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Walking barefoot through soft grass is one of life’s greatest joys; the warmth of the ground, the tickly touch of blades of grass on your feet, toes wriggling free from the confinement of shoes, it is just spectacular. In the summer. In the midst of winter after a couple of snowy and rainy weeks it…
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Don’t get caught under too much mistletoe this season! I’m not referring to the bunch hung from the ceiling for sweethearts to kiss under at Christmas; by all means carry on if you are so inclined. What I am concerned about is the mistletoe still hanging in the tree. I understand that a lot of…
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No one wants to see the word virus at this point. I didn’t write this article last year because so many people were taking needed refuge in their gardens. Why bring another pandemic, even of the plant variety, to their attention? However, I see this killer virus at over 50% of the homes I visit…
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As an Extension agent, I see a lot of insects. People leave jars of them on my desk, send me photos, call me out to their gardens to identify them and give control recommendations. Often times I speak to folks about how to bring pollinators to their gardens, to have more insects instead of less.…
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If you have never heard of skeletonization before and think that a red squiggly error line should show up underneath it, you are not alone. It was not until I was researching Japanese beetles that I came across this term. And don’t worry, it’s not humans or animals that are being skeletonized, but rather the…
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The spring floral show has been spectacular this year. The early forsythia blooms just when it seems spring will never come, followed by the timelessly elegant Japanese magnolias, and at the height of a southern spring dogwoods and azaleas bloom in abundance. I love the spring bloomers, and I hate to see our botanical spring…
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Georgia is the peach state, and so naturally most folks assume that growing peaches is easy here. And fresh picked peaches still warm from the sun is one of the most delicious that you will ever put into your mouth. Who wouldn’t want a couple of trees laden with that drip-down-your-chin goodness in your backyard?…
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Gardening has a long standing as America’s most popular hobby, but even this common pastime saw a surge in popularity last year. As many of us were stuck at home looking for something, anything, to do, a lot of folks tried veggie gardening for the first time. Gardening can be very rewarding…many of us find…
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One of the most mind-blowing moments as a graduate student in the horticulture department was the day my class started learning about photosynthesis. At the time, I was doing a research project with elementary school students, who coincidentally, were also learning about photosynthesis in their class. Granted, my class was talking photosynthesis down to the…
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One evening last week I wandered aimlessly pre-bedtime through my Pinterest home feed: recipes from the Great British Baking Show, green kitchens, herbaceous perennial garden design, Harry Potter memes. I stopped mid-scroll and snorted in appreciation at a quote, “the master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.” The quote was attributed…
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