Every door prize at this virtual garden conference is a winner – and many are worth more than the registration fee.

Connie Cottingham • October 21, 2020

This week I wrote the descriptions for over a dozen door prizes offered as part of the virtual 2020 Georgia Master Gardener Association Conference. This conference includes home garden tours led by Allan Armitage, Mike Dirr and Coach Vince Dooley, plus six live garden talks. Click here for registration and more information about the conference  Anyone can attend. Please share with your gardening friends. This conference would be especially interesting to Southeastern U.S. gardeners.

Back to the door prizes… It seemed rather dry to just add promo copy to the descriptions, so I decided to share why I wanted to win each prize (except the books – they are great, but already in our library!), and link to more information and purchase opportunities (because we can each win only one at best.)

Herbaceous Perennial Plants, 4th Edition , by Allan Armitage (signed!)

Value:                 $80

One thousand plus pages of information about perennials, hot off the press with current and tried-and-true varieties and cultivars, at your fingertips. Beware though – you will find yourself looking up a particular plant then lost in the engaging text for a while. Here is a recent review I wrote about this book.

Gardening with Grains , by Brie Arthur (signed!), plus two seed packets

Value:                 $36

Perfect timing! Grains are cool-season… hmmm…  crops? ornamentals? BOTH! Learn more with her new book and two packets of wheat seeds – Soft White and Bronze Chief.

 

The Foodscape Revolution , by Brie Arthur (signed!), plus two seed packets

Value:                 $34

Brie is such an energetic and inspiring speaker that you want to know more about Foodscaping – and you will with her first book. Two packets of Brie’s Soft White wheat seeds will get you out into the garden to plant.

Donated by Brie Arthur.

Seven Steps to an Organic Garden , by Mike Cunningham

Value:                 $15

Mike and Judy Cunningham, “The Teaching Farmers”, and their family run a 150-acre farm and CSA with vegetables that are Certified Naturally Grown. Taking a class at their Newnan Farm to learn about cooking, gardening or food preservation is on my bucket list, so I watch their Facebook page to find out when the classes will start again post-COVID.

Hydrangeas for American Gardens , by Michael A. Dirr (signed!)

Value:                 $45

More info/buy:   https://tinyurl.com/y3k3797v

Hydrangeas are signature Southern plants. A Hydrangea collection can include sun and shade plants, native and exotic plants, blooms from spring to fall, plus amazing fall color and winter bark. With this book you can learn more about the hydrangeas in your garden and make plans to expand your collection.

Donated by Mike Dirr.

Manual of Woody Landscape Plants , by Michael Dirr (signed!)

Value:                 $82

Who knows more about woody plants than Mike Dirr? A virtual tour of his garden and his signed iconic reference on your shelf – Score!

Donated by Mike Dirr.

Dooley’s Playbook: The 34 Most Memorable Plays in Georgia Football History , by Vince Dooley (signed!)

Value:                 $35

Southerners love football and Georgia fans love Vince Dooley. Vince will be touring us through his home garden as part of this virtual conference. Did you know he is quite the gardener, with a hydrangea named for him? You want this SIGNED book because, although it is his most recent of many books, it is already sold out.

Donated by Vince Dooley.

Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia , by Linda Chafin

Value:                 $33

Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia and Surrounding States is the first field guide devoted exclusively to Georgia’s wildflowers, while also including many plants found in neighboring states. This is a great reference to identify plants or learn more about native plants to add to your landscape.

Clematis Abilene

Value:                 $29

Clematis Abilene has rich, pink two-tone blooms. The flowers are up to 6 inches across and very full at maturity, but the plant remains compact and suited to smaller spaces and container culture.

Brushwood Nursery is known nationwide for their Clematis and consistently in the Top 5 in their category at The Garden Watchdog.

Donated by Dan Long, Brushwood Nursery.

Antique Glass Garden Art

Value:                 $50

These hand-crafted flowers are created from antique glassware, each one a unique design. The winner will have a glass flower shipped to them with instructions on purchasing a metal support locally to install it at just the right height for their garden.

Donated by Carol Martinese.

45-Minute Online Landscape Consultation

Value:                 $80

Cliff Brock was the curator of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia’s flower garden before spending a year in Oregon and then returning to Newnan, GA. Cliff knows plants so very well and, like many gardeners, has many talents. He is also a composer and pianist, as well as a writer and photographer ( check out his blog here. ) A 45-minute virtual consultation, offering design ideas and giving plant maintenance advice – well, that would be amazing.

Donated by Cliff Brock.

Encore Azaleas Gift Certificate

Value:                 $40

Encore® Azaleas are the bestselling multi-season blooming azalea in the world with over 30 varieties. Won’t it be fun to add a few to your garden?

Donated by Flowerwood Nursery.

Southern Living Plant Collection Gift Certificate

Value:                 $40

The Southern Living Plant Collection by Flowerwood Nursery includes over 60 varieties of trees, shrubs, bulbs, annuals, perennials, and ornamental grasses. You will have fun with this gift certificate!

Donated by Flowerwood Nursery.

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A row of cherokee purple tomato plants in pots

Why I would not plant a tomato (or pepper) in March in my NW Arkansas garden.

By Connie Cottingham • March 28, 2025
It is late March in Northwest Arkansas, with temps in the 70s, sunny skies and spring fever hitting hard. Plants are in front of stores and garden centers are buzzing. Everyone wants to plant NOW. Although I have seen many peppers and tomato plants for sale, I would not buy one or plant it in March. As beautiful it is today, next week will have three mornings at 40 degrees or below. Yes, that is above freezing, but many tropical plants will die at higher temperatures. Tomatoes should be planted when evening temperatures reliably stay above 50 degrees. Studies say even if the tomato plant looks OK, growth can be stunted when planted before the soil warms up. Yes, it is hard to resist. Here are a few things to do instead. Watch for Blackberry Winter. It’s a thing – practically every year. When the blackberries bloom in early spring, a late cold snap or a frost hits. The average last frost date in Benton County, AR, is April 19 and my blackberries have not bloomed yet, so there is a good chance April will have some chilly nights. Be a rebel - buy the tomato anyway and plant it. You are not risking your children’s inheritance and getting your hands dirty is therapy, so if you want to do it, do it. The biggest commitment is the space in your garden, which could be producing greens and vegetables in April instead. Plant cooler season vegetables now and harvest those until you plant the tomatoes (and peppers) later. There are radish seeds that can be harvested in only 24 days, baby spinach that can be harvested in 28 days, and lettuce and spinach plants for sale, so you could get a crop in before planting your tomatoes. Win/win. I must admit, when spring fever hits hard I sometimes buy a six-pack of lettuce for instant gratification. Lettuce in greens, burgundies, and with speckles look so pretty in a freshly prepared garden bed. March is a good time to plant potatoes. onions, or fruit plants like strawberries and blueberries. There’s plenty of food crops you can be planting now. Are you upgrading your big pots on the front porch? Move the old containers to a sunny side yard and plant potatoes, strawberries, or herbs in them. Use this time to build raised planting beds and enrich your soil.

Helleborus and Eudora Welty’s House & Garden

By Connie Cottingham • March 24, 2025
Jackson, Mississippi

Fennel: Food, Foliage and Butterflies

By Connie Cottingham • March 10, 2025
I recently picked up a couple of fennel bulbs in the grocery store—not quite sure what I would do with them, but completely enchanted by the idea of trying something new. Honestly, this isn’t unusual for me. I often shop in garden centers the same way—choosing things that delight me without a clear plan in mind. Cooking with Fennel Fennel seems to be more common in European kitchens than in the United States. In her Around My French Table cookbook, Dorie Greenspan suggests adding a fennel bulb, cut into strips, while sautéing onions in her leek and potato soup recipe. Her approach is genius: leave the vegetables in the broth, so every serving feels fresh. It can be enjoyed as-is, pureed and served cold as vichyssoise, pureed into a creamy soup, or topped with croutons. This variety keeps leftovers exciting rather than repetitive. While I’ve grown fennel before, it’s always been for my beloved swallowtail butterflies rather than the kitchen. That alone makes fennel a worthwhile addition to the garden. But I’ve since learned its foliage can be used in salads, as a garnish, or even in flower arrangements. Growing Fennel in the Garden Fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare ) is a tender perennial and a member of the parsley family. To grow it successfully, plant seeds in succession during spring and fall, as fennel tends to bolt in summer heat. When thinning seedlings, don’t let the pulled plants go to waste—they’re excellent in sandwiches and salads. Fennel’s versatility extends to ornamental gardening, too. Consider planting it in a flower border where its feathery foliage, especially the bronze fennel, provides striking contrast among flowers and shrubs. Some sources report that fennel doesn’t always play well with other vegetables and can cross-pollinate with dill, so plan your garden layout accordingly. If you’re not growing fennel for seeds, pinch off the blooms to encourage larger bulbs and prevent self-sowing. The blooms themselves make a delightful garnish. For Butterflies and You Whether you grow fennel for its fine-textured foliage, culinary uses, or to host swallowtail butterflies, every reason to add it to your garden is a good one. Swallowtail caterpillars devour a lot of foliage to transform into butterflies, so planting multiple fennel plants is a must if you want to share with them. Bronze fennel, with its deep-hued leaves, makes a particularly striking addition to the garden.
A bottle of eau de toilette sits on a bathroom counter

Love, Kent Beauty

By Connie Cottingham • February 25, 2025
I know Connie has sung my praises many times, but just look at me. I was put in this vase a few months ago; the water is long gone. Outside, dried, brown, perennial seedheads are feeding the birds. Azalea flower buds are capped with snow. I am in the warm house, pretty in pink, a reminder for Connie to buy more Ornamental Oregano ( Origanum ‘Kent Beauty’ ) in spring, because I am: A beautiful dried flower, Fun to add to a flower arrangement. My thin stems fit in even tiny bottles and drape over the sides of bigger containers, A thick, weed choking, low perennial, Good for containers, Able to take full sun (I was cut from a plant that drapes over the street curb), Deer resistant, and Very pollinator friendly. Give me full sun and good drainage and I will give so much back. If you are looking for an herb to cook with, plant a culinary Oregano for better flavor. I can’t do everything!  Love, Kent Beauty
A thank you letter to anna may with a picture of an older woman

Thank You, Anna Mae

By Connie Cottingham • February 25, 2025
I stumbled upon these pages in an old cookbook, and they instantly took me back to a cherished memory. Have you ever driven by Searles Prairie on the corner of Hudson Road and Dixieland Road in Rogers? This little patch of nature holds a special story—one that I’m grateful to share. Years ago, while participating in the same garden club as Anna Mae Searles, she welcomed me into her home and shared her plans to safeguard her land. With a quiet determination, she was preparing to grant a conservation easement to the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission. Her passion was evident when she explained that the prairie was home to “prairie pimples” (yes, it’s a thing—look it up!)—quirky natural formations that make the land uniquely beautiful. Anna Mae couldn’t stand the idea of her beloved prairie being bulldozed for development. Every time I pass by that spot, I feel a surge of gratitude for Anna Mae’s foresight and dedication. In 1988, she took a stand, protecting a rare piece of land. According to a 2012 article in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, this land is “10 acres of wild grasses and wildflowers in Rogers that is believed to be the last tract of virgin prairie in the region. Virgin as in prairie that has never been plowed. That makes Searles Prairie unique.” The article also said Anna Mae had been offered half a million dollars for the land but her vision was for it to be preserved and used as a teaching tool. This piece of land holds even deeper meaning for me. My mother’s last apartment had a balcony that overlooked this natural haven, and those views are a cherished memory. So, yes, thank you Anna Mae.

The Rose On My Doorstep

By Connie Cottingham • December 16, 2024
My first Black Friday purchase was an order of four roses from Heirloom Roses, which arrived on my doorstep this week. I ordered two ‘Belinda’s Dream’ roses, one of the most carefree everblooming roses to grow, for two planting beds I am creating in my back yard now.

Lessons learned from my first year in the new kitchen garden

By Connie Cottingham • January 7, 2024
2023 was my first full year in my new home and my kitchen garden on the west side. This is a sketch of my garden plan, with the beds and posts built as my fence was being installed. Overall, I am thrilled with the design and decision. I thought I would share some of the […]

Stunning, dark leaves on Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea

By Connie Cottingham • January 5, 2024
I met First Editions® Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea when Bailey Nurseries hosted a tour and evening at their headquarters in St. Paul, MN, during the 2023 GardenComm (garden communicators) conference. I had never toured a growing location at that scale before. Each attendee was given an Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea to take home and trial. But I also was able to […]

How to shop a plant sale. This works for buying plants at local nurseries too.

By Connie Cottingham • April 25, 2023
With a little thought and preparation you will come home with the best plants for your garden. 1. Know where you need plants. This helps you target one area of a sale instead of distracted wandering (blooming plants are like puppy videos – totally hijacking your focus). 2. Research the plant sale. Some sales post […]

10 tips to help you enjoy holiday light shows in public gardens

By Connie Cottingham • November 21, 2022
'Tis the season for holiday light shows in public gardens. Here are a few tips to make sure you have a fun evening among the lights. Happy Holidays!
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