Spring has sprung and flowers are opening. Send us a picture of what’s blooming in your yard in March Lonicera sempervirens (coral honeysuckle) planted last year has been blooming for two weeks in full sun on my fence. Continue reading "What’s blooming in your yard in March?"
I’ve designed landscapes for the past twenty five years based on what plants grew in my gardening zone and, if I could find a native plant, it was always incorporated. When I moved to Atlanta five years ago, my designs evolved using only US natives plant that grew in my gardening zone. But, in the […] Continue reading "Repristinating My Surroundings"
This past Saturday our Piedmont Chapter members had the opportunity to tour Beech Hollow Wildflower Farm in Lexington, GA. Our very own Member Chair, Tanner Biggers, happens to be the Farm Manager at Beech Hollow, which is a business member of our chapter. Mild temperatures set the stage for what turned out to be a […] Continue reading "A Great Day at Our Beech Hollow Wildflower Farm Tour Event"
The Evolutionary Background In our first post, we talked about how geology and climate dictate what plants grow in different areas. We went on to discuss how disturbance events dictate plant communities. Combining those concepts on the geologic timescale – many millions of years, to keep it simple – provides the evolutionary basis for the […] Continue reading "Why Native Plants?"
My introduction to azaleas was when I was a little girl, when my grandma would watch The Masters just to see the azaleas. Every year, she would point and say, “Look, look!,” as a player would post for a shot in front of the colorful blooms. Because of this, azaleas became a staple in my […] Continue reading "What I Now Know About Azaleas"
Beecatur June 25, 2022 – Beecatur Pollinator Festival, Decatur Town Square Our second event is in the books. We are thankful to the event organizers for allowing us to participate in Beecatur Pollinator Festival. This annual festival in Decatur focuses on pollinators, native plants, and conservation. We were able to speak with several dozen festival-goers […] Continue reading "Beecatur 2022 Recap"
A Look at Privet: What We Can Plant Instead As someone who has long loathed privet, I have been utterly blown away with the frequent occurrences I have had recently of folks telling me how pretty this shrub they own is. I’ve even been asked to identify a shrub they just planted only to find […] Continue reading "Privet: The Most Hated Invasive? Quite Possibly."
Odds are, if your curiosity draws from the realm of Georgia`s native plants, wildlife, or natural history, you are likely to have noticed the many ferns living among us. While admiring these mysterious, prehistoric plants, you may have found yourself wanting to know more about how ferns came to be or how to propagate them. […] Continue reading "For the Love of Ferns!"
Gardening and landscaping with native plants is usually to benefit wildlife – to create wildlife habitat. But what is wildlife habitat? The simple answer is that it depends. Suitable habitat depends on the species you are managing for, and how you manage depends on site conditions, available space, existing plant communities, and applicable disturbance techniques. […] Continue reading "An Introduction to Wildlife Habitat Management"
Six years ago, My boyfriend (now husband) picked me up from the airport and gave me a tour of his favorite places in Atlanta. He said they call it “The City in the Forest.” I could see why, as he showed me his childhood home in Decatur and his grandma’s old house in Druid Hills. […] Continue reading "What I Learned So Far – Ivy Kills Big Trees"