part of the PATH foundation in Atlanta. I shot these images in front of the Chastain Arts Center.

Beginning Gardening

I used to believe gardening to be an all or nothing adventure. My big yard was always overwelming. No more. Over the last few years, I have managed to make one or two changes to my yard each year. These changes have been successful for the most part, so they motivate me to try something new each year.

Last year I purchased five different varieties of irises and 3/5 bloomed. I checked back with the supplier and it was a fact that they all wouldn't bloom the first year. At the same time we planted a nice long row of tulips and they are coming up this year again too. But one of the best changes I made was to move my hydranga. They were originally planted in too much shade, so I dug them up and moved them. At the same time I bought 5 more to make a long hedge. All of the hydranga have new growth this season.

This year's experiment was to purchase ranunculus bulbs.I bought them a little late, so I am refrigerating them. We'll see how it all works out. I will plant them behind the tulips and remove a few pine tree sprouts after a large tree is removed from my yard.

The year before I planted several butterfly bushes. I only needed one, but it has taken off nicely and attracts lots of butterflies each summer. I notice that several of my neighbors have also planted butterfly bushes... I will add photographs a little later.