New Southern Garden

Let Nathan help you get ahead of the pests this spring! Usually pests in the garden become a major problem because we fail to take necessary measures in preventing them. This week, Nathan gives you a surefire method to reducing pest issues before they become an issue!

What in the world is "foodscaping?" This week, Nathan gives you his take on landscaping with fruits and veggies. It's easy to grow a landscape that is both beautiful and nutritious by incorporating apples right beside the azaleas! Nathan gives you tips and ideas on utilizing fruits, vegetables, and containers right in your ornamental spaces!

This week, Nathan jumps into one of the perennial garden's most earliest blooming plant: the peony. Nathan gives you a run down of his top tips for peony success in the south then describes nineteen selections, color-by-color, that should be long-lasting peonies in your southern garden! That list includes: Pinks: 'Albert Niva', 'Bowl of Beauty', 'Edulis Superba', 'Gay Paree', 'Paula Faye', 'Raspberry Sundae', and 'Sarah Bernhardt' Reds: 'Karl Rosenfield', 'Many Happy Returns', and 'Red Charm'

Everybody likes new things! New cars, new houses, the list goes on and on. But we gardeners love new plants! This week, Nathan talks about new perennial plants from Proven Winners. His list includes, 'Firefly Amethyst' Achillea, 'Firefly Sunshine' Achillea, Decadence Baptisias ('Cherries Jubilee,' 'Lemon Meringue,' and 'Sparkling Sapphires'), Summerific Hibiscus ('Berry Awesome' and 'Holy Grail'), Shadowland 'Empress Wu' Hosta, 'Cat's Pajamas' Catmint, and 'Midnight Masquerade' Beardtongue.

This week, Nathan answers Frank's question about what characteristics to look for while shopping for plants to make an outstanding display in the garden. Nathan starts by listing out what to look for in a healthy plant, but then switches directions and talks about four critical plant characteristics to look for when combing them. These characteristics include color, texture, form, and bloom time. Making right garden decisions begins at your local plant nursery!

Last weekend, we had a terrible freeze! So this week, Nathan discusses what happens to plants that might have already put out new growth or blooms before a late freeze attacks. He talks about some common plants that tend to succumb to late freezes and explains what "hardy" really refers to in the plant world. Lastly, he lets you know what you can do (or not do) to correct winter damage on plants.