How-To Archive
Bulbs from My Bubber
I believe I received my penchant for gardening from my grandmother on my father’s side: Rachel Belle Powell Reeves. She was “Bubber” to me, a name which was the product of a toddler’s tongue’s inability to pronounce “Grandmother”. While outdoors,...
How to Identify Walter
I often get the opportunity to identify strange plants that appear in Georgia landscapes. My friend Theresa Schrum snapped a picture of a particular item she needed to identify, so she sent it to our mutual friends Shannon Pable and...
How to Make Your Own Potting Soil
Good General Growing Mix: Cornell “Peat-lite” 4 qts. Vermiculite (#2 size)4 qts Shredded Peat Moss1 T. Limestone Dust1 T. Superphosphate2-4 T. 5-10-15 Soluble Fertilizer It will mix easier if you dampen the peatmoss first. Fertilizer is necessary about every 2-3...
2010 (Spring) Appearances and Remote Radio Broadcasts
Feb. 4 – Southeastern Flower Show speaking on Home Depot Stage at 2:00“Maintenance Matters!” Feb 16 Nutrition Professionals Conference (closed to public) Watkinsville “Trace-Mineralized Vegetables, Canning, and Possums Made Me What I Am” Mar 19 Atlanta Home Show – Cobb...
South Africa Trip – 2010
I had a great time with a group of 26 folks, including gardeners, spouses and friends, on a trip to Johannesburg and Cape Town in January 2010. We visited public and private gardens, had wine tastings, stayed in fabulous hotels...
South Africa 2010 – Monkey Gland Sauce
One of the most interesting dishes I enjoyed in South Africa was Weiner Schnitzel with Monkey Gland Sauce. When I saw it on the menu, I quickly looked around to see if any wounded monkeys were near our outdoor restaurant....
South Africa 2010 – Odd Things
While on my trip to South Africa in January 2010 I kept my eyes peeled for interesting things. I like finding signs that mean something odd, or views that are intriguing. Here are some of my favorites. I hope these...
South Africa – Animals
South Africa, of course, is known for the wide variety of animals that live in the grasslands. We went out at 5:30 a.m. and again at 4:40 p.m. each day to look for animals. Surprisingly, the animals mostly ignore the...
New Zealand and Australia Garden Tour – 2011
Remember how cold it gets in Atlanta in January? Brrrrrrr! How would you like to join me on a garden tour to a place where it’s warm? How about New Zealand and Australia?!! I will be leading a garden tour...
There is Power in the Mud!
My garden friend Ed emailed me with what he thought was a terrible mistake (“an unpardonable sin” in his words) that he’d made in his garden, having mis-heard something I’d said on radio. Fortunately it was only a miscommunication, probably...
You Know You’re a Georgian If….
1. You can properly pronounce Chickamauga, DeKalb, Dahlonega, Senoia, Buena Vista, Valdosta, Okefenokee, and La Fayette. P.S. Atlanta = ADD-LANNA not AT-LANT-A.P.S.S. Fayetteville = FET-VUL (the county seat of FET COUNNY)P.S.S.S. and don’t even THINK that Houston county has anything...
How to Find Special Plants
Sometimes a particular plant simply knocks your socks off. Maybe you see a picture in a magazine or hear it described on television. But when you go to your local nursery, they tell you that the plant is so new...
Changing Names – Just Call Me Frank
I have a friend whose middle name, given at birth, is Elizabeth. In the usual Southern tradition, she was immediately called “Betsy” by her family. She was “Betsy” throughout kindergarten, elementary school and high school. Hundreds of friends and family...
A Man and His Manure
I have had much experience with manure. Too much, in fact. Our small farm, in then-rural Fayette County, housed cows, chickens and the occasional mule. All of these animals produced incredible amounts of manure, both individually and as a group....
How to Build a Rain Barrel
Walter’s Rain Barrel Instructions Cobb County Rain Barrel Instructions I got my barrel from a roadside vendor in Loganville: 770 466 4284 Large plastic garbage cans make fine rain collectors as well. Many local hardware stores offer assembled rain barrels...
