Gerald Johnson Landscapes

02/19/2023

Description :Egrow 50Pcs/Pack Passion Flower Seeds Garden Rare Passiflora Incarnata Fruit Plants Seeds Specifications : Quantity : 50 pcs Germination time : 15-25 days For germination temperature : 18-25 Celsius. Package : 1 OPP Simple Packaging Applications : Balcony, garden, living room, study, wi...

08/27/2022

UGA Extension Carroll County presents a short video with Kim and Richard Littleton from Littleton Family Farms in Carroll County, Georgia who grows fruits, v...

10/25/2021

04/07/2021

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a member of the Poppy Family. Members of this family typically contain a thick latex sap. Bloodroot is no exception. It contains a red sap, hence the common name bloodroot. Even after the flowers are done, this plant makes a handsome groundcover for several months in good moisture conditions.

02/02/2021

BRRRRRRRRR......it's freezing outside today. Do you ever wonder how birds keep warm on cold winter days? Check out this fascinating article to learn more. From feathers to fat, birds have multiple strategies for keeping warm when the mercury dips. Keep your feeders full with high-fat foods like black oil sunflower and suet can also help keep our feathered friends cozy on a cold winter day. Northern Cardinal photo by Elle Pollard.

https://www.audubon.org/how-do-birds-cope-cold-winter

02/01/2021

It's time for some winter plant identification: Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) - a w**d or a wildflower?

Easily confused with purple deadnettle, henbit is a common broadleaf winter annual introduced from Eurasia. It has a square stem in cross-section which is generally a characteristic of members of the mint family (Lamiaceae). In late-winter and early-spring, it blooms pink to purple tubular flowers which are an excellent food source for long-tongued bees and hummingbirds. All aerial parts (leaves, stems, and flowers) of henbit and its relative purple deadnettle are edible either fresh or cooked. If you prefer to remove henbit, we deal with this plant at the garden by hand-pulling and suppressing it with mulch.

01/30/2021

Ground-pine (Dendrolycopodium obscurum) and running cedar (Diphasiastrum digitatum) are in the same family, look very similar, can occupy similar habitats, and are found commonly throughout the state.
Reminding our readers that these should NOT be collected. Although they may be abundant in areas where they grow, habitat reduction has indeed reduced substantially the total population. Also, they are EXTREMELY flammable.
The branches of running cedar are narrower than that of ground-pine, and the leaves are in four ranks as opposed to six. Additionally, whereas the strobilus (the spore-bearing structure) appears to have a main axis in ground-pine, it branches dichotomously in running-cedar. Both ground-pine and running cedar spread through an extensive rhizome system that typically grows unidirectionally. Each year at the beginning of the growing season, the rhizome grows a few centimeters and forms a branch at a 90 degree angle, alternating branching sides each year. Every year, the main rhizome only produces one new aerial root. Running cedar can be found in “Mesic to, less often, dry acidic forests, old fields, and clearings; especially common in formerly disturbed soils under successional pine and Tulip-tree forests” according to the Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora.
Pictures are courtesy of the Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora.

01/25/2021

Heuchera americana is often called coral bells but also alumroot. It is a small, clump-forming perennial that is native in about the upper 2/3 of the state (including the upper Coastal Plain). Its foliage is evergreen, often fairly low to the ground. It appreciates rich soil but can take some dryness (perhaps thanks to its thick root) and does best in part shade; it is often found in rocky, well-drained soils. The flowers are modest but tiny pollinators love them.

The nursery trade has helped all our native Heuchera gain some popularity and cultivars are available. Heuchera americana ‘Dale’s Strain’ seems the most natural looking one; others have some wild colors. Some are crossed with other native species and some are crossed with Tiarella, another relative in the Saxifrage family (those are sold as Heucherella).

01/23/2021

Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) is a spreading perennial that acts as a groundcover in sunny locations. The small fuzzy leaves are generally evergreen and little yellow blooms start forming as winter is winding down. Green and Gold is naturally found in much of the state except the northernmost and southernmost counties. However it has done well in nursery production and you can often find it not only at native plant sales but also better nurseries in the spring. It’s easy to start from divisions so ask a friend for a piece. This photo is from March.

01/21/2021

A new study on Audubon’s Hummingbirds at Home program shows the importance of community science and native plants.

01/20/2021

Another evergreen orchid is visible this time of year, but you might need to brush a few leaves aside to see it. Downy rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera pubescens) is an evergreen native orchid that blooms in the summer. In the northern half of Georgia you might have noticed its intricately patterned leaves of green and white nestled in upland woods. You might even have found a small colony of them as they spread slowly by creeping stems at ground level. Its small flowers are pollinated by small bees, and small seeds (tiny really) will form in dry capsules.

Tomorrow we'll start covering some of the evergreen perennials you might put in the garden. Start your spring shopping list!