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 […]
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 […]
Native Plants Line the Path to Sustainability
If you are a reader of the Art of Stone Gardening blog posts, you know that we frequently discuss the importance and significance of native plants in landscapes. When you plant natives, you help rebuild habitat, strengthen the web of life and fight climate change. In this piece, reprinted with permission by Homegrown National Park®, […]
Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly and White Pine and Rhododendron and…
When you look out the window in North Georgia, you see shades of gray, brown and tan. The color in our landscape comes from the evergreens, and in Georgia we are blessed with many, all of which are candidates for decorating.
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 […]
The Earlynn Miller Project: Life Changing Work
Meet Dr. Earlynn Miller: Dancer, teacher, visionary, lover of life. Earlynn came into my life as my fathers’ partner. She passed in the spring of 2021. Earlynn Miller was an incredibly creative and artistic soul who retired from a 30 year career as full time dance faculty at James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Art […]
I Speak for the Trees pt. 1
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 all about trees. In this 3 part series, I will dive into the reasons why we need trees, the types of trees we […]
