Georgia Garden Girl

Gardening isn’t always intuitive, and a lot of smart folks have spent years researching various gardening techniques.  My goal as a master gardener is to provide research-based gardening tips.  I use a lot of resources, but I do not trust just anything that pops up on an internet search.  Here are the main resources I use when I need gardening information:

Websites
UGA Cooperative Extension
Clemson Home & Garden Information Center
Note: on those rare occasions when there is a conflict between UGA’s advice and Clemson’s, I go with the Dawgs.
Walter Reeves – “The Georgia Gardener”

Books
Georgia Master Gardener Handbook
Southern Living Garden Book
American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants
Month-by-Month Gardening in Georgia by Walter Reeves and Erica Glasener
The Southern Gardener’s Book of Lists by Lois Trigg Chaplin
Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte
Good Bug, Bad Bug by Jessica Walliser
Any Container Gardening Book by Pamela Crawford

Magazines
Garden Gate
Southern Living
Fine Gardening
Martha Stewart Living (Martha’s gardens are in Zone 5 or 6, so always take her timing suggestions with a grain of salt)

Catalogs (yes, catalogs can be very handy)
Bluestone Perennials
Brent & Becky’s Bulbs
Park Seed
Stokes Seeds
Victory Seed Company
Also, check out Dave’s Garden Watchdog for reviews of gardening companies.

Local Nurseries
If you’ve got a good local nursery, go!  Ask questions!  Read labels!  Local nurseries often have great selections.  Plus, a local nursery probably won’t sell you a plant at the wrong time.  A big box store will sell you tomato plants in February and broccoli plants in June, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right time to plant.

Don’t Forget Your Local Extension Agent
I emphasize local.  The Ohio cooperative extension may have great ideas for fertilizing Kentucky Bluegrass at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but that’s really not helpful for your Bermuda grass.  Your local extension agent can answer your questions or refer you to a master gardener.  Click here for a list of Georgia county extension offices.