Elachee Nature Hike

Today's hike at the Elachee Nature Science Center focused on spring wildflowers, but perhaps the most exciting appearance was of a redtail hawk that kept circling overhead, obviously looking for lunch (or trying to make the acquaintance of the injured redtails in the cages). Beautiful bird.

But, on to plants! We saw lots of Trillium (Trillium cuneatum), above, but none yet in bloom. Also huge clumps of doghobble, and Galax (Galax aphylla) - top, with Christmas fern.

Will State Budget Cuts Affect Master Gardener Program?

In Georgia, the Master Gardener program is administered by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of the University of Georgia in Athens. UGA is part of the University System of Georgia, which is governed by a Board of Regents.

All of the State of Georgia's government faces draconian budget cuts for the next fiscal year. That includes the University System and it trickles down all the way to the Master Gardener program.

It may not do any good to try and lobby the Board of Regents for the MG program, but it certainly would not hurt to give it a shot. So, if you are so inclined, here is the address:

Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia
270 Washington Street, SW
Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Water

I had a telephone conversation with a client in the Caribbean this morning. He and his children had just taken their daily shower, he said - in the swimming pool! His family is more fortunate than many -- at least they have a swimming pool and it is still full.

Just as we, in the heat of summer, occasionally experience power "brown-outs", many countries to the south of us now experience "dry-outs", when water is simply turned off for a while, because there is not enough of it to go around.

Here is an article that illustrates the condition: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161595989

Scary, isn't it?

Hello, Helleborus!

When Pat Bowen, to whom I owe my Master Gardener training -- indeed, my entire evolution as a gardener -- told me last year that Helleborus orientalis (Lenten Rose) does not necessarily require a lot of shade, I was skeptical. But, when she told me I could come to her 7+ acre garden and dig up some "babies" for my garden, I was there in no time at all. "Don't expect them to bloom next year (2010)", she told me. "They need time to mature, so give them a year or two." I was thrilled enough that all ten or twelve of them survived and did not expect what I saw today. Isn't this spectacular? A good omen for my 2010 garden?

A week ago today, I was playing in the snow, taking the kinds of photographs I have considered extremely rare for this part of the country. Today, in 60F/14C degrees, I had a great time having lunch outside on the patio, with birds in the trees and shrubs all around. Wow - such a change!

Outdoors and Indoors

The daffodils should be developing blooms by now; instead, they are just popping out of the ground. It's been that kind of winter! Indoors, meanwhile, the Christmas cacti have decided to bloom again. Very cheerful!

As The Snow Melts . . .

. . . I’m playing with a spring garden lay-out and packets of seeds. After vowing to leave tomatoes well enough alone this year, I’ve got four different varieties to try, including “Black from Tula” (Tula International, which has nothing to do with tomatoes or gardening, is one of my clients). I’m also going to give a pepper named “Medusa” a try this year. All these from a source in Florida. From California, I have several herb seeds (e.g. a basil called ‘Profumo di Genova’), ‘Monet’s Garden Mesclun with a mouth-watering image on the packet, and old-fashioned flowers, including ‘Love in a Mist” – all from Renee’s Garden. From my own 2009 garden I harvested seeds of the Hyacinth bean vine, a spectacular dill that was a gift from Cheryle Maddox, and Monarda, Cleome, Baptisia and more. No matter how I approach this, it seems to me I need more space. Solution: more containers!

Birdfeeder in Snow

Good thing I bought another ten pounds of bird seeds the other day!

The leaning "stick" on the right side of the picture is a Tulip Poplar or Yellow Poplar that spontaneously manifested itself two feet from my house three years ago; I dug it up a few months ago and replanted it in the spot where a screen to my neighbor's backyard was welcome. Nothing wrong with my neighbor -- I'd just rather look at a tree than a house! This is a 'holding-your-breath' situation; if the tree leaves out and begins to grow again, I think its promise as a screen for the future is pretty secure!