Charlie Thigpen's Garden Design

04/27/2026

Plants really do make a difference! 2-1/2 years ago we started our landscape with a blank slate. After painting and staining the front porch, plants were slowly added. We started with a shrub base and then added annuals, perennials, herbs and sometimes a veggie or two. Yes, some of our plantings are unconventional but I love having the big bold leaves of the giant red mustard greens or the feathery foliage of the bronze leaf fennel in the mix. We now alway have lots of blooms along with diverse leafy colors and textures.It feels like we have a cottage garden at our entry. Of course a garden is never finished as there is more work to be done but we have a good start and the plants make our home more inviting for guests and the many pollinators that frequent the garden. Please let there be rain!

03/16/2026

If you like tulips, you'll love 4D Farm in Cullman, Alabama! Owners Beth and Rusty Daniel have all kinds of seasonal events on their farm but the is a first! When Cindy and I heard about their Festival we had to check it out. I must say when 200,000 tulips are flowering it's impressive. We always expect farmers to deliver produce but this farm family delivered blooms, smiles and a whole lot of color. Thank you Beth and Rusty for your hard work and all that you do. It was a very unexpected stroll through the tulip fields on a Sunday afternoon.

01/18/2026

11/10/2025

Good-bye Fall and Hello Winter! We have enjoyed the summer and fall plantings in front of the house, but this cold front will change everything. I'm sure the blood red Ryusen Japanese Maple will quickly defoliate and the colorful coleus will turn to mush. I often tell people that a garden changes every day. Sometimes the changes are minor or subtle and sometimes they're drastic. Tomorrow's changes will definitely be noticeable. I guess it's time to start working on the winter garden. A gardener's work is never done.

08/29/2025

If you want a taste of Europe without the 12 hour plane ride, then check out historic Quebec City, Canada. Cindy and I just got back from a vacay there and were blown away with this magical city. It's charming, clean and the flowers are unreal! The 'Joan of Arc Garden' at The Plains of Abraham was a wonderful surprise. The garden features a massive rectangular flower border that wraps around a statue of Joan of Arc. It's such a well designed, planted and maintained garden. The border is hands-down the best I've ever seen. It consists of annuals, perennials, shrubs and small trees. The textures, vibrant colors from the flowers and foliage is mind blowing. The plants do love those cool nighttime temperatures and they thrive as a result. We'll do another post soon with photos of this fabulous City. Have a Happy and Safe holiday weekend!

08/15/2025

Cindy and I moved into our new house less than 2 years ago. Only mud, wheat straw and pine straw surrounded the house. There were no trees, shrubs or flowers. I've always tried to do everything myself in my own landscape but this year I asked Bright Landscapes, LLC here in Cullman for a little help. They did a great job installing large trees and putting in a pathway and large stone steps leading from the front of the house to the side yard. I planted annuals and perennials around the path and steps and everything has filled in nicely. We want the front to have a cottage feel and plants make our home more inviting. Its amazing how many butterflies and hummingbirds enjoy the blooms. We have a long ways to go but we are off to a great start.

06/20/2025

Our little kitchen garden has exploded with all the recent storms that have rolled through. So far Mother Nature has taken care of all our watering needs. Every morning I walk out the back door for a daily harvest. We save so much money by having fresh produce but its also so environmentally friendly, since we don't have to drive to the store, our veggies aren't placed in plastic bags or containers and everything has been grown organically. So far the stars of the garden are Burgundy Okra, French Filet Beans Rolande and Shish*to peppers. I'm already missing the lettuces we grew in the winter garden but you can't beat the taste of summer. Bring on the tomatoes.

05/20/2025

Cindy and I had the pleasure and opportunity to tour the '8th Wonder of the World' last week. We had a little Garden Party with a few friends at Jim Scott's remarkable garden on Lake Martin. I've been there many times but each time I visit I see something new or Jim has added yet another feature to the expansive hillside landscape. My wife claims Jim to be the 'Dos Equis' man because he is the most interesting man in the world! For years he's designed a series of outdoor rooms connected by a maze of pathways across the property. He's also brought in and strategically placed giant boulders the size of a small car, installed intricate stonework, formed natural looking waterfalls, pools and flowing streams that you hear walking through the garden. He's also erected impressive structures and cultivated a collection of plants that rivals any public botanical garden. Jim truly is The Man, The Myth and The Legend in the gardening world. I feel blessed to have met him many years ago and each time I leave his garden I'm inspired and mystified as to how all those giant boulders were placed and maneuvered down that steep hillside.

04/23/2025

You've gotta love flapjacks on the table. A client/friend asked if I could find something to put in this urn, sitting on an outdoor dining table. I put 2 of my all time favorite succulents in the planter and it's a simple but effective combo. Kalanchoe 'Flapjacks' and 'Lemon Ball' sedum are so easy but they provide interest with their color, shape and form.

04/09/2025

Cindy has always wanted to have fresh greens growing in our backyard and after nearly 33 years of marriage she finally has them! All of our other houses had too much shade. Our new house has full blazing sun and we're growing greens. Almost every night we walk out back and pick lettuce, kale, spinach or Swiss chard. We are really loving the red romaine and convenience of our small but productive kitchen garden. Summer garden to come!