Georgia Perennial Plant Association (GPPA)

10/19/2026

Our September Southern Highlands Reserve Field Trip was so popular that we repeated it in October! Again we toured the private, 120-acre high-elevation native plant arboretum and research center near Lake Toxaway, North Carolina. We then filled our cars with plants from the incredibly special Chattooga Gardens nursery, in Cashiers, North Carolina, owned by Jeff and Jodie Zahner. From there we visited the property Jeff’s grandparents bought in 1930 and which his family has been cultivating ever since. Originally high-elevation farmland, it now bears the imprint of three successive generations of gardeners and plantsmen - and plantswomen! We dined again at Bonnie Thurmond’s home overlooking Whiteside Mountain, where Jeff spoke to us about the uniqueness of the area as well as its threats and its conservation. At the last minute the sun broke through the dense cloud cover to grace us with an extraordinary sunset before the remnants of Hurricane Isaias  inundated us with wind and rain.
Photos courtesy Michell and Melissa Thurmond, Tony Rizzuto, Rosie Russell, Mariano Alvarez, and Tom Tingle

10/18/2026

In September, 25 Georgia Perennial Members visited the Southern Highlands Reserve near Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, a private, high-altitude, native-plant arboretum and research center showcasing the rare ecology of the Southern Appalachians. From there we traveled to Cashiers, North Carolina where we indulged our love of plants at the very special Chattooga Gardens nursery, owned by Jeff and Jodie Zahner. We then journeyed to the land the Zahner family has occupied and cultivated since 1930, when Jeff’s grandfather bought a large expanse of high-elevation farmland, which he and successive generations have transformed. We dined at Member Bonnie Thurmond’s home, looking out upon Whiteside Mountain, and heard from Jeff about the biodiversity, threats to, and conservation of this very special area. Stalwarts visited the Highlands Biological Station on a rainy Saturday morning.
Photos courtesy Michell and Melissa Thurmond, Sally Seeds, Susan Wynn and Bill Petritz

10/18/2026

These are just some of the plants MONDAY’S SPEAKER, Jordana Chalnick, is bringing for our RAFFLE!

Join us as we welcome Horticulturalist & Landscape Manager at Biltmore Estate, Jordana Chalnick, for her talk “Perennials at Biltmore: Beautiful Gardens Throughout the Seasons.” Saint Dunston's Episcopal Church, 4393 Garmon Road NW, Atlanta, 30327. Social Hour 6:30 PM, Annual Business Meeting 7:00 PM, Presentation 7:30 PM.

Jordana Chalnick’s love of plants began on a cut flower farm in Vermont and led to a horticulture degree from Haywood Community College. She started at Biltmore in 2006 in the Azalea Garden, became the Conservatory Horticulturist in 2013, and held several other supervisory positions before she became Landscape Manager in 2024. “I love my job, because I get to use my creativity in designing displays as well as using all of my horticultural knowledge to keep plants happy and healthy.”

Visit www.georgiaperennial.org to become a member or to purchase a guest pass for the evening. Tickets can also be purchased at the door.

Jordana Chalnick
Biltmore

Photographs courtesy Jordana Chalnick, Biltmore Estate

10/13/2026

See Ozzie Johnson TONIGHT! We can’t get enough of our favorite Georgia Perennial Plant Association (GPPA) member! 💚

Mark Your Calendars! The Norcross Garden Club will host Ozzie Johnson at the Norcross Cultural Arts & Community Center on October 13. For more than five decades, Ozzie has earned the respect of the horticultural and gardening communities through his work for private clients, his development of remarkable new plants, and his volunteer service to organizations including the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The presentation is open to the public, but we ask everyone to RSVP so we can plan for seating and refreshments. The event is free to members; non-members will be charged $5. More information and the link to register are here: https://mailchi.mp/c82f4067c36b/norcross-garden-club-october-speaker-ozzie-johnson

10/13/2026

OCTOBER SPEAKER! MONDAY the 19TH! Jordana Chalnick, Horticulturalist & Landscape Manager at Biltmore Estate, “Perennials at Biltmore: Beautiful Gardens Throughout the Seasons.” Saint Dunston's Episcopal Church, 4393 Garmon Road NW, Atlanta, 30327. Social Hour 6:30 PM, Annual Business Meeting 7:00 PM, Presentation 7:30 PM.

Jordana Chalnick’s love of plants began on a cut flower farm in Vermont and led to a horticulture degree from Haywood Community College. She started at Biltmore in 2006 in the Azalea Garden, became the Conservatory Horticulturist in 2013, and held several other supervisory positions before she became Landscape Manager in 2024. “I love my job, because I get to use my creativity in designing displays as well as using all of my horticultural knowledge to keep plants happy and healthy.”

Visit www.georgiaperennial.org to become a member or to purchase a guest pass for the evening. Tickets can also be purchased at the door.

Jordana Chalnick
Biltmore

10/06/2026

Plantsman and author Jenks Farmer filled the house at our September Speaker Meeting! With his signature style, blending down-home storytelling with expert plant information, he walked us through how to look at winter gardening differently. It definitely was NOT your grandmother‘s hellebore lecture! As usual, the social hour was replete with food, friends and plants! (Secret - the best plants in Atlanta are at Georgia Perennial’s Raffle!) Thanks to everyone who works to make our events so enjoyable and educational! Join us for our next gathering!
Georgia Perennial Plant Association (GPPA) Asheville Perennial Gardening JAM'n Designs Jenks Farmer, “From Hot Mess to Winter Success” Jenks Farmer, Plantsman
Pictures courtesy Tony Rizzuto and Michell Thurmond

09/20/2026

🌸WINTER IS THE NEW SUMMER🌸 MONDAY’s talk by Jenks Farmer on winter gardening will be full of cool, colorful ideas like those below! Don’t miss it! This won’t be your grandmother’s hellebore talk. Jenks will be showing us winter interest that we might have missed somewhere along the way, using plants that look great all year round! He’ll also be signing his new book, “Secrets of Southern Gardening,” and of course he’ll bring a few Crinums for sale as well.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st, 4393 Garmon Rd, NW, Atlanta 6:30 Social Hour, 7:30 PM Presentation. Visit www.georgeperennial.org for more information, to become a member, or to purchase a guest pass for the evening. Tickets can also be purchased at the door.

Read more about plantsman and author Jenks Farmer here:

https://jenksfarmer.com/

Jenks in conversation with New York Times garden columnist Margaret Roach about his new book Secrets of Southern Gardening - https://awaytogarden.com/planting-and-watering-wisdom-from-jenks-farmers-new-book/

Garden & Gun's story about Jenks's Crinum business - https://gardenandgun.com/lilies-with-a-legacy

Jenks's recent induction into the South Carolina Academy of Authors Hall of Fame - https://www.usca.edu/news/2026/states-literary-leaders-inducted-into-hall-of-fame-at-usca.html

09/15/2026

Heat got you down? Think WINTER - GARDENING that is - the Jenks Farmer way! This won’t be your grandmother’s hellebore talk. Jenks will be showing us winter interest that we might have missed somewhere along the way, using plants that look great all year round! He’ll also be signing his new book, “Secrets of Southern Gardening,” and of course he’ll bring a few Crinums for sale as well.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st, 4393 Garmon Rd, NW, Atlanta 6:30 Social Hour, 7:30 PM Presentation. Visit www.georgeperennial.org for more information, to become a member, or to purchase a guest pass for the evening. Tickets can also be purchased at the door.

Read more about plantsman and author Jenks Farmer here:

https://jenksfarmer.com/

Jenks in conversation with New York Times garden columnist Margaret Roach about his new book Secrets of Southern Gardening - https://awaytogarden.com/planting-and-watering-wisdom-from-jenks-farmers-new-book/

Garden & Gun's story about Jenks's Crinum business - https://gardenandgun.com/lilies-with-a-legacy

Jenks's recent induction into the South Carolina Academy of Authors Hall of Fame - https://www.usca.edu/news/2026/states-literary-leaders-inducted-into-hall-of-fame-at-usca.html

09/12/2026

What a fun time was had with my old friends at Georgia Perennial Plant Association (GPPA) at the Southern Highlands Reserve and Highlands Biological Station. A stop at a lovely nursery in Cashiers, Chattooga Gardens, with extra emphasis on native plants including hard to find Oconee Bells (Shortia galacifolia), Galax and Gaulteria was so worthy too! Great trip, great folks. Kudos Michell Thurmond for organizing and the incomparable Bonnie Thurmond for hosting us and dinner and simply spending time with us!

07/13/2026

PICNIC and TOUR SATUDAY! 🤸‍♂️🤸🤸‍♀️KIDS WELCOME! McFarlane Nature Park, 11 to 2. With our naturalist guide, Georgia Perennial member Karin Guzy, discover the trees and plants NATIVE to our region in 13 different garden areas including a LONG LEAF PINE GROVE, a FERN garden, SHADE gardens, a SUN garden, a MEADOW, a NECTAR garden with BEEHIVES, and a STUMPERY. The park has a specimen of every tree native to the Piedmont! We’ll eat our lunches at the Picnic Pavillion and finish off with ICE COLD WATERMELON!

Celebrate SUMMER with Georgia Perennial!

To BECOME A MEMBER and join us on this and all our other wonderful activities, visit our website. If you plan to JOIN US SATURDAY, be sure to add your name to the sign-up sheet, link below. See you soon!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZNrcxAdE-FqWRv4ipAajfdGRVvVt5wSndaT8WX9nd44/edit?usp=drivesdk