Garden coaching is a relatively new breed of garden professionals. They are a step up from your neighbor giving advice and a step down from a landscaper. In essence they help you decide what to do with your landscape, and teach you how to do it.
My guest for the show was Steve Guiness of Roswell who is a garden coach. On the show we talked about the differences in coaches. Some are more design oriented, but some, like Steve, show his clients how to prune and he sends out reminders to them as well. Knowing how to prune and the right time to prune will go along way to regaining control in your garden.
Garden coaches can also help you with design ideas and some will do a full drawing for you. Others will jot down plant names for suggestions and do a less formal ‘back of the envelope’ design for you.
The obvious advantage of a garden coach is that they cost considerably less than professional landscapers, but if they show you how to look after your property, then they will save you even more in the long term.
Look for Steve to return to the show in a few months when we will talk about his trips abroad collecting, lawfully, orchids and other tropical delights.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Harvesting Water by Kate Copsey
Rumor has it that last year’s drought is easing. Unfortunately, although north Georgia ahead of last year for rain, the drought is still in full swing and although no further water restrictions have been imposed, we all need to still be watchful.
Harvesting the water that we do get can go a long way to maintaining a thriving garden, during these stressful times.
Water barrels are the most obvious remedy, but these are just collection points, and are not necessarily the best solution for every garden. Adjusting gutters and creating swales in the landscape can capture water that does fall and keep it on the property rather than letting it runoff into the storm sewers.
Efficient irrigation of the landscape can then take this water, relay it through a drainage system and deliver the optimal amount of water the plant roots where it can be utilized.
The radio show on water harvesting had Stuart DiNenno from Atlanta Water Harvest as a guest and we talked abut different ways to capture water to redistribute around the landscape.
At the beginning of the show, I admitted to not having even a water barrel in the garden, but that was corrected this past weekend. Mine came from Home Depot and took about 2 hours to install. On Saturday afternoon we got barely ¼” of rain, but the barrel captured about 2 gallons of water.
####
Harvesting the water that we do get can go a long way to maintaining a thriving garden, during these stressful times.
Water barrels are the most obvious remedy, but these are just collection points, and are not necessarily the best solution for every garden. Adjusting gutters and creating swales in the landscape can capture water that does fall and keep it on the property rather than letting it runoff into the storm sewers.
Efficient irrigation of the landscape can then take this water, relay it through a drainage system and deliver the optimal amount of water the plant roots where it can be utilized.
The radio show on water harvesting had Stuart DiNenno from Atlanta Water Harvest as a guest and we talked abut different ways to capture water to redistribute around the landscape.
At the beginning of the show, I admitted to not having even a water barrel in the garden, but that was corrected this past weekend. Mine came from Home Depot and took about 2 hours to install. On Saturday afternoon we got barely ¼” of rain, but the barrel captured about 2 gallons of water.
####
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
From the Master Gardners - Your Hydrangea
Its Just Garden Chemistry
Did you ever wonder why your hydrangea started out pink and then turned into a blue one when you planted it? Well if you were listening to the show on Saturday, you would have found out that it is all to do with chemistry – soil chemistry to be precise.
The color blue is formed when the soil chemistry is enriched with lime it will turn the shrub blue, when enriched with acid (such as Holytone or other fertilizer for hydrangeas etc,) it will turn pink.
Moving a hydrangea can also change the color or the bloom, particularly if it has been moved close to a building where the lime from concrete will be leaching into the soil and then the plant
####
Did you ever wonder why your hydrangea started out pink and then turned into a blue one when you planted it? Well if you were listening to the show on Saturday, you would have found out that it is all to do with chemistry – soil chemistry to be precise.
The color blue is formed when the soil chemistry is enriched with lime it will turn the shrub blue, when enriched with acid (such as Holytone or other fertilizer for hydrangeas etc,) it will turn pink.
Moving a hydrangea can also change the color or the bloom, particularly if it has been moved close to a building where the lime from concrete will be leaching into the soil and then the plant
####
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
New Farmer's Market in Roswell Covered by RSS
One of the advantages of doing a garden show is that you get to talk about different gardens and events. It is even better when you do an offsite live show. This past Saturday was just such an event.
The first Riverside Farmer’s Market, in Roswell, was an ideal, in theory, site for the radio show.
Riverside Park is a large recreational park run by the city of Roswell and the market is a joint venture between the city and the County Extension Service. Parking for the site is on either side of the entrance, and has three aisles. Each aisle is wide enough to turn a 16 wheeler! Picnic shelters and refreshments are available at the site as well. They even had electricity, we were told. Setting up a remote was no problem – right?
Well not exactly.
The market was located in the roadside aisle, the electricity at the picnic site. No less than six, one hundred foot electrical extension chords were needed to travel from the outlet at the shelters to where we wanted to do the show. Unfortunately I did not bring six chords- I only had three which dumped us in the middle of aisle two. Someone ran home to get extras and with the chord in the remote we were able to duct tape the chords across a sidewalk, across the first parking aisle (active with cars, kids and dogs), across the median, across another aisle, and finally along the second median to where we wanted to be.
By a great stroke of luck all the extension chords worked and we set up to do the show. After a few test tries, and turning the mike volume up, we went live from the market! We started with the Extension agent, while someone ran around rounding up people to chat to on air. What a great set of vendors – coffee, plants, eggs and herbs and most were willing to chat. The hour sped by and before we knew it, we were signing off.
I had a great time at the market and, if we are lucky, the radio show came off sounding almost perfect!
by: Kate Copsey
####
The first Riverside Farmer’s Market, in Roswell, was an ideal, in theory, site for the radio show.
Riverside Park is a large recreational park run by the city of Roswell and the market is a joint venture between the city and the County Extension Service. Parking for the site is on either side of the entrance, and has three aisles. Each aisle is wide enough to turn a 16 wheeler! Picnic shelters and refreshments are available at the site as well. They even had electricity, we were told. Setting up a remote was no problem – right?
Well not exactly.
The market was located in the roadside aisle, the electricity at the picnic site. No less than six, one hundred foot electrical extension chords were needed to travel from the outlet at the shelters to where we wanted to do the show. Unfortunately I did not bring six chords- I only had three which dumped us in the middle of aisle two. Someone ran home to get extras and with the chord in the remote we were able to duct tape the chords across a sidewalk, across the first parking aisle (active with cars, kids and dogs), across the median, across another aisle, and finally along the second median to where we wanted to be.
By a great stroke of luck all the extension chords worked and we set up to do the show. After a few test tries, and turning the mike volume up, we went live from the market! We started with the Extension agent, while someone ran around rounding up people to chat to on air. What a great set of vendors – coffee, plants, eggs and herbs and most were willing to chat. The hour sped by and before we knew it, we were signing off.
I had a great time at the market and, if we are lucky, the radio show came off sounding almost perfect!
by: Kate Copsey
####
Saturday, May 24, 2008
This is what we Elected Last Time for Congress
Here we are, 3 days from Memorial Day weekend, and Congress still hasn’t passed a funding bill for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers and Marines are achieving undeniable progress on the ground in Iraq—and what does Congress do? It spends the final hours before Memorial Day recess passing this “critical” legislation:
* H.Res. 1147 - Congratulating the Northern Kentucky University Norse women's basketball team
* H.Con.Res. 305 - Recognizing the importance of bicycling in transportation and recreation
* H.Res. 1144 - Expressing support for designation of a "Frank Sinatra Day"
* H.Res. 1152 - Honoring Arnold Palmer for his distinguished career in the sport of golf and his commitment to excellence and sportsmanship
* H.Res. 1074 - Honoring the 60th anniversary of the commencement of the carving of the Crazy Horse Memorial
Democratic leadership in Congress continues to ignore the recommendations of commanders on the ground and military leadership—from Gen. David Petraeus to Deputy Secretary Gordon England.
In fact, this inaction comes on the heels of the following quote from Secretary England in a letter to Congress last week, “If legislation is not passed by Memorial Day, the [Defense] Department will still be operating with less than the desired effectiveness and efficiency. Therefore, I urge you to provide the essential GWOT funding before the Memorial Day recess.”
Why can’t we put politics aside and provide funding for the troops in harm's way? If Democratic leadership believes that "Frank Sinatra Day" is more important than providing funding to those who serve in harm's way, then they have failed all Americans and owe us an explanation this Memorial Day.
Sad state of affairs on Capitol Hill.
Reproduced from Vet For Freedom .org
* H.Res. 1147 - Congratulating the Northern Kentucky University Norse women's basketball team
* H.Con.Res. 305 - Recognizing the importance of bicycling in transportation and recreation
* H.Res. 1144 - Expressing support for designation of a "Frank Sinatra Day"
* H.Res. 1152 - Honoring Arnold Palmer for his distinguished career in the sport of golf and his commitment to excellence and sportsmanship
* H.Res. 1074 - Honoring the 60th anniversary of the commencement of the carving of the Crazy Horse Memorial
Democratic leadership in Congress continues to ignore the recommendations of commanders on the ground and military leadership—from Gen. David Petraeus to Deputy Secretary Gordon England.
In fact, this inaction comes on the heels of the following quote from Secretary England in a letter to Congress last week, “If legislation is not passed by Memorial Day, the [Defense] Department will still be operating with less than the desired effectiveness and efficiency. Therefore, I urge you to provide the essential GWOT funding before the Memorial Day recess.”
Why can’t we put politics aside and provide funding for the troops in harm's way? If Democratic leadership believes that "Frank Sinatra Day" is more important than providing funding to those who serve in harm's way, then they have failed all Americans and owe us an explanation this Memorial Day.
Sad state of affairs on Capitol Hill.
Reproduced from Vet For Freedom .org
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Bestselling Author Debbie Macomber on The Breakfast Club
Anybody who listens to THE BREAKFAST CLUB knows my special relationship with books. And anyone who knows books can't help but have heard of the fabulous Debbie Macomber. Debbie is a leading voice in women's fiction whose books have debuted at number one on every major bestseller list - including the NY Times, USA Today and Publisher's Weekly. We are so pleased that we will have Debbie joining us in the studio for an interview here at Radio Sandy Springs on Monday June 9th to discuss her latest book TWENTY WISHES. Ms. Macomber and Mira Books are also announcing this super cool contest where one lucky reader can win $10,000 to make their own wishes come true. Check it out at www.setyourwishfree.com and tune in to hear Debbie with Jack and I here on The Breakfast Club on June 9th at 8:15AM at www.radiosandysprings.com!
-- Dana (co-host of The Breakfast Club)
-- Dana (co-host of The Breakfast Club)
Friday, May 2, 2008
The Breakfast Club
The Radio Sandy Springs Breakfast Club. They are on the air Monday through Friday from 7 - 9 AM. Get the day started with coffee, chat, local event bulletins and more. Dana Barrett and Jack Bolton are your hosts. Enjoy the banter as they fill your morning with smiles.
So listen every morning from 7-9 AM to the Sandy Springs Breakfast Club Only on Radio Sandy Springs. Your Community Radio Station.
So listen every morning from 7-9 AM to the Sandy Springs Breakfast Club Only on Radio Sandy Springs. Your Community Radio Station.
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