Designing Landscapes That Last

Recently, I read a blog posted by another arborist titled ‘Deforestation by Design’. His premise was that by planting the wrong plants, in the wrong way, and in the wrong place, we are essentially deforesting our landscapes. Or ensuring that we will have to plant again much sooner than if we did it right the […]
Weary of Weeding? Consider Going to Ground Cover.

Believe it or not, there is a certain subset of the population that enjoysweeding. Many cite its therapeutic benefits like quiet time in the sunshine,listening to the bees and the birds, and the rustle of the wind in the leaves ofthe garden. But let’s face it, having to weed constantly, especially at the peak of […]
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 […]
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 […]
Flowers In A Rainy Place

A Travelogue of Flowers: Last year, Jason and I visited a beautiful island…Ireland. We spent one week there, bicycling around 150 miles from east to west, across the Emerald Isle. It was rainy and a little chilly (even in June); however, the flowers were spectacular. This is a country that truly loves gardening! We celebrate […]
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 […]
Take it or Leaf it: Advice on Plants in Pots

Plants, like people, are tough. Both can adapt to a wide range of living conditions. Though plants thrive naturally outdoors where they can spread their roots in the ground, they can also survive in many other situations, such as in pots. If you have shied away from planting in pots, read on. Here’s a primer […]
No More Amendments… to Planting Holes!

Since 1789, the constitution has been amended 27 times and I am here to say what I think should be the 28th amendment: no. more. amendments. … to planting holes! Okay so here me out because you may not have heard about this but it’s a hot button issue for me. The concept of “amending […]