Gardening
Tips
by Kelsey Butler
Hayes Jackson serves as
Gardens Director of Longleaf Botanical
Gardens and Alabama Cooperative
Extension Horticulturist. “I love watching
things grow. I have a tree in my garden
that I planted as a seed almost 40 years
ago,” he says. “I also love sharing plants
and my interest in gardening.”
Jackson advises anyone looking to get
involved with gardening to do their
research. “Read, study, visit gardens,
visit gardeners, and Google… We have a
wealth of information at our fingertips,”
he says. “But always seek information
from reputable sources.” Apparently, you
can’t splice a a kiwi and a banana like you
see on the internet. Dang.
This month, Jackson is sharing with
us some basic gardening advice for
beginners.
20
What types of plants do you recommend
for the type of weather we experience in
Calhoun County?
A: Calhoun County is a wonderful place to
garden plant-wise. We can grow many of
the warmer zone plants like ginger lilies,
gardenias, and camellias and many of
the more temperate plants like Japanese
maples.
Do you recommend buying plants or
seeds?
A: Both! They end up all being the same
thing. I like watching things grow from
seed, but sometimes I am impatient and
buy a nice-sized plant.
When is the best time to plant?
A: The best time to plant trees, shrubs, and
perennials in our climate is from Nov-Feb.
May 2018
INSIGHT