Category: Newsletters and Member Articles

In the Atlanta area our last frost date is around April 15 so we have to count back to figure out when to sow seeds indoors to get a jump-start on the growing season.  Here is a seed sowing calendar to help you get plants ready for when the weather warms up. 12 Weeks before last frost January 22 begonia, browallia, geranium, larkspur, viola, pansy, vinca   11 Weeks before last frost January 29 Dianthus, petunia, portulaka, verbena, onions, celery, celeriac   10 Weeks before last frost February 5 heliotrope, candytuft, primula, leek, early greens (to be planted out in the coldframe or greenhouse beds),  snapdragon, stock 9 Weeks before last frost February 12 delphinium, chamomile,  parsley, Greek oregano, impatiens, rudbeckia, early lettuce, kale, escarole, thyme   8 Weeks before last frost February 19 pepper (78*F), shallot, eggplant, basil, cherry tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, columbine, dahlia, phlox 7 Weeks before…

Gwinnett Master Gardener’s Virginia Schofield, Emily Eberhardt and Ruth Kail got together and created “Edgar Allen Crowe” as this year’s entry into the Atlanta Botanical Gardens “Scarecrow’s in the Garden” event, Oct 1st -30th. Virginia mentioned that he didn’t place this year but he sure is cute and someone liked him a lot because he’s the first scarecrow that you see when you enter the garden!  This is a fun event for the whole family to visit at ABG.  And, say ‘Hey’ to Mr. Crowe while you are there. http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/events-classes/events/scarecrows-garden Related Images:

For most of the 10 years I’ve lived in Gwinnett County, the Atlanta Metro Area has suffered some degree of drought conditions, belying the stereotyped “rainy night in Georgia”.  Two years ago we were under the severest watering restrictions ever seen in the region.  Homeowners were forced to turn off their automatic irrigation systems, and were limited to 20 minutes of hand watering during specific hours on assigned days of the week. Lawns turned brown, lawn maintenance companies laid off employees, and the iconic Pikes’ Family Nurseries filed for bankruptcy.  During that time there was no shortage of “Volunteer Opportunities” for a Master Gardener willing to give presentations on rain barrel instillation, or on other WaterSmart Landscaping techniques. All of that changed when an 8-day rain-event, between September 14 and September 22, 2009, brought record rainfall to the area.  Official gauging stations showed that portions of Gwinnett County received 11…