Move over, red tomatoes. There’s a new tomato in town, and it’s promising to be even healthier than its already uber-healthy red counterpart: Meet the purple tomato.
28.06.2023 - 08:59 / southernliving.com
There’s a reason it’s called the Mighty Oak: Oak trees are stately trees that can live for hundreds (yes, hundreds!) of years. “If you want to plant a tree your great-grandkids can enjoy, go with an oak,” says Greg Huber, a Georgia Registered Landscape Architect (RLA), and program coordinator of the certified landscape and plant professional programs at theGeorgia Center for Urban Agriculture, University of Georgia. “There’s tremendous variety, and oaks have a classic beauty that feels solid and unchanging.”
Oaks also provide habitat for birds, mammals and pollinators. In addition, mature oaks produce acorn crops regularly, which are a favorite food of many kinds of wildlife. But oaks aren’t a species that should be planted in small suburban plots: The tallest types can reach 100 feet tall and 80 to 100 feet wide. Even the smallest oaks are 30 to 40 feet tall and wide. They’re also one of the more slow-growing trees in comparison to other types, gaining approximately a foot per year, while some trees, such as maples, may grow at twice that rate, says Huber.
Because of its slow growth rate, planting an oak tree is an act of good will. Although you won’t get to see your tree reach its mature size, there’s still something to be said for investing in future generations. “Oak species are a critical part of the urban and rural canopy for both humans and wildlife, ” says Huber. “In a fast-paced world, maybe we should plant something slow and steady.”
Ahead, the most common types of native oak trees that thrive in the South:
01of 10White Oak Botanical Name: Quercus alba Height: 60 to 100 feet Spread: 40 to 60 feetWhite oaks have attractive scaly, greyish bark and lobed leaves with rounded tips. The foliage turns a pretty mottled
Move over, red tomatoes. There’s a new tomato in town, and it’s promising to be even healthier than its already uber-healthy red counterpart: Meet the purple tomato.
In certain parts of the United States, people have been affected by wildfires and the resulting smoke for years, dealing with air quality warnings and orange, dusty skies on a semi-regular basis. But this year, wildfires burning in Canada have put other regions at risk, and apocalyptic-looking skies have prompted fresh questions for those unfamiliar with wildfires and their effects: Should I wear a mask outside? Can I leave my windows open? Do I need to clean my air filters?
Tomatoes love and need a lot of sunlight and heat to grow. But too much of a good thing can cause the plant to get sunscald–the plant equivalent of a sunburn. “Sunscald in tomatoes can happen in all parts of the country, but it is more prominent in the South where the days are longer and the weather is hotter,” says Greg Key, gardener and CEO of Hosstools in Georgia.
Limelight hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’PP12874) has become so popular in the past decade that many refer to it simply as Limelight. It is a large cultivar, reaching 8 feet tall and wide, and may be too large for a smaller landscape.
Spanning 22 miles between the towns of Torquay and Brixham, the English Riviera in South Devon takes in secluded coves and sandy beaches, fishing villages with cobbled streets, and dramatic red sandstone cliffs and off-shore stacks. The mild climate here makes for some terrific gardens, too.
Vegetables are planted every season but do you know there are some of them that are planted once and harvested many seasons? Here are the best Perennial Vegetables You Can Plant Once & Enjoy for Years!
Harry's Chelsea garden, The School Food Matters Garden
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It’s hardly a meal in the South without green beans on the table! Fortunately, the common garden bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is one of the easiest vegetables to grow, even if it’s your first garden. Sometimes called snap beans, garden beans are inexpensive seeds and fast growers, with some types ready in as little as 50 days. They’ll produce bumper crops so you’ll have plenty of green beans to cook fresh, freeze or pickle. With top picks fromAll-American Selections (AAS), which trials seed performance for home gardeners, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, extension services at Clemson University, North Carolina State University, Louisiana State University, University of Georgia, and University of Kentucky, here are the best types of beans to grow in the South:
Gardeners know pollinators are essential, especially those industrious bees buzzing tirelessly in and out of squash blossoms and trumpet vines. But one kind of bee may wear your patience thin if you’ve discovered their handiwork: Carpenter bees! If you’ve found perfectly round ½-diameter holes drilled into your deck timbers, wood siding, mailbox posts, or outdoor furniture with a little sawdust beneath the holes, you may be housing these gentle bees.
There’s absolutely nothing as amazing as a fresh-picked tomato still warm from the sun. In fact,tomatoes are one of the most popular plants in home gardens, alongsidebeans, summer squash, andherbs such as basil. But with hundreds and hundreds of tomato cultivars, or cultivated varieties, it’s tough to choose which ones you should plant to stand up to the heat and humidity of the South. Whether you’re a traditionalist and plant only heirloom types your Granddaddy grew or you’re all about experimenting with new types bred for improved disease resistance, you’ll get the highest yield when you grow a few different types. Just make sure to set plants out after all danger of frost has passed in your area, and give them at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Tomatoes do not do well in shade.
Whether you have a small suburban plot or a big, rambling yard in the country, chances are your garden attracts the resident wildlife. But if you’re tired of animals using your garden as a buffet, there are a few things you can do to reduce damage to a more tolerable level. “Nothing is foolproof, and there’s no one-size-fits-all technique,” says Michael Mengak, PhD, Certified Wildlife Biologist and professor atWarnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. “You’ll need to combine a few methods for the best results.”