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- Wednesday, May 22, 2013 DAWSONVILLE, GA
Archive By Section - Lifestyle Columnists
Eco-friendly insect control
I have received many calls to the office from people wanting to control landscape and insect pests without the use of conventional pesticides. There are some options available for those opting to use less harsh chemicals. Many of the pest insects we find in our landscapes and gardens can be controlled with one of three environmentally-friendly products - Horticultural Oils, Insecticidal Soaps and Bt Products. Horticultural oil is especially formulated for use on plants. It ...
A hillbilly version of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’
Mama has always been persnickety about her things. It just goes along with her O.C.D. So when she told me one evening her things in her bedroom were out of place, I knew to be worried. "Has anyone been in your house?" I asked.
Protecting trees in the yard
Trees provide great benefits to our home landscapes. They provide shade, help retain soils and add visual interest. It is important that we take care of our trees. Many of the things we do for our other plants in the landscape may provide benefits to our trees at the same time, such as watering, fertilizing and aerating. However, some maintenance practices may unintentionally damage our trees. Improper mulching may do more harm than good for our trees.
Preparing my own episode of ‘Hoarders’
I'll admit that I am a pack rat. I am scared to pieces that the minute I throw something away, I will need it.
Water quality testing
The quality of our water can have a direct and persistent effect on our health. The EPA sets standards that public water sources routinely be checked. This is not the case with private water supplies, such as a well. Having your well water tested once a year serves as a good precaution and will keep you aware of any contamination.
I have many doppelgangers, but Amy Winehouse?
They say everyone has a twin. Some people have more than one person they look like. Apparently, I have quite a few. When I was younger and insisted on blunt heavy bangs, I was told on numerous occasions I looked just like Shannen Doherty. Or anyone who grew up in the '90's may remember her as the much-hated Brenda Walsh from "Beverly Hills, 90210."
Don’t make me unleash my Southern
While at the bank recently, I got in a conversation with a man and the bank manager. Our talk turned to how other parts of the country are so vastly different than the south. "I went to California a while back," the manager said. "Beautiful state, had such wonderful fresh produce. But not the first bit of it was fried."
Blossom-end rot
One of the best parts of growing tomato plants is the feeling of seeing your first fruit setting on the vines. Unfortunately, many folks have experienced the frustration of discovering dark, sunken lesions on the bottom of their tomato fruit. This is a nutritional disorder called 'blossom-end rot.'
My horror tale of the great outdoors
There comes a time in every parent's life, where you have to share one of your personal brutal life experiences with your child. Sometimes, it's an experience that is hard, painful even, to talk about.
Avoid overwatering
As the summer heat begins to dry things out, we tend to think that more water is better. This is not always the case. Many commonly diagnosed plant diseases in Georgia are caused by excess soil water.
Pointers on pollination
I have received a number of calls in the past month concerning cross-pollination of different vegetable crops in home gardens. Most cross-pollination issues are not of huge concern to most home gardeners. A general introduction into how plants are pollinated will give you a better understanding of how your plants produce fruit.
Some people earn that well-deserved no
I've said it before and I will say it again: My favorite word is probably 'no.' I love that word.
By Clark MacAllister
If you are like me, you try to save money wherever you can. We are living in tough financial times, and I am always looking for new ways to save a few bucks here and there. Many folks often skimp on their landscape as a means of cost cutting. There are many instances in which being too cheap in the garden can cost you in the long run.
That’s a man’s job, y’all
I've never considered myself a feminist, even though I have been accused of being one a time or two. Granted, I have had a few un-girly jobs in male-dominated fields, but it was usually out of necessity more than trying to prove I could do anything a man could do.
Odds are Rogers will wish he was Mork
For a guy more uptight than a bullfrog in boiling water, State Sen. Majority Leader Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, can be a hoot. I first discovered this when he and another senator named Chip (Pearson, from Dawsonville) teamed up a few years ago to pass a bill in the Senate banning our body parts from being micro-chipped without our permission. I thought that was pretty funny: Chip, Chip and Microchip. Get it? I wrote ...
Articles by Section - Lifestyle Columnists
Use berms for looks, function
Berms, or raised areas, can be used in the landscape to add visual interest to flat or dull areas of the yard. Berms are simply mounded hills of soil that are constructed to serve a purpose in a landscaped area.
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