Invasive Grasses: A Burning Issue

A week or so ago, we all watched in horror as wildfires consumed the area around Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii. What is often thought of as lush and tropical went up in flames in a matter of minutes and turned into a blazing inferno. How could this have happened? Sadly, it […]

Made in the Shade

Ah, shade. Especially at this time of year we humans love the shade. Cool respite from the sun relaxes us and creates such beauty in the world. However, our plant friends have different preferences for sun. Some like it sunny, some like it shady. https://artofstonegardening.com/garden-landscape-install. Here in the Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont there is a […]

Saving Water One Drop At A Time

Cisterns: We have a client who challenges us with her visions. We have worked with her for years, and she still comes up with new dreams for how she wants to live in her Lumpkin County home. In 2020, we shared with you the story of replacing her lawn with perennials. https://artofstonegardening.com/the-path-from-lawn-to-wonderland. She is interested […]

Rose Rosette Disease

The Rose has long been considered the most beautiful flower in the world and is often referred to as “The Queen of the Garden.” Its beauty has inspired poets, artists, composers, and lovers the world over — but to have a variety of roses in a garden here in Northeast Georgia can take quite a […]

Sourcing Native Plants: It takes legwork

Before You Shop Before I direct you to some sources for local plants and you go shopping, keep the following points in mind. * Found across much of eastern North America, the Crested Wood Fern likes swamps, swampy woods, or open shrubby wetlands. It is one of hundreds of types of wood ferns, so having […]

Georgia Winter Garden Design

Winter for many gardeners is a wait and see time. We eagerly anticipate spring, yearning to see the pretty green leaves and perennials popping up everywhere. And hoping that everything comes back from the hard freezes (My fingers are crossed)! Right now, though, most landscapes may seem unspectacular. Very little blooms in the winter. What […]

How to: Watering in the Winter

In case you didn’t know, watering your plants in the winter is integral to ensuring their survival. Winter weather is cold, dry, and windy, a villainous trio of conditions out to wreak havoc on your garden. The low humidity and strong dry winds of winter can cause root damage, which affects the health of the […]

Invasion of the Invasives

Eeiii!!! Run for your life! We’re being invaded by invasives. Invasive plants creep into the yard, into the garden, often unawares. They are kind of like weeds but only more so. They “take over” an ecosystem, causing major disturbance to areas where they are present. They lack natural predators that would keep them in balance […]

I Speak for the Trees pt. 3

As a certified arborist, I guess you could call me a professional tree hugger. I recently attended  the International Society of Arboriculture conference and I have a lot to share with you about trees. This is the final blog of my 3 part series. In the first part, I elaborated on the importance of trees […]