Every year for more than three decades I have made the same New Year's resolution — to get organized and get rid of the clutter in my life. Without fail, December comes and I still have a desk with piles of paperwork I can"t figure out how to file. (I"m looking now at three months worth of horoscopes I meant to check and see whether any of the predictions came true).

Late last week in a burst of energy, I decided to organize the photographs on my computer.

Martha Tate / Special (ENLARGE)

Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora' will astound you in August.

Martha Tate / Special (ENLARGE)

Alstroemeria is a tough perennial that can handle the drought.

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I lasted about 15 minutes until I became paralyzed by the hundreds of icons that were still identified by an eight-digit number from my camera.

The good thing is that most of the pictures showed the date I took them.

As I scrolled down the list in my garden files and clicked on the icons, it was heartening to see that I will be able to organize the plant photographs by the month of bloom or when the foliage looked the best. Here is a sampling of a year's worth of beauty for Atlanta area gardens.

Jan. 16: Helleborus niger, Christmas rose: A pure white flower blooms on 8-inch stems in either January or February, depending on the weather.

Feb. 7: Nandina domestica "Alba," Yellow heavenly bamboo: I took a photograph of this exotic yellow-berried nandina in the horticulture exhibit at the Southeastern Flower Show last year. A real novelty.

March 20: Corylopsis sp.: One of the loveliest shrubs for late winter. Three-inch chains of lemon-yellow flowers hang from leafless branches.

April 19: Polygonatum odoratum "Variegatum": Variegated Solomon's seal: A perennial that deserves a place in every shade garden. In spring, cream-edged green leaves unfurl from a single stem. Delicate bell-shaped flowers appear soon afterward. In fall, the foliage turns a luminescent light yellow.

May 28: Lilium longifolium Easter lily: If you plant your potted Easter lilies, they will come back taller the next year. The flowers are pure white and very fragrant.

June 28: Hemerocallis "Mooonlight Masquerade": Daylily: I took a photo of this cream-colored daylily with a burgundy center in Claude Carpenter's Forsyth County garden. A very striking flower for the sunny garden.

July 7: Alstroemeria pulchella — Parrot lily: A tough perennial (survived last year with no watering). Green and red flowers appear in June to mid-July and sporadically during the summer. Two drawbacks: 1) It is invasive in a semi-shady situation (making it a good ground cover, actually), and 2) Deer love the flowers.

Aug. 12: Hydrangea paniculata e "Grandiflora" — Peegee hydrangea: The white flowers of this sun-loving hydrangea are enormous. I have a picture of Tutta Glass holding one of the flowers, which is 1 1/2 times the size of her head.

Sept. 12: Patrinia scabiosifolia, Camel's Cover: A cheery, tall perennial that produces sprays of tiny, golden-yellow flowers. Great for cutting.

Oct. 8: Anemone x. hybrida "Honorine Jobert", Japanese anemone: Single white flowers sit atop slender stems. A charming flower for semi-shade. Not drought-tolerant, but should be easy to maintain with collected water.

Nov. 13: Zenobia pulverulenta: A small native shrub with dusty blue foliage. Tiny white flowers appear in clusters in May.

Dec. 16: Craetaegus viridis "Winter King", Hawthorn: I climbed on top of my car to take a photo of the bright red fruit of this stunning small tree in a parking lot of an Atlanta shopping center. Someone has planted several specimens along a street in Virginia-Highland, making for a very beautiful winter scene.

MARTHA's PICK

Oriental Lily

Botanical name: Lilium "Casablanca"

About the plant: Large, pure white flowers appear atop five foot plus stems in late June to early July. Extremely fragrant.

Use in the garden: Lovely in a border and a long-lasting cut flower.

Planting and care: Plant in spring in rich, well-drained soil. Sun to partial sun.

Source: Carroll Gardens, Inc., 444 East Main St., Westminster MD 21157, 800-638-6334, www.carrollgardens.com

Martha Tate is a writer who lives in Atlanta. She can be reached via email at mtate27@bellsouth.net.