Arthur and Stephanie Blank's West Paces Ferry garden is a blend of formal and informal design, but one thing remains a constant in this landscape: This is classic Southern gardening.
The Blanks restored their Italian Renaissance styled estate in recent years and the garden's transformation was just as dramatic. The Blanks' five-acre landscape will be seen on this weekend's Atlanta Botanical Garden's 26th Annual Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour, which features 12 private landscapes across the city.
Imagine a grand lawn with nearby parterres lined in boxwood and accented with Italian cypress. Picture statuesque water fountains surrounded by rose bushes pruned as trees and surrounded by annual garden beds. Then envision walking trails leading through a shade garden and a bog-like koi pond planted with swaths of rhododendrons, azaleas, hydrangeas, Japanese maples and other must-have plants for the Southern landscape. Did we mention the putting green nestled into a perennial garden?
The garden has components of Italian influence with classic Buckhead plantings, said Bill Lincicome, CCO and partner with HighGrove Partners, who collaborated with John Howard of Howard Design Studio for this project. HighGrove Partners was formerly known as Post Landscape Group, for which Blank served on the board, Lincicome said.
We chatted with Lincicome about ways to incorporate the best of the Blank garden into your own landscape.
1) The more the merrier. For a wow factor, pick a few favorites and plant lots of them, Lincicome said. Nothing brings impact like a wall of repeated color and shape.
2) Focal points. Highlight a garden corner with containers amid garden beds. The Blanks' parterre spaces are accented with traditional urns planted with seasonal color.
3) Scents and sensory. Plant your favorite herb, such as the Provence lavender found in the Blank garden, in mass groupings to adorn your garden with fragrance.
4) Symmetry. Small plants, such as mondo grass or petite annuals, become artwork when planted on diagonals, such as seen at the base of rose beds by the Blanks' home.
5) Water feature. If you're lucky enough to have a water feature in your yard, consider highlighting the space with colorful irises and ornamental grasses. Garden sculptures also give the water feature an artful touch.
6) Putting green. While the Blanks opted for synthetic turf for their private putting green, a hybrid Bermuda grass planted in full sun is your best bet for practicing your short game at home.
7) Smart water. Underneath the garden is a 30,000 gallon cistern that collects run-off from the surface and the roof of the house -- water that is used to irrigate the massive landscape. While not everyone can go to these lengths, Lincicome advises installing a simple rain barrel for major water savings.
Event preview
The Atlanta Botanical Garden's 26th Annual Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour. 10 a.m. -- 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Advance tickets are $20 and available at the ABG gift shop, select area garden centers or by calling 404-591-1575. Tickets also available at the private gardens on tour days for $30. Children under 12, free. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org, 404-876-5859.
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