Landscaping
Tara Dillard’s Comments on Hardiness Zones
Tara Dillard’s Comments on Hardiness Zones I’ve always thought the map zones were bogus for our area. Designing heavily from south Dekalb to north Fulton, I know plants that will do well in my part of DeKalb but not in...
Pond – Winter care
Q: I have two small fish ponds that are connected. One is three feet deep and the other is about a foot deep. I have a pump that circulates the water between them. In cold weather, should I run the...
Pond – Plants for Ponds
There are three kinds of plants for ponds and most ponds need all three. Underwater plants, like anacharis, elodea and fanwort provide oxygen directly into the water. They soak up excess nutrients from fish waste. Emergent plants, such as cattail,...
Pond – Low Oxygen Levels
High temperatures can wreak havoc in fish ponds warns George Lewis, Extension Fisheries Specialist. Warm water can hold much less dissolved oxygen than cool water. Dry weather also causes some ponds to be lower than normal. The combination can be...
Bog – Building
It has gotten harder and harder to impress my son. Although he is nearly nine, I can still remember how excited he would become when we uncovered a worm in our garden. Now the only thing that reliably brings a...
Trees for Damp Soil
Special note about coastal plants and plants for wet/damp areas in gardens: Only regionally native plants should be used along beaches, coastal and savannah restoration areas. For gardens with wet/damp areas, non-native plants that are not invasive are suitable. However,...
Flowers for Damp Soil
Special note about coastal plants and plants for wet/damp areas in gardens: Only regionally native plants should be used along beaches, coastal and savannah restoration areas. For home gardens with wet/damp areas, non-native plants that are not invasive are suitable....
Plants for Screening
When I was a kid, we had no need for screen plants around our house. Our rural neighbors were a minimum of one hundred yards away in every direction. If they chose to put their truck up on cinderblocks in...
Plants with Colorful Fruits and Berries
TREES Citrus Full sun Cornelian cherry Cornus mas Full sun / half sun Crabapple Malus Full sun Dogwood Cornus kousa & C. florida Full sun / half sun Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana Full sun / half sun Fringe Tree...
Animal-named Plants
A readers recently posed an unusual question: “I am preparing a class for child care providers on growing a Zoo Garden. I need a list of plants that have the name of an animal, i.e. Lamb’s Ear. I want to...
Drought Tolerant Plants
During drought, it is natural to consider installing plants that are “drought tolerant”. But how do you judge drought tolerance? Experienced gardeners have learned that once established and with proper cultural practices, virtually all plant material recommended for use in...
Native Plants – For Georgia
Although not every native plant is drought-tolerant or carefree, their main advantage is that they are more adapted to our heat and humidity. Many are just as colorful as common non-native plants you’d find at a garden center. The University...
Plants with Colorful Fall Foliage
TREES American beech Fagus grandifolia Full sun -half sun Ash Fraxinus Full sunBald cypress Taxodium distichum Full sunBeech Fagus Full sun -half sunBirch Betula Full sun Black cherry Prunus serotina Full sunBlack gum Nyssa sylvatica Full sun -half sunBlack locust Robinia pseudoacacia Full sunCallery pear Pyrus calleryana Full sunCarolina Silverbell Halesia Carolina Half sun Chinese pistache Pistacia chinensis Full sunChinese quince Pseudocydonia...
Shrubs for Damp Soil
Special note about coastal plants and plants for wet/damp areas in gardens: Only regionally native plants should be used along beaches, coastal and savannah restoration areas. For gardens with wet/damp areas, non-native plants that are not invasive are suitable. However,...
Plants That Move
I was recently asked by a writer for a list of plants that have a suggestion of movement in their name. I posed the question to my Florida Extension colleagues who help me with “Your Southern Garden”. Over dinner at...
Gold Medal Plant Summary 1994 – 2013
The Gold Medal Plant Committee is a non-profit organization comprised of nurserymen, flower growers, garden center retailers, landscape professionals, county Extension agents and faculty from the University of Georgia. Their goal is: To promote the production, sale and use of...
Tropical Plants for Pool Area
Tropical plants look great around a pool. Look for plants that have big leaves and lots of flowers or colorful foliage. Here are some candidates that come to mind: Trees: Big-leaf magnoliaCucumber magnoliaSweet-bay magnolia Shrubs: Swamp hibiscus (mallow)Scarlet hibiscusConfederate roseTropical...
Groundcovers for a Hill
Finding the right groundcover to plant on a hill is a common problem. Here is a typical question: “My hill is about 200 feet wide and it extends back 5 feet. This is in full sun and it will have...
