A vibrant, colorful, and at times fragrant new landscape surrounding the newly refurbished bandstand brightens the Natchez Bluff. Gardening is one of my favorite pastimes, both as a hobbyist, Master Gardener and as a garden writer. When I first moved here, nine years ago, I envisioned something lovely surrounding the bandstand, something more enticing than the nandina shrubs already in place. So I was delighted when John Holyoak, chairman of the Community Alliance, asked my help to design a new landscape for the bandstand. John and I had worked together on the Downtown Trees Project, a coordination between Adams County Master Gardeners and the Community Alliance. So when the bandstand project began, he saw the opportunity for Master Gardeners to show their expertise in creating yet more botanical beauty for Natchez.

Colleen Wilkins, a very talented designer, great gardener and fellow Master Gardener, joined with me in creating a landscape to meet the challenging requirements of the bluff site. We recognized the need for plants tough enough to withstand direct sunlight and high temperatures, potential winds, and poor soil. We spent many hours researching, planning and designing a landscape small enough to fit the location, yet powerful enough to make a statement. We envisioned a landscape providing colorful flowers most of the year, enticing fragrance and also easy care. Another requirement was that plants could not touch the newly painted structure.

The first step was removal of all existing shrubbery and numerous weeds. With the capable help of some strong men from Dunleith ground crew, along with Natchez Public Works equipment and labor, this was done speedily. Next came soil improvement by adding amendments and time-release fertilizer. Natchez Water Works installed a water line and faucet for irrigation hook-up, as well as weed-kill fabric and limestone under the drip line. Then an irrigation system was designed and installed by Larry Gamberi.

Finally, in spring, it was time to plant. Again, we welcomed the help of the Dunleith crew who dug large holes for shrubs. Then another Master Gardener, Robby Woods, joined Colleen and me as we placed the smaller perennials and bulbs into their spaces. A month later, we made a few more additions to complete the landscape. The result showcases plants well suited for tough spaces — bottlebrush, daylilies, Shasta daisies, Kniphofia, rosemary and verbena. Evoking the romance of the South, we included gardenias with their sweet fragrance and iconic camellias. We wanted to showcase some under-utilized varieties, so selected “Leslie Ann,” a C. sasanqua variety. We appreciate the participation of Stine Garden Center who contributed greatly to this landscape by providing some plants at no cost, and others at a great reduction.

Come and enjoy this lovely landscape — it may even give you some ideas for your own. Everyone is invited to the formal ribbon-cutting ceremony at the bandstand at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 9.

The complete landscape consists of the following:

-Agapanthus “Peter Pan”

-Bottlebrush “Little John” (Callistemon citrinis)

-Camellia sasanqua “Leslie Ann”

-Daylily “Red Volunteer”

-Daffodils, assorted

-Drift roses, pink and red

-Gardenia “August Beauty”

-Golden Shrimp Plant (Pachystachys lutea)

-Iris

-Obedient plant (Physostegia virgiana)

-Pink Muhly Grass

-Purslane “Fairytales Cinderella” (Portulaca grandiflora)

-Red Hot Poker Plant (Kniphofia) ‘Flamenco

-Rosemary officianalis

-Shasta daisies

Karen Dardick is a garden writer, author and member of Adams County Master Gardeners.