Mad About Maples

Bill Hudgins grew up in a small middle Georgia town where he began gardening at an early age. As a teenager, he built a greenhouse and sold high-quality ferns. Over the years, he became a sought after garden designer and opened a high-end garden shop in Atlanta called Lush Life.

In his own three acre garden on a hilly, wooded site in northwest Atlanta, Hudgins has combined his extensive collection of Japanese maples with a collection of boxwoods and literally thousands of other plants. The result is a beautiful blend of mostly leafy textures. In addition, he incorporated his love for Italian and French gardens and a respect for the natural beauty of the native landscape.

In the spring when the Japanese maples put on their new growth, his garden resembles a fine tapestry. The range of foliage color on the maples extends from chartreuse to bright pink to deep burgundy. The feathery texture of ostrich ferns contrasts beautifully with the tightly-clipped boxwoods bordering a wide creek that runs through the property.

Paths run up and down the hills in the back of the house and lead over bridges in the expansive area in front. There isn't a blade of grass in the entire three acres, yet restful spaces are created by drifts of ferns and by a huge parterre featuring various shapes and sizes of boxwoods.

Many of the boxwoods and Japanese maples are in large containers throughout the garden. For example, twin Japanese maples in matching pots flank the entrance to a woodland path. There is a wealth of plant material in this garden. His focus is to combine his collections of boxwoods and Japanese maples into a sophisticated design.

Directly in the back of the house is a serene terrace where fountains spill from relief sculptures surrounded by a vine-covered retaining wall. A stone table is suitable for a large dinner party, while other seating areas provide a spot for reading and relaxing. The atmosphere with its potted topiaries and lush plantings make the area a welcoming oasis.

Some plants in Hudgins' yard:

The plant: Introduced in 1977, this mutation of Hosta sieboldii forms 15-inch-wide clumps of narrow yellow foliage with a clear green edge and ruffles along the margin. Growing only 10 inches tall, 'Kabitan' produces masses of medium lavender flowers in the summer. Herbaceous perennial.
How to use it: A great hosta for forming a border next to a path or to skirt a line of boxwoods.
Cultivation: Plant in rich, well-drained soil in partial shade.
Source: Plant Delights Nursery, Inc.

The plant: Growing to 10 or 12 feet, this extremely unusual Japanese maple with pale, green color is overlaid with pink and red tones when the leaves come out in spring. The foliage is heavily serrated with long, pointy lobes, making for an overall effect that is lacy and intricate. Spreading habit.
How to use it: Can be used as small specimens in containers, in groves or mixed with other textures.
Cultivation: Plant in moist, well-drained soil. Water frequently in summer. Remove excessive, twiggy growth each spring.
Source: Bloom River Gardens

The plant: Growing slowly to six feet tall, this tree has sweeping branches with greenish stems and bark. The young leaves are edged in white and mature to bright green. The finely cut leaves turn a rich gold in fall. Weeping habit and a spreading, mushroom shape.
How to use it: An exquisite tree that is lovely in a Japanese garden or as an under story plant at the edge of a woodland. Excellent for texture against broader leaf evergreens.
Cultivation: As for other Japanese maples, plant in well-drained soil in partial sun. Provide shade in afternoon.
Source: Mountain Maples

The plant: Distinguished by its unusual leaves that appear to be rolled upwards, making them seem very narrow and semi-cylindrical. The habit is vase-shaped and upright. Very tolerant of the heat and humidity of the Southeastern U.S. A mature specimen will have very thick foliage. Grows to 25 feet tall.
How to use it: A good tree for a more narrow setting, as in the corner of a large patio. Plant where the leaves can be appreciated up close.
Cultivation: This Japanese maple is very responsive to pruning and makes a good bonsai subject.
Source: ForestFarm Nursery

The plant: This compact, dwarf form began as a witch's broom on the well-known 'Bloodgood'. The globe-shaped bush has dark purple-red leaves in clusters on the branch tips. New growth is bright red, and fall color is bright scarlet. Maximum height is five to six feet with a four-to-five-foot-wide spread, making this a very desirable shrub-type Japanese maple with very dense foliage.
How to use it: Excellent for a small garden. Mix with the fall color of 'Shaina' (bright red) with other maples that turn gold or orange. Also good for containers.
Cultivation: This is another maple that tolerates the heat and humidity of the U.S. Southeast. Provide some filtered shade, and plant in well-drained soil.
Source: Wayside Gardens