Landscaping
Irrigation Systems – Maintenance
Summer’s hot, dry weather can force many Atlanta irrigation systems to work overtime. Lacking an underground system, some homeowners break out the hose and sprinkler. Watering seems to be a mindless task – but done wrong, it can do more...
Soil Testing – Using Gypsum
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the importance of soil testing and the role of pH in plant health. I gave instructions on how to collect a soil sample and have it tested. In the days following, several...
Drought – Watering Shrubs
Plants must have water to survive. Water in a plant is like blood in an animal. Water carries dissolved nutrients, sugars and hormones throughout the plant’s system. Some plants can go for long periods receiving only minimal water. Others require...
Cold weather – Protecting Plants
(written in 2000)The predictions of the weather forecasters have proven true this winter season. It has been COLD!! After December, Atlanta gardeners have begun to appreciate the travails their neighbors from the North talk about each winter. We now see...
Planting zones- Explanation
I was following a slow-moving compact car on a suburban street last week when it suddenly pulled to the right and decelerated to a crawl. On-coming traffic kept me from passing. As I waited, the driver of the car grabbed...
Plants of the Bible and Middle East
Plant enthusiasts come in all stripes. There have been many attempts to create “Biblical gardens” using plants mentioned in the Bible. In Fair Haven, Vermont, the First Congregational Church created a wonderful list of plants and the verse in which...
Ordering Plants from a Catalog
Few couples can remember the subject of their first serious argument. I can. I even remember that it occurred on I-285 near Buford Highway on a Saturday afternoon. I casually mentioned to her that I had ordered several plants from...
Recommended Garden Books
Looking for a gift for that gardener who seems to have everything they need for their garden? Most diggers in the dirt enjoy reading about other gardeners and their trials and tribulations. In addition, serious gardeners sometimes need reference books...
Gypsum – as Soil Amendment
Gardeners are no different from other folks – they want to accomplish more work with less effort. One of the biggest jobs when gardening in north Georgia is turning hard red clay into soil that will produce healthy plants. Occasionally,...
Fertilizer – How to Buy
I recently saw a description of a fertilizer in a newspaper. It said that a 12 ounce bottle of the stuff provided the same level of nutrients as a 25 pound bag of 20-8-6! Intrigued by the narrative, I called...
Clay Pots – Cleaning
If you have several clay pots that contained annual flowers on your patio last summer, now is a good time to clean them before spring. The easiest method is to stack them in a big bucket and soak them. Mix...
Frost – Predicting First
Predicting the date of the first frost is tricky. And while it may not cause gnashing of landscapers’ teeth like an unexpected late spring frost, the first fall frost is important to some. Weather scientists have kept detailed records of...
Frost – Predicting Last
What do the records show about the last frost in the spring? Using 32 degrees as the reference point, the most likely date for a last frost is March 27. The earliest date for a last spring frost was February...
Soil – Amending
Homeowners often want to amend their existing soil to make it better. Planting grass seed or laying sod on hard, unfertile soil is generally a waste of money. The soil must be made better. For lawns, it makes most sense...
Soil Temperature – Monitoring
My son and I had just arrived the first day at our ski hotel and were preparing for dinner. “Daddy – I don’t feel so good.” he murmured. I put my lips to his forehead to check his temperature. My...
Soil – Defining
I was explaining to someone recently that flowering cherry trees absolutely require well-drained soil to succeed. “Well, that’s not a problem,” they responded, “I’m planting on a slope, so water drains right past it.” “Sloping soil is usually poorly drained,”...
Poisonous Plants
Through a good part of my childhood, one voice of authority manifested with equal weight alongside the commandments of my parents: that of Mrs. Mabel Prayor. An older neighbor, she was hired to cook meals, settle arguments, iron clothes and...
Drought – Planting During
Sometimes I hate following my own advice. I hate it especially when it concerns properly digging a bed for planting. Georgia summers can be dry and miserable. Unbroken bright sunshine, temperatures in the nineties and humidity thick enough to can....
