GPPA Fall 2025 Garden Party

Come meet and socialize with the GPPA community at our Annual Fall Garden Party. This year's Party will be hosted by Jennifer and Bill Petritz at their lovely garden in Dunwoody, Ga. 

When: Oct. 25, 2025 from 3:00 pm -6:00 pm
Where: The Petritz Garden, 1613 Damon Court, Dunwoody, Ga. 30338

Who: Garden Parties are open to all GPPA members, Guests tickets can be purchased for $10 online. 

About the Garden

Jennifer and Bill Petritz have been working together on this three-quarters-of-an-acre garden for 19 years. The garden is divided into several distinct areas. In front of the house, you will find the sunny border, the zoysia throw rug lawn, the front walk garden, the knot garden area, the winter garden, and the side-yard potager. The rear of the home features a garden gate, entrance, container area, rustic potting bench, meandering woodland walk, Quiche Cottage Garden (featuring a five-hen chicken coop framed by step-over apple trees), and a pond and greenhouse garden. Other interesting features of this garden include an espaliered Pyracantha in a Belgian fence pattern and the use of climbing hydrangeas (Schizophragma hydrangeoides ‘Moonlight’ and Hydrangea anomala var. petiolaris) on the front face of the house, as well as covering the brick walls of the back deck.

The Petritzes are plant collectors and enjoy a variety of plants, but their great loves are hydrangeas and Japanese maples that are present throughout the garden. There are several favorite specimen plants as well, including Davidia involucrata, Acer griseum, Magnolia macrophylla var. ashei, and Acer japonicum ‘Acontifolium’, which are just a few of the larger plants featured in this garden. There are plenty of  Hydrangea macrophylla and several H. Quercifolia growing throughout the garden, including ‘Pee Wee’, ‘Ruby Slippers’, and ‘Semmes Beauty.’ Other hydrangea species that can be found in this garden include H. arborescens, H. aspera, and H. paniculata. Because the Petritzes believe in using all available space for gardening, there is a strong emphasis on companion planting and using “living mulch”. Visitors will come away with many ideas on how to incorporate lots of collector plants into beautiful garden vignettes.