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 […]
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 […]
Secret Wall, Secret Garden

This past year we had a client in Sautee Nacoochee that had a failing wooden retaining wall supporting a cracked and failing driveway. The yard, however, was a beautiful array of mountain laurel and native North Georgia foliage. Our job was simple: tear down the current construction and replace it with a wall and driveway […]
From Mudslide to Tranquil Terrace

Who’s ready to talk about drainage issues again? What can I say, water is everywhere and can do major damage to a landscape without proper guidance. In our many years of working on people’s yards, drainage is almost always a part of the project. Builders often create beautiful houses without giving much thought to the […]
When the Student Becomes the Master Gardener

“Master Gardener” sounds like quite the level of prestige but my friend, Terrie Thamer, is as down to earth as it gets… literally. With a garden in Gainesville known for its wild perennials, wonderful textures, and sprouting vegetables, Terrie is an amazing gardener and ally to the environmental community. She has worn many hats in […]
UGA Extension: We exist to serve you!

Ray Parker, Jr.’s lyrics* to the movie Ghostbusters say it all about the University of Georgia Extension service: If there’s somethin’ strange in the neighborhood (invasive wildlife) Who ya gonna call? UGA Extension! There’s somethin’ weird and it don’t look good (improper pesticide usage) Who ya gonna call? UGA Extension! UGA Extension is this amazing service […]
Cottage Style Garden in Cleveland

Have you ever seen a beautiful home with an unfortunate front yard? The layout of the house, the steps, the driveway, the front porch – it may all be pretty and well-constructed, but without green grass and pops of floral color to frame and punctuate its beauty, the building may look like just that: a […]
Digging Deep in Dahlonega

One of our clients in Dahlonega, GA was experiencing a great deal of water leakage in his basement. Water was streaming in from multiple directions and he couldn’t figure out why. Initially, he had tried solving the issue on his own by installing a dry creek bed. But even after this, water continued to drain […]
Rose Lane Tells All

I have a dear friend and client named Pamela Keene who owns a beautiful 3 acre estate located in Flowery Branch, North Georgia. With its wide variety of flowers, vegetables, fruits, trees, and a unique collection of roses, Pam’s garden is a monumental triumph to say the least. Over the years Jason and I have […]
Garden Expectations: Classic Fiction or Non-Fiction?

Garden Expectations developed by watching too much HGTV or visiting formal gardens are comparable to Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations – full of extreme imagery and a colorful cast of characters. The images presented by popular media outlets capture our attention and pull us into the belief that our gardens, homes, and lifestyles can be perfect, […]