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Cottingham: Gardening for gold

Rain has returned to Athens, and homeowners are looking at their gardens with inspiration and a little more wisdom. No longer can we throw endless amounts of water on our gardens, but we still want beautiful outdoor spaces around our homes. We can have both beautiful and lower-maintenance gardens - it is just a matter of matching plants to the space.

This means choosing a plant that offers much through several seasons, plus thrives in the spot where it is planted - similar to choosing clothes that look good, plus fit your body. It takes a little planning and knowledge, guided by personal style.

One resource that can help with your plant selection is the Georgia Gold Medal Plant Program. The Georgia Plant Selections Committee, comprised of horticulture professionals, county extension agents and University of Georgia faculty, select these "gold medalists" - plants that are well-adapted throughout most of Georgia, readily available and provide seasonal interest. Last year, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia became the new headquarters for the Georgia Gold Medal Plant Program, coordinating plant nominations and publicity. On Sept. 17, a symposium at the Garden will help people learn about and design with these plants. Many Gold Medal plants will be available at the Gold Medal Plant Sale that day. Below are a few of the more than 70 Gold Medal plants.

Miss Huff Lantana (Lantana camara 'Miss Huff')

You've seen them all over town - 3-inch high shrubs covered in orange blooms and butterflies. A little wider than tall, Miss Huff Lantana dies back to the ground in the winter, takes a little time emerging in spring, then blooms her heart out when the summer gets hot.

The only maintenance needed is to cut back the old stems before new growth emerges in spring. A bare spot in winter? Yes, leaving a perfect place for a mass planting of daffodils to make a show (both are very deer resistant). Miss Huff Lantana takes full sun and good drainage and is a great plant for that spot beyond the hose's reach. Any plant needs water during its first year to establish, but lantana pretty much can make it on its own after that.

Creeping Raspberry (Rubus calycinoides)

Creeping Raspberry is a low-growing evergreen groundcover that handles a variety of sites, including a dry slope. This plant prefers well-drained soils in sun to part shade and matures at 3- to 6-inches high by 3- to 6-feet wide. The foliage is richly textured and turns from green to burgundy in fall. Shelly Prescott, State Botanical Garden Flower Garden curator and coordinator of