News Stories - Page 661

Plums are popular for cooking and jam making, and many people enjoy them fresh as well. The sweeter varieties are some of the most delicious dessert fruits we have.

Our friends to the north may not worry over the amount of winter "chill hours" they get. They get plenty. But here in the Southeast, it's critical in growing blueberries.

You can grow apples in most of Georgia, though the best varieties will differ within the state. Local growers, gardeners or nurseries, or your county University of Georgia Extension Service office, can tell you the best variety for your yard.

Spring is perhaps the one season we gardeners are most eager for. We've spent months poring over catalogs and magazines, exchanging seeds and cuttings with fellow gardeners, sharpening tools and promising ourselves that this spring our garden will be the neighborhood show-stealer.

To most folks, the word palm triggers thoughts of Florida, Hawaii or Georgia's coastal islands. But you don't have to live in any of these areas to enjoy palms.

A few cold-hardy palms will grow as far north as Tennessee and North Carolina, where the average winter may reach minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

My wife Toni and I have been gardening for hummingbirds for many years now and have learned a few things along the way.

Hummingbirds overwinter in Central and South America. Our ruby-throated hummingbirds return to most parts of Georgia in March (in Atlanta, around March 20). So that's the time to dust off the feeders.

Weedy vines in the landscape can cause mayhem for even the most proficient gardeners. Among the worst are greenbrier, honeysuckle, Virginia creeper and poison ivy.

Every spring, homeowners start paying more attention to their lawns. And when it comes to preventing turf diseases, University of Georgia experts say it's better not to go overboard in caring for your grass.

If the prospect of free mulch interests you, look no farther than your own backyard. Herbicide-free grass clippings, leaves and pine needles are an excellent source of mulch.