Kingswood Gardens

-- Resources
-- Deer
-- Plant Exchange
-- Changing Features - "News You Can Use"

This page offers some lawn and garden tips specifically focused on the Kingwood neighborhood. Fortunately, Athens has fabulous gardening resources. You really couldn't live in a better place than Athens to garden in Georgia. NOTE: Please click here for info about our Pine Trees in Kingswood!

RESOURCES

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia

Stroll the gardens through out the year for ideas on plants that are suitable for Athens. SBGG offers two plant sales a year, discounts at the garden shop for members, classes, and guided strolls.

The Georgia Native Plant Society

GNPS is one of the most active native plant societies in the U.S. It has a great website and a monthly newsletter that is well worth the small cost of membership. GNPS sponsors native plant rescues, field trips, and plant sales.

UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

CAES has a wonderful Home and Garden website. Look here for advice on growing vegetables, flowers and lawns in Athens. In addition CAES has:

  • CAES Trial Gardens
    UGA tests and evaluates the best plants and the best ways to grow them at the Trial Gardens. Although it isn't as aesthetic a scroll as the SBGG, it is fascinating to visit.
  • CAES Horticulture Club Plant Sale
    This sale offers unique varieties.
  • Cooperative Extension
    The Georgia State Cooperative Extension is headquartered right here in Georgia. They test soil identify plants and provide tons of information all for free.

Gardening in Georgia
Athens boasts loads of garden celebrities, but Walter Reeves, host of the PBS series Gardening in Georgia now provides competition for himself on DIY network as well.


DEER

Love 'em or hate 'em, we have to live with them. And one of the easiest ways to cohabit with deer is to plant plants they don't like. Of course, just like you and me, deer have different appetites, and what does not appeal to one may be a favorite of another, but in general these plants are considered 'deer resistant'.

If you really must plant something the deer love, you could try some of these tips, but there are no guarantees that they will work for you.

  • Plant it very near your house or in a hidden, out of the way place.
  • Plant it inside a strong fence at least 5 feet tall, but preferably 8 feet tall. (Save your money on that flimsy, plastic, so called 'deer fensing'. They'll walk right over it!)
  • Hang it on your porch or high enough that the deer can't reach it when standing on their hind legs.
  • Plant other plants around it that deer don't like, such as strong smelling herbs and marigolds.
  • Sprinkle human hair clippings around the plant. (I've tried it. It seems to work.)
  • Spray the plant with a deer repellent. (But who wants to run out after every rain and spray the roses with stinky stuff?)
PLANT EXCHANGE

If you would like to trade plants with your Kingswood neighbors, just follow these steps:

  1. Join the Kingswood Association emailing list, simpy SEND a blank email to: KingswoodAssociation-subscribe@yahoo.com .
  2. Send a message to plant exchange with this information
    • your name
    • your email address
    • a list of plants you have to trade
    • a list of plants you would like to find
  3. Check your email for the next iteration of the Plant Exchange
  4. Contact the person who has the plants you want to arrange a time to trade.

NOTE: When using the email "address links," please remember to REMOVE CAP LETTERS in front of each address before sending -- this is done to prevent Spammers from capturing our addresses online. Thanks!


CHANGING FEATURES – "News You Can Use"

>> DRIP IRRIGATION is not as intimdating as it sounds and it can save water as well as money while keeping your garden happy. Inexpensive kits and supplies are widely available, but don't confuse drip irrigation with soaker hoses. Both have their uses. Drip irrigation uses rubber tubing with tiny holes to deliver slow drips of water to the base of plants. Soaker hoses use permiable tubing through which water seeps into the ground.

An important consideration is to include a back flow preventer at the faucet to prevent contaminants from entering your household water supply. This is not always included in kits.

Here is a link to some Drip Irrigation Design Guidlines and tutorial to get you started.

>> Xeriscaping is a method of gardening that conserves water. Conserving water is not just important during times of drought, but since there is a finite amount of water on the earth and the earth's population is increasing, water conservation is important all the time. Learn how you can garden with less water and save on your water bill in this xeriscape article in the New Georgia Encyclopedia.

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Do you have a special gardening expertise, interest or project? If so, send your suggestions and contributions for FEATURES to Kingswood Gardens.


STUMP REMOVAL SERVICES - By Claudie Pullian of 445 Kings Rd. - 706-546-9772
NOTE: Claudie helped clean out all 3 of our entrances for our new plantings done 2007-08 - see here!
So, if you need any stump grinding/removal work done, give our neighbor, Claudie, a call!

NOTE: When using the email "address links," please remember to REMOVE CAP LETTERS in front of each address before sending -- this is done to prevent Spammers from capturing our addresses online. Thanks!