GREEN AND GROW SHOW  #4

July 8, 2006

Guest Host: Jim Harrington of Jim Harrington Garden Designs.
www.jimharringtongardendesigns.com
Jim is a contributing writer for _Gardening Round Atlanta’ he is also a past President
of The Georgia Native Plant Society and past President of The Georgia Perennial
Plant Association. Jim was also a former University of Georgia Extension Agent for
North Fulton County.
We talked about proper watering techniques and his use of _indicator’ plants. That
is a plant that you use in your landscape that when wilted is a good indicator that _
the rest of your garden plants could use some water. Jim also took calls from our
listeners. He also gave his recommendations of underutilized native plants for our
landscapes, Fringe Tree and Fothergilla.

Creature Feature: Humming Birds
Jim and I discussed our fascination with these little birds. They have the highest metabolism
of any bird. Their average heart rate is 1,260 beats a minute! Hummers don’t just feed on
nectar they also consume a large variety of small insects. And if you wondered how they
could possibly stay warm on cold nights, they enter a state of _torpor’ a form of hibernation.
Humming bird nests are made from lichen, spider webs, plant down and tiny twigs. Peak
breeding time is June through mid-July.  They lay two eggs that they incubate for 11 to
14 days and the young fledge in 14 to 28 days.
The males are the first to migrate south and you usually won’t see a male past August 1.
To attract these wonderful little birds to your garden plant a variety of tubular shaped
flowers. Salvia and bee balm are some of their favorites. But if you don’t have a garden
you can still enjoy hummingbirds by putting up a feeder. I prefer glass ones that can
be scalded thoroughly when cleaning them out, which should be done every three days
whether they are still full or not. You want to use 1 part sugar to 3 parts water. I use hot
water to dissolve it then wait till it comes to room temperature before hanging it back outside.

Special Guest: Lyndy Broder Clematis Expert
Lyndy Broder retired from the government where she worked for 30 years and became
a Master Gardener.  She lives with her husband on what used to be the family dairy
farm. When asked why clematis became such a passion for her she said, “because
I like the color pink”.  Lyndy has also been past President of the Georgia Perennial
Plant Association and the American Hydrangea Society.
We talked with her about different cultivars and the cultivation. Lyndy told us ways to
use  clematis in the landscape. One of her favorite books on clematis is _Gardening with
Clematis by Linda Bueller”. For more information go to www.clematis.international.com.

Out door living segment: Jennifer Sypeck Director of Trend and Product
Development for Smith and Hawkin. www.smithandhawkin.com
Jennifer Sypeck joined us from Los Angeles to talk about this new trend in outdoor living.
She pointed out how outdoor living has taken on and indoor comfortable feel.
Lawn chairs are a thing of the past. Big plush couches and chairs are what’s in.
There is outdoor carpeting that looks like an expensive Oriental carpet. From every
taste to every budget, you can have the outdoor room of your dreams.