Bugs on Sedum

Now that the Sedum 'Autumn Joy' is in bloom all over my garden, the presence of insects has greatly increased. A clump like this is often visited by a dozen or more at the same time. I do not know the names of any of them. Some look rather innocent, like this one, while others are much more fierce-looking. Note a stem of the Obedient Plant to the Sedum's right. It attracts insects also, and hummingbirds.

Obedient Plant

Acquired last May at the Master Gardener plant sale in Dahlonega, I really had no idea what to expect from this "Obedient Plant" (so named, I have been told, because if you bend its stems, they will remain bent, rather then straightening themselves out again [or breaking] - I have not tried it!). My plant now has three large spikes with these lovely lavender flowers, and many more "baby spikes" below, on each of the stems. It grows in a border with Salvias.

October 17 Conference

Public Invited to Garden with the Masters.

Atlanta, Georgia, August 17, 2009 – Announcing the celebration of 30 years of Master Gardening in Georgia and an October 17 conference, Planning Chair Regina Lorenz extended an invitation to the public to join veteran gardeners at Gwinnett Tech in Lawrenceville for “Autumn Harmony: In Tune with Nature”.

“Georgia began the Master Gardener program in 1979 in response to the need of county extension agents to respond authoritatively to homeowners’ everyday gardening questions, “ Lorenz commented. “Master Gardener Conferences provide us with education and networking opportunities. The conference on October 17 is not just for Master Gardeners or even experienced gardeners; it’s for everyone who wants to plant and grow… trees, bulbs, perennials, vegetables…in a manner that preserves the earth for future generations.”

During the conference expert speakers from across the region and the country will address topics of “birds in our landscapes”, “organic gardening”, “rain gardens” and “garden pollinators”. Vendors will offer gardening tools, plants and books. The conference fee is $75 per person and includes Continental breakfast and a buffet luncheon. A “meet and greet” with the speakers and organizers will be held the evening before the conference, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Duluth.

“We look forward to having more than 300 enthusiastic amateur and professional gardeners with us at this conference,” Lorenz concluded, “and urge everyone to register as soon as possible.”

The 30th anniversary conference of Georgia Master Gardeners will be held October 17 from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM at The Busbee Center at Gwinnett Technical College on Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville. Registration information is available on the organization’s web site, http://www.georgiamastergardeners.com/ or may be requested from the Master Gardener coordinator at County Cooperative Extension Offices.

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About the October 17 conference
The 30th anniversary conference of Georgia Master Gardeners will be held October 17 from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM at The Busbee Center at Gwinnett Technical College on Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville. Registration information is available on the organization’s web site, http://www.georgiamastergardeners.com/ or may be requested from the Master Gardener coordinator at County Cooperative Extension Offices.

About Georgia Master Gardeners Association
Georgia Master Gardener Association, Inc. is a non-profit organization that acts as an umbrella for local Master Gardener groups across the sate. Its mission is to stimulate interest in and increase knowledge of gardening, and to voluntarily, enthusiastically and responsibly share this knowledge with others. GMGA’s 2009 President is Brenda Beckham of Clarke County.

About the Master Gardening program
In 1972, a Cooperate Extension Agent in Washington State came up with the idea that trained volunteers would be able to respond authoritatively to many homeowners’ everyday gardening questions and thus free him and his colleagues up to deal with more difficult or technical questions. The program caught on, first appearing at land grant universities across the country and has since spread all over the United States and Canada. Georgia became part of it in 1979; it is a program of the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, coordinated from its Griffin campus. (770-228-7243).

Salvia

This 'Cherry Queen' (left) is making its second appearance in my garden. It is twice as big as last year, but it's not a robust plant. Still it blooms very well and I'm glad I've got it in my landscape.

The mystery Salvia on the right is a gift from Cheryle Maddox, who told me it had unexpectedly shown up in her garden one year and spread. "I don't know what it is," she told me, "but it's got pretty blue flowers." She sure was right! It's found a place next to a Stevia and complements it nicely. I hope it comes back next year.

What was sold to me as "hot lips" in March -- I think it would better be called "warm lips" or maybe "peach lips", because of its gentle color -- has been in bloom for months. Just in the past few days the "black and blue" has begun to open up also. Even though I have declared Yarrow my favorite perennial of 2009, Salvia is hard to ignore.

Bugs in the Garden

It was Barb Giamanco, who first encouraged me to submit articles to SelfGrowth.com and I have been doing just that for a few months now. Today, SelfGrowth accepted my submission about bugs and if you would like to read it, here is the link:

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/a_southern_garden_in_mid_summer_coexistence_with_the_bugs.html?#

Oakleaf Hydrangea

If, in the next few months, you come across a gardening DVD in which you hear Pat Bowen (Master Gardener - Cherokee County, Georgia) speak about the oakleaf hydrangeas in her garden, you will see a specimen she is discussing, as well as a stem cutting with a flower that has finished blooming and is now a very attractive dried flowerhead.

That's this one!

Not a "twin" from the same shrub, or a cutting from another oakleaf hydrangea, but the exact same material she has in her hands in the DVD. I'm determined to make this cutting famous! :-) For now, and until its appeal disappears, it keeps company with a bouquet of mint on a side table in my dining room.

Weeds

Weeds, I learned in Master Gardener training, are plants that grow where hey are not wanted. That was the case with this one; it popped up in my lawn and instead of pulling it out and throwing it away, I dug it up, cleaned it up a bit and put it in a small clay pot. Its leaves are a healthy green (they look like mint) and the flowers are a pale, pale blue. I don't think I'm going to form any particular attachment to this plant, but it looks nice enough to keep it until it's finished for the season.