Gardens & Native Plants in Sandy Springs, GA

Gardens & Native Plants for Sandy Springs Homes

Gardening here means working with what the land gives you. Many Sandy Springs lots sit under tall hardwoods, so sun is limited and roots compete for water. Deer move through yards near the Chattahoochee, Big Trees Forest Preserve and Lost Corner Preserve and browse hostas, azaleas, daylilies and tulips. Red clay holds water in flat spots and dries hard on slopes. A good garden plan picks plants that handle all of this instead of fighting it every season.

Native and well adapted plants are a strong fit. Oakleaf hydrangea, native azaleas, Virginia sweetspire, inkberry holly, American beautyberry, Christmas fern, autumn fern and wild ginger handle shade, while coneflower, black-eyed Susan, switchgrass and muhly grass suit sunny edges. Where deer pressure is heavy, lean on boxwood, pieris, abelia, ornamental grasses, lantana, rosemary and daffodils. Replacing invasive English ivy, Chinese privet, Japanese stiltgrass and Nandina with natives improves the whole yard and gives birds and pollinators more to work with. Lavender and other plants that hate wet clay need raised, amended beds.

Rain gardens help with runoff. Creeks such as Marsh Creek, Long Island Creek and Nancy Creek drain to the Chattahoochee, and a planted low spot that catches roof and driveway water lets it soak in slowly instead of rushing downhill and carrying soil with it. Drip irrigation and soaker hoses can run at any hour under the state rule, which suits garden beds well. Call to plan a garden that fits your lot.