I’m taking a daily walk (or two) around my house to check on the progress of my new plants/flowers/trees. And today I’m sharing the best plants – zone 8A (that’s the zone I happen to be in).

I’m amazed at how fast the plants are growing. It’s only been a few weeks but I’ve got blooms on many plants and my camellias have buds all over them.

Here are some of the Pindo Palms below!

The seed pods on the Magnolia trees are bursting with red berries. Birds and wildlife love these berries so I’m seeing more wildlife around my house as well. Yay! Magnolia seeds are inside the berries.

I’m currently researching how to grow magnolia trees from seed.

Best Plants – Zone 8A

If you don’t know your plant hardiness zone, you can enter your zip code here to find out.

I chose the landscaper for this project because I loved the design he created and the type of plants he had chosen for my yard.

It’s important to know your zone so that you can pick the right plants and trees that will thrive in your area.

If you’re not in zone 8A, make sure you check your zone before adding any of the following plants to your yard.

These are the plants, trees, and flowers that have been planted in my yard. I’m also including how many I have of each.

My Plants/Flowers/Trees (zone 8A)

• 8 Kay Parris Magnolia
• 3 Brodie Juniper
• 4 Liberty Holly
• 6 Pindo Palm
• 2 Coral Bark Japanese Maple
• 8 Dee Runk Boxwood
• 3 Antique Shrub Rose
• 23 Rose Creek Abelia
• 16 Peach Drift Rose
• 13 Shishigashira Camelia
• 1 Limelight Hydrangea Tree
• 8 Dwarf Palmetto
• 6 Florida Sunshine Anise
• 8 Big Daddy Hydrangea
• 14 Limelight Hydrangea
• 20 Blush Hibiscus
• 3 August Beauty Gardenia
• 40 Chapel Hill Lantana
• 9 Soft Caress Mahonia
• 1 Fatsia
• 34 Whirling Butterflies Gaura
• 50 German Iris
• 42 Becky Shasta Daisy
• 12 Little Kitten Miscanthus
• 3 Elephant Ear
• 17 Muhly Grass
• 2 Fire Chief Arborvitae
• 18 Holly Fern
• 3 Lespedeza
• 5 Chickasaw Plum Trees (lining the driveway)

Check out the buds on the Shishigashira Camelia below. I have 13 of these and they will bloom in the fall and winter.

I have four islands of trees/plants in the back around the pool area. The rest of the plants are foundation plantings except for the 5 plum trees lining the drive.

Please Note: We do not have pets or small children! I do know that Lantana is poisonous to dogs and children.

If you have small children or pets, make sure you tell your landscape designer or the person helping you select plants from your local nursery. They can help you stay away from poisonous plants.

As I mentioned previously, this is the first time I’ve ever hired a professional landscaper. Even though it was way more expensive than I had imagined, I’m glad I went with a professional. They did a much better job than I could have ever done.

The price also included extensive grading, sod, grass seed, compost, mulch, drainage, etc.

What I’m Loving This Fall

It’s unusually chilly on this fall morning in South Carolina so I’m dreaming of all things fall. Below are some of the items I’m crushing on this month.

Just click the pic to shop now and to get more info! Happy Fall!