If you are interested in a great gardening-related volunteer opportunity or a fantastic tour, check out Johns Creek Beautification’s Secret Gardens Tour on May 1, 2021.
Secret Gardens is a drive-yourself and walking tour of seven homes and the Autrey Mill Nature Preserve. Each stop has its own special, charming features. The tour features a beautiful hillside oasis and beehive fireplace; a woodland garden with a hand-made stone bridge; an iris garden; a creek-side garden…
RGC had the privilege of hearing botanical artist Linda Fraser at a recent meeting. Linda is a renowned botanical artist specializing in native plants of the southeastern United States. Linda has created over 100 watercolor and colored pencil paintings, grouping those found blooming side by side in their specific environment…
A team of 7 Master Gardeners volunteer weekly over a ten-month calendar in the garden. They maintained the CCYA Garden throughout the pandemic, being categorized as essential workers and grew over 1,800 pounds of produce to feed the kids during unprecedented times. Currently, with funding from the Food Well Alliance, our part-time garden manager and part-time chef, culinarily trained, maintains the CCYA garden under direction of Master Gardeners and provides continuity of care when Master Gardeners are unavailable. Quarterly, large volunteer groups from local corporations spend a day on campus assisting with a variety of large garden projects that assist the Master Gardeners. Groups from Home Depot, Six Flags and others help us cut down trees…
The Center for Children & Young Adults (CCYA) is located in Marietta, Georgia on a 4.5 acre campus. CCYA is a 501©3 group home dedicated to providing safe and suitable housing, youth development activities and comprehensive supportive housing services for at-risk homeless youth ages 12-20…CCYA is a very special place in that we provide our kids with a nurturing atmosphere in a home-like cottage setting.
For almost 20 years, Cobb and Douglas County Master Gardeners have volunteered at CCYA cultivating the atmosphere. What began with a single raised bed where tulips and herbs were planted has grown to a 1.5 acre succession of gardens that together provide fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and more to over 100 youth annually at the Center…
Roswell Garden Club is excited to announce the winners of the 2020 Environmental Blog Entry Competition:
1st place – The Do’s and Don’ts of Recycling, Tara Goff
2nd place – We Can Lower Our Carbon Footprint and End Climate Change—Here’s How, Savannah Young
3rd place – Why am I Helping the Environment?, Maynor Chinchilla
We encourage you to read the words of these student-bloggers from our community and take action on their suggestions. Let’s work together to take the National Garden Club, Inc.’s challenge and move from consumers to caretakers of our air, water, forest, land, and wildlife.
We are closing out our National Garden Week posts with a look at favorite gardens members have visited, pictures from Lisa’s recent visit to Gibbs Garden, and pics from a few members’ gardens–the feature image for this post is from Mary Ann Booth Cabot’s backyard. We hope you are as inspired by these gardens as we are. Thanks for celebrating National Garden Week with us.
A song in the children’s movie, Mary Poppins, features a woman selling birdseed crooning, “Come feed the little birds; show them you care.” It turns out, she’s right. Feeding the birds during the winter is a popular pastime which increases the survival rate of our feathery friends. But what about during the summer? There are mixed opinions about that, but more about that later. Whether or not you feed the birds in the summer, everyone agrees that birds need water year round. Wild birds need fresh water to drink and to bathe. Many bird aficionados incorporate birdbaths or ponds…
Here are RGC member responses to How have you spent your time during the virus?
From Dotty E
While honoring guidelines, I have spent my time doing projects around my home that I had put off for a long time–still lots to do. But I was able to do some organizing, exterior siding replacement and painting, and some interior painting.
Lots of reflection on what I truly value as we have had to isolate and even refrain from gathering at our places of worship. I have decided that I will more mindfully give thanks daily for all my blessings large and small and to help others along the way.
I have not done a lot of additional planting in the garden, but I have been formulating some plans for the type outcome I desire and will resume some planting in the fall. But lots of weeding was done during this time.
We adopted an abused dog and have had to work really hard to help him overcome his fears and challenges. He has come a long way but still a long way to go. It has been heartbreaking to realize how scared he has been before us, and we are determined to make a difference.
From Dorothy J
The time I had during lockdown I spent working in my garden. I was able to clean and manicure my flower beds to get ready for planting. I also did some craft projects like painting some big flower pots…
For the first time ever, the Chelsea Flower Show was virtual instead of in-person. I took advantage of that and spent hours being inspired & educated. There were fantastic walking tours of famous horticulturalists’ (think Adam Frost, Kazuyuki Ishihara, James Alexander Sinclair, Tom Massey, Andy Sturgeon) home gardens. I perused floral design demonstrations, how-to videos on growing specific plants, cooking demonstrations using home-grown veg and herbs, and suggestions for gardening with kids.
I loved the daily Ask a Gardening Advisor sessions which were primed by write-in-questions on given topic. Panels of experts on each given topic answered the questions. These sessions ranged from establishing a wildflower garden/lawn to everything related to houseplants; from how to get rid of pests to how to care for ponds.
My friend Mary & I loved Tips for Summer Design with gold-medal-winning garden designer Sarah Eberle–the session is inspirational and