ROOTING PASSALONG PLANTS IN FALL

I don’t think I had ever heard the term “Passalong Plants” until I read the book by that name written by my friend Felder Rushing. I immediately understood the term though. Gardeners have amazing generosity when

DIGGING AND STORING TENDER BULBS

The caladium is a plant that has not yet achieved its full landscape potential. For the past three years, I have noticed more and more summer flower beds that use caladium leaves, rather than bright flowers, to p

FALL AROMAS BRING A WHIFF OF HOME

Fall was a fragrant time around the chicken farm where I grew up. Our hens worked hard all summer producing eggs. We sold them to family groceries and restaurants on Atlanta’s southside. Our chicken houses were p

FIVE STRATEGIES FOR WEED CONTROL

My friend Daryl Pulis and I share a common passion. We enjoy learning more about odd and uncommon plants and sleuthing out practical information about them. When the rare amorphophallus bloomed at the Atlanta Bot

Loblolly Pine – Origin of the Name

My friend Dan C. contributes this: Having grown up in Florida, I had certainly heard of a loblolly pine, but never thought about the name. Here's some interesting/informative information. I was reading a no

Poison Ivy Oil – How Long is it Potent?

Copied from http://mailman.cloudnet.com/pipermail/compost/2000-April/006688.html A couple of weeks ago, Sharon Barnes asked a question on this listserv about the fate of poison ivy during composting. I found th

Shrub – Pruning Calendar

The Home & Garden section of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution published a very nice pruning calendar several years ago. When viewed on a sheet of newsprint, it was gorgeous. When reduced to fit onto a she

Clematis – Best Ones for Georgia

When you want the best plant, it's great to have a local expert. Lyndy Broder is an internationally known clematis expert in Georgia. She recommends the following: C. ‘Arabella’ (integrifolia) blue-mauve, b

Kirlow Indigo Indigofera kirilowii – Identification

I heard a radio caller wanting to know about propagating her Kirlow Indigo,Indigofera kirilowii. We grew this at Barnsley Gardens many years ago, and propagated and sold it in the plant shop there. I have one pla

Flower, Shrub, Tree, Plant – Identification Resources with Pictures

It's frustrating to have a plant in your landscape that you simply can't identify. Besides my Name That Plant webpage, there are several other good ways to figure out what a plant is. Try these web li

Non-flowering Plants for Sunny Spots

Here are plants that have only small flowers or flowers that are easy to remove. Email me if you have other candidates. euphorbia dwarf chamaecyparis yucca coleus carex dwarf ornamental grasses dwarf boxwood acor

Hydroponic Gardening Handout

Hydroponic Gardening Handout Permatill Really Raised Bed Potatoes in Perlite Self-Watering Planter Self-watering Bucket Garden Earthbox GrowBox TeraHydroBox Tower Garden Verti Gro GardenSoxx Straw bale gardening

Leyland Cypress Diseases – Identification with Pictures

Sometimes I find a web page that does a lot of things well. In this case, I found a document put up by Colleen Warfield at NC State that nicely answers the question: "My Leyland cypress is sick. Can you tel

Assessing Tree Health – The Doctor is IN!

A neighbor had an old post oak in their back yard that was precipitously leaning toward the house. I asked Chris Hastings, owner of Arbormedics, to evaluate the tree's health. Chris has an amazing computer-

How to Grow Ferns from Spores

Have you ever wondered how to grow ferns from spores? This article has good DIY tips. How to Grow Ferns From Spores

Spring Bulbs – Fertilize in Late Winter

My rule of thumb for fertilizing any plant is to do it when it is actively growing. Spring-flowering bulbs, like daffodils, tulips and hyacinths fool us though. They seem to be “actively growing” in spring when f

‘Chindo' Viburnum – Cold Damage

From my friend Lyle Collins at Southern Trillium Landscape Design: A couple weeks ago, someone called your radio show asking about their ‘Chindo' viburnums that he thought might be dead. We plant a lo

Burford Holly – History

Burford holly, Ilex cornuta ‘Burfordii', is a ubiquitous shrub in the Southeast. The red berries are striking in winter. It's interesting to know that the Burford holly originated in Atlanta, at

Agave – Growing Successfully in Atlanta

Not far from my home, an elementary school has built an impressive garden in the building's courtyard. Throughout the school year, teachers take advantage of the flowers and vegetables growing there as they

Lawn Area – Measuring

I was speaking to a garden group recently and for a lark, pointed to an attendee and asked "How big is your lawn?" ————————————&