A New Plant Purchase
By Ms Sherry
A Photograph of Leucothoe axillaris ‘Margie Jenkins’
Although we have been talking about planting the right plant in the right place I am taking a break from that subject to admit that I visited a local nursery – Golden Springs Nursery – and spent some time with one of my favorite garden people, Jimmy Roberts. I did not leave empty handed. The reason for this particular visit was that he had gotten in a lot of new plants and I could not resist “just taking a look.” When I left, trunk, back seat, floorboard, and front seat were full. All my thoughts about being prudent in planting this year in the face of last summer’s cruel gardening season had left my head. One of my purchases is a beautiful coastal leucothoe, Leucothoe axillaris ‘Margie Jenkins’. Being careful to give this graceful new plant the right environment, I have placed it in a shady spot ( it prefers a woodland setting with acid soil which I have), planting it high and in a location where I can provide the water it needs to get established. As it stays fairly small, 2 to 3 feet high, it will fit right in with its neighbors, not growing over them or being crowded out by surrounding plants. After the plant is established (at least two seasons), I will water it deeply as needed as this plant is not drought tolerant.
Always eager to learn a little more about a new plant purchase, I spoke to the most experienced gardener I know, Hayes Jackson, who told me he actually knew Margie Jenkins for whom this plant is named (and they are good friends). She is 85 years old and owns Jenkins Nursery near Amite, Louisiana. According to an newspaper article about her, she still works in that nursery. Knowing a bit about the plant’s namesake made it only more special to me.
If you do as I often do – and become captivated by a plant’s charms while shopping—take the time to ask the staff a little bit about the plant. Once you are home, a little research regarding a plant’s requirements can go along way to having it become “the right plant in the right place.”
