Kate on March 4th, 2010

The consensus is that the Atlanta area is botanically 2 weeks behind the normal for blooms this year. In many ways that is a positive because the early blooms do get zapped by frost so this gentle, cool spring is keeping things in check. On the other hand most folks are rather sick of cool [...]

Continue reading about The First Daffodil

Kate on February 26th, 2010

This is my next ‘must have’ shrub and I do know where to find it. The edgeworthia is an open shrub that seems to be quite small and not unlike a callicarpa in form. The flowers though are quite something. We are all familiar with witch hazels that bloom in winter, and the casual but [...]

Continue reading about Edgeworthia chrysantha

Kate on February 12th, 2010

This has been an interesting week. A garden club requested my knot garden talk. This is one of my favorite talks that sadly, rarely gets requested. We do a quick romp through medieval English history and gardens.
 
 

I have always had problem with the term ‘open’ and ‘closed’ knots. There are several definitions that I have [...]

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Kate on February 5th, 2010

I took a little tour around the garden today. We had another round of all day rain and cool temperatures. Everything is looking soggy but the lavender has definately suffered. The rosemary is not looking much better though. It will take a month or more before I really know whether the rosemary is going to [...]

Continue reading about Casualties of a Very wet Winter

Kate on February 2nd, 2010

Last year I planted the cool weather vegetables way too late. I was still in northern thinking maybe, but planting cabbage in April led to whitefly by mid May. Not a very successful year cabbage-wise. So this year I am starting just a few seeds – no I do not need 10 seeds per cell [...]

Continue reading about The Seeds are up and Running

Kate on February 2nd, 2010

There is something about the first flower in the garden that is special. It gives just a hint of what is to come in the next few months. The crocus seem to be nowhere one day and in bloom the next. They brave dark cloudy days, deluges of early spring storms, not to mention icy [...]

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Kate on January 25th, 2010

The first week in the new year is something that I have always enjoyed. It is a great time to go into the garden and start planning. It seems like the latter part of the year is a wind down in the garden, but once the new year has started the planning can begin again. [...]

Continue reading about Bringing Branches inside

Kate on January 25th, 2010

Well it had to happen – a real winter finally hit the south and my almost zone 7b turned coat on me and let me know otherwise.
The problems with knowing that something is too tender for your area, is that when you see it marketed or sold in a local nursery, you give it the [...]

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Kate on November 21st, 2009

Busy start to the day – two radio shows to do, both live. At 10am we are discussing using locally available produce for season and holdiay recipes. Listen to Personal Chef Tony Carollo (http://mychefsite.com/globalchefservice) give some great recipes to try.
At 11am the largest poisettia farm in the country is the guest on The Master Gardener [...]

Continue reading about Radio Shows today on Radio Sandy Springs

Kate on October 30th, 2009

  
I am in England visiting my mother, and today we played in the garden. I raked leaves and put in bulbs, plus some gilliflowers aka wallflowers.
The soil is dark, but was not dark enough, so we put some compost onto the whole area to give some extra nutrients.
Had some great conversations with some nursery [...]

Continue reading about Playing in an English Garden