A continuing garden profile Story and Photography by Peggy Hill Long-time readers of Alabama Gardener magazine might recall an article in the September 2011 issue about Barry and Connie Methvin’s quirky, imaginative garden titled Paradise Found. The article focused on how they created an amazing garden by decorating with art fashioned from found objects. It’s …
Curbside plantings that filter the pollutants of the street Story by Rachel Williams Natural chi flows to our homes right at its start – the curb! Unfortunately so does pollution. An easily dismissed aspect of this is noise pollution, which we can never totally drown out. Constant noise has many negative impacts, including hearing loss, …
The appeal of miniature tomatoes in Alabama Story and Photos by Katharine Musso The term “cherry tomato” commonly refers to a group of plants bearing fruit from as large as 1½ inches to as small as ¼ inch. Technically, a true cherry tomato is the perfectly round and red fruit of the plant Solanum lycopersicum …
Do your part in stopping the spread of invasives Story by Michelle Reynolds Take a hike in any nearby woods, and chances are good that you will see the effects of someone’s poorly thought out landscape plan. In my neck of the woods (Birmingham and central Alabama), I see escaped English ivy (Hedera helix) climbing …
10 ways to keep critters out of your fruit and vegetable gardens Story by Karen Ott Mayer Nothing is more frustrating than planting a garden only to watch healthy, vibrant plants succumb to the munchings of any number of critters – from squirrels to deer. Sometimes getting creative or experimenting can change the gardening score …
A profile of Hernando gardener Parker Pickle Story and photo by Karen Ott Mayer For more than 40 years, Parker Pickle has been known to many Hernando residents as the DeSoto County tax assessor. Across town at his home, The Cedars, Pickle has cultivated an immense loyalty to his home and garden. “I could never …
Eating fresh from the garden Story by Rick Snyder, Ph.D. Now that spring is in full swing and summer is knocking on the door, we are ready to harvest some fresh vegetables from our gardens. If you have a perennial planting of asparagus, you would have started picking in March and April. But for everybody …
Tips for growing this popular summer staple Story by Denise Pugh Once the spring equinox has passed and the gardening catalogs have whetted our appetites for fresh vegetables, summer squash is on the top of my list. Summer squash is a popular summer vegetable and it has many attributes that make it perfect for the home …
A gardener with a carnivorous hobby Story by Karen O’Neal Burnley Cook is somewhat of a local legend in Natchez. In addition to being an expert on carnivorous plants, Burnley recently received awards from the Historic Natchez Foundation and the Natchez Historical Society for preserving a theater organ xylophone dating back to 1922. He had …
A profile of Consolida regalis Story by Denise Pugh As a young gardener with a blank slate for a garden, I was introduced to larkspur (Consolida regalis). My neighbor was a seasoned gardener and grew these lovely plants. She allowed me to gather a bouquet, and my only disappointment was learning that the seeds had been …
