Botanical Names
Azalea
Rhododendron
hybrid
Burford holly
Ilex cornuta
‘Burfordii’
Crape myrtle
Lagerstroemia
indica
Flowering dogwood
Cornus florida
Indian hawthorn
Rhaphiolepis
indica
Southern magnolia
Magnolia
grandiflora
Not everyone is as compatible gardening together as this year’s Reader Garden Award Winners, Jim and Carole Poole. Their charming Georgia backyard getaway is the perfect combination of horticulture and art. With carefully placed trees and shrubs, well-thought-out beds and hardscaping and meticulous care, it’s a beautiful reflection of the couple’s talents.
TRUE TEAM EFFORT The couple met as teenagers at a conference for Alabama State 4-H winners. Jim was a horticultural champion, and Carole’s singing trio won the talent competition. He’s the horticulturist, determining the layout of the backyard, designing the hardscaping projects and choosing the structure plants. Watercolor artist Carole helps take care of the plants, weighs in on color and texture combinations and puts together the containers every year.
Every inch of this roughly 70×80-foot backyard is composed and gardened, and there are beautiful views from almost anywhere you stand or sit. Get a sense
