Georgia Magazine - May 2013 - (Page 42B)

Gardens plant of the month Bonus t n conte omeowners are often stumped as to how to make their shadier garden areas vibrant and stunning. Foliage color is an excellent choice, and the breadth of colors and patterns in both coleus and caladium varieties continues to grow. However, if you just have to have ﬂower color, New Guinea impatiens are an outstanding option. New Guinea impatiens prefer partial sun (areas that receive three to six hours); they can tolerate shade and are very low-maintenance. Simply keep them watered and fertilize them about every four weeks to be rewarded with more blooms. They will bloom from early spring throughout the summer, and they come in gardeners’ favorite colors including red, pink, lavender and white. When planting, be sure the soil is amended so it can retain moisture and the plant can easily take root. If COURTESY PIKE NURSERIES Out of the shade H Stunning blooms of New Guinea impatiens add color and beauty to shaded landscapes. planting New Guinea impatiens in a garden bed, amend the native soil at a 50/50 ratio with a product like Pike Planting Mix. If your impatiens will reside in pots or hanging baskets, be sure to use a high-quality potting mix. Unlike standard impatiens, New May garden tips: • After they’ve bloomed, prune springblooming shrubs to reshape, revitalize and promote new growth. • Plant herbs outdoors in your garden or in pots on your back patio. Remember to water regularly. • Fertilize Bermuda grass when it’s about 70 percent greened-up. • Water lawns between 10 p.m. and 10 a.m. for the most efﬁcient use of water. Be mindful of water restrictions. • Inspect hybrid tea roses for early signs of disease and treat according to the disease-treatment package instructions. • Start summer vegetables from seeds, including squash, cucumbers and beans. Guinea impatiens are not affected by impatiens downy mildew, which is a soil-borne disease that has made growing regular impatiens in the landscape in many parts of Georgia impossible. Source: Pike Nurseries, www. pikenurseries.com Find it this month! Want to win? Are you a resourceful reader? One lucky reader who finds and submits the correct answers to these trivia questions will win a $25 Target gift card. Answers can be found in this month’s digital edition. 1) Four chefs were chosen as spokespeople for Georgia Grown and their “Pick, Cook, Keep” video series, shown on Georgia Public Broadcasting. Name two of the four chefs. 2) What is the name of the program where co-op members round up their electric bills to the nearest dollar and give it back to the community? (Hint: It’s helping high-schoolers in Planters EMC’s service area and their FFA program.) 3) What popular cable TV show was featured on the cover of one version of the 2013 Georgia Travel Guide? 4) Family Promise helps Georgians get back on their feet after tough times. What fundraiser, put on by the Gwinnett County affiliate of Family Promise, do we highlight in this month’s feature story? 5) In searching for a place to create Gibbs Gardens, what two “must-have” land attributes did Jim Gibbs mention he was looking for in this month’s gardening article? 42B More online at www.georgiamagazine.org TARGET gift card $25 How to enter: Send an email to magazine@geor giaemc.com with the answers to all five questions by May 30, 2013. Be sure to also include your name, address and phone number. (If more than one person answers all the questions correctly, we’ll draw from among all correct answers to determine the $25 Target gift card winner.) GEORGIA MAGAZINE http://www.pikenurseries.com http://www.pikenurseries.com http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - May 2013

Georgia Magazine - May 2013
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Liberty Notes
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar of Events
Currents
The Family that Stays Together
The 2013 Readers' Choice Awards
In-TENT-ional Camping
in-TENT-ional Extras
Now is the Future
More Earth-Friendly Technology for the Home
Georgia Gardens
Georgia Cooks
Snapshot
More Snapshot Photos
Gardening Tips for May; Plant of the Month
May's Online Trivia Contest
Second Helping: "Pick, Cook, Keep"
Georgia Grown Spotlight

Georgia Magazine - May 2013