Recent Posts
-
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…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
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…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
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…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
Master Gardeners are coming to Barrow County! But, what are they and why should you become one? Learning. Master Gardener Extension Volunteers receive extensive horticulture training: botany, plant physiology, soils, ornamentals, turf, vegetables, pruning, insect and disease management, and more. Some start with years of garden experience, others are garden novices when they begin the…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
It’s that time of year again; January is the month for seed catalogs galore. Seed catalogs are the embodiment of possibility, a chance for gardeners to envision the ever-elusive perfect garden. It is one of my favorite times in the garden year, usually. This year, most of us could use something sunshiny to ponder. Outside…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
Some of the best memories of my early childhood were walking up the sandy dirt road my family lived during the height of blackberry season, alternating between picking and eating, returning home with purple-stained fingers. Wild blackberries grew alongside the ditch in abundance, and there were few neighbors to share the plenty with. I’ve picked…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
“But Georgia is the peach state!” This is the frustrated and confused response that I often receive when explaining peaches are one of the most difficult backyard fruits to grow in Georgia. Every year folks who were hoping for sweet and juicy peaches from backyard trees call me to get a diagnosis on their failing…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
Blueberries rank at the top of the list for backyard Georgia fruit. Native, they have few pest and disease issues, thrive in acidic soil, something gardeners have to adjust for almost every other crops, and best of all, they are delicious and healthy. As with planting literally everything that I write about, start with a…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
Fruit is nature’s candy. Sweet and tart, eating fresh fruit is one of the joys of life and an enormous part of our culture. Eating cool juicy watermelon is a summer mandate, and how would “American as apple pie” work without the fresh apples? I’d even go so far to say that one of the…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
The monarchs are coming! Monarch butterflies complete an impressive migration to Mexico each fall, with many passing through Georgia in late September through mid-October. After these tiny creatures fly 20-30 miles each day, they need a hearty dinner. Please provide an ample buffet of fall-blooming plants that are good nectar sources. When I teach pollinator…
Posted in: Uncategorized