News Stories - Page 694

It makes no difference what we do, weeds seem to win. What you really want to do is prevent the weeds from going to seed. A favorite saying of my father's was "one year of seed equals seven years of weed."

Before you decide which plants to keep and which you plan to pitch from your landscape in the spring, consider your future selections' drought tolerance. "Unfortunately, our plants can't ring the doorbell and tell us they need watering," said Jim Midcap, a horticulturist with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Sometimes an important function of your landscape is to screen off objectionable views or create a space for privacy. Plants used for screening are usually evergreen and 15 to 20 feet tall or taller. They should be tough plants that thrive on neglect once established.

Saying someone has a green thumb usually means they can make anything grow. But it can also mean they are successful in multiplying their plants. If you're like me, every time you walk into a garden center, you have a wave of jealousy mingled with pleasure. Plant collecting is my soft spot. But how do I get more plants, different species, even cultivars?

When I was a kid I used to wonder if you were to dig a hole all the way through the middle of the earth to the other side, when you got to the middle, would you be digging up or would you be digging down? Forget about the molten rock in the middle of the earth and the effects of gravity, too. Just ponder the hole.

Encore azaleas are causing a real stir among Georgia gardeners. Developed in Louisiana in the early 1980s, they're being promoted as "twice-blooming" (spring and fall) azaleas.