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National Garden Week: Planning an Heirloom Garden by RGC Blogger Florence Anne Berna

National Garden Week: Planning an Heirloom Garden by RGC Blogger Florence Anne Berna

Ahhh!!! Spring and early summer! The time of year that stirs our mind, spirit and body into venturing outdoors and communing with nature. So you rise up, arm yourself with tools and head out to tackle the weeds, pruning and edging. After all of the ‘grunt’ work is done you head to the stores to buy your beloved summer plants. Buying plants that have been pampered in greenhouses to look their very best to entice you to buy them. At home, you follow all the rules for Southern gardening: Till the clay. Amend your soil with sand and peat moss. Mix in some all-purpose fertilizer. Plant your summer selections and water. Then the heat comes and quite possibly a drought. Or perhaps too much rain. In no time at all those lovely summer plants are not well or worse not even alive! There is an alternative…

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National Garden Week: Autumn Sage-A Perfect Perennial For Georgia by RGC Blogger Dotty Etris

National Garden Week: Autumn Sage-A Perfect Perennial For Georgia by RGC Blogger Dotty Etris

Autumn Sage is a perennial plant native to North America – specifically native to Texas Hill Country and Mexico. It is named for Josiah Gregg, a naturalist who found it as he traveled throughout the Southwestern United States and Mexico.

It is a sub-shrub that blooms from March – November on previous or current year’s growth, attracting pollinators. It is specifically known as a magnet for Hummingbirds. It thrives in rocky soils but does well in dry to medium well-drained soils. When first planted, water 2 times a week until it is established but then it does well on its own. If it gets to be terribly hot for too many days with no rain at all, I will sometimes water it, but it seems to thrive even when neglected – perhaps that is why I love this plant so much…

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Garden Week In Georgia: Member Reflections–Each Flower That We’ve Ever Touched in Truth Will Touch Us Back

Garden Week In Georgia: Member Reflections–Each Flower That We’ve Ever Touched in Truth Will Touch Us Back

Gretchen: There was a wonderful RGC program about orchids by a friend of Mary Booth Cabot. He had several plants to give away and this Elephant Ear was one. It has grown by leaps and bounds and fascinates me. As you can see, the new leaves emerge from the stem of another recent leaf…and this continues.

And, each time I glance at this I think or our beautiful Mary Booth!

King: I get such pleasure from my “Friendship Gardens,” that is, gardens with plants that have been given to me by friends. They help surround my house with resonating memories of…

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Garden Week In Georgia: The Many Seasons of my Friend the Amaryllis by RGC Blogger Gretchen Collins

Garden Week In Georgia: The Many Seasons of my Friend the Amaryllis by RGC Blogger Gretchen Collins

If friendship were a garden, Amaryllis would be a friend who is always there for us. In Georgia we have many months of beauty in our landscape. Perhaps March is one of our most beautiful months for blooms. The Amaryllis bulbs that we can save from year to year might have come into bloom in February or March in our homes. When the blooms finish, it will be time to fertilize them and watch the leaves grow more lush.

In May my bulbs will be transferred to the garden where the bulbs will be replenished as the foliage continues to grow…

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Garden Week in Georgia: Member Reflections–We Grow Our Gardens Row by Row, One Flower at A Time

Garden Week in Georgia: Member Reflections–We Grow Our Gardens Row by Row, One Flower at A Time

Friends, plants, gardens, and friendship go and grow hand in hand as you’ll see in these thoughts from RGC members who share how their gardens grew, row by row, with flowers from their friends.

Roz: Most of the plants in my sun room were given to me by friends and family. These photos show plants from hiking, synagogue, and garden club friends and ONE (green pot) from my Mother.

When Mom moved out of her house in Brooklyn, she gifted me with her only houseplant. The plant ‘lived’ with me in New Jersey and then traveled with me to Georgia. I think about my Mom, who passed in 2008, when I care for her plant.

When plants from friends show significant growth and/or bloom, I send photos. During the worst of the Pandemic I spent many hours in the sun room with the plants. Although I live alone, my friends were often with me as I tended their plants.

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Garden Week In Georgia: Flowers, Like Friends, Nurture Our Souls by RGC Blogger Dawn McGee

Garden Week In Georgia: Flowers, Like Friends, Nurture Our Souls by RGC Blogger Dawn McGee

Flowers, like our friends and family, are the gifts that nature provides us throughout our lives. From the time we are born to the day we become one with nature ourselves; flowers keep us company. They brighten our homes, our workplaces and hospital bedside, and celebrate all sorts of occasions; they are presented as symbols of Love, friendship and sympathy. Even the simplest Dandelion brings a smile to a mothers face when her child lovingly gifts it to her. Many a book has a flower pressed inside it as a keepsake, often forgotten until re-discovered and the memories come flooding back. Flowers are also the harbingers of the coming spring season; we feel happiness and anticipation upon seeing that first Crocus peek it’s head out of the snow. Flowers are universally admired and loved.

Throughout the world flowers grow everywhere, even in the coldest and hottest of places. They decorate our yards, countryside, cities and highways. They can be found deep in the woods where barely a spot of sun shines through, …

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Garden Week In Georgia: Then Flowers ‘d be the Friends…In Praise of My Good Friend Fatsia Japonica by RGC Blogger Florence Anne Berna

Garden Week In Georgia: Then Flowers ‘d be the Friends…In Praise of My Good Friend Fatsia Japonica by RGC Blogger Florence Anne Berna

A glossy leaf plant, Fatsia Japonica is also known as false castor oil plant or Japanese aralia. It is native to Japan and Korea. It is evergreen growing from 3 to 16 feet tall. Its leaves are large fans and its flowers look like something from outer space with small white globes blooming on tall white stalks.

Fatsia Japonica grows best as an understory bush in a climate not going below 5 degrees…

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Itching to Spring into Planting? Here’s What to Do While You Wait by Guest Blogger Jeannie Springer

Itching to Spring into Planting? Here’s What to Do While You Wait by Guest Blogger Jeannie Springer

If you’re like me, you have a hard time resisting the temptation to plant before the last hard-frost date. Jeannie Singer, plant professional and educator at Scottsdale Farms, shared these great ideas to help you delay planting and be ready to jump into it full speed ahead when the time is right.

Tools

  • Sharpen blades on spades
  • Clean tools: wipe with bleach or alcohol, then wash with soap & water
  • Oil hinges on shears and clippers–use WD – 40 or vegetable oil
  • Make needed repairs–check hose…

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National Garden Week: A Glimpse at Plants & Trees Special to RGC Members

National Garden Week: A Glimpse at Plants & Trees Special to RGC Members

Many of us have plants and trees that are special to us. As part of National Garden Week, several RGC members shared pictures and thoughts about some of the items special to them. This blog post’s feature image is of a plant special to Linda B–Linda shares that, after more than 30 years and two moves, I still have the old fashioned bleeding heart plant that started out in my mother’s garden in Pennsylvania. That’s pretty special.

Linda Lee – 20 years ago Ron and I walked out of an old K-Mart and saw a rose bush with no flowers or leaves for 75 cents. Ron said it needs a home. Whatever color it turns out to be he said we will call it The Princess Rose after me. It bloomed a month later on Mother’s Day a year after my mother died. Today it still blooms with the most delicious fragrance.

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