Guest Host: Hayes Jackson - Urban Regional Extension Agent for Anniston, Ala.
He points out that the letters of his title spell UREA. Hmmm.
Hayes is a world renowned plant explorer and he is the one that discovered our
native double Hydrangea arborescens _Hayes Starburst’.  Hayes is also an
authority on hardy tropicals that include Palms, Gingers and Bananas. He is one of
the more enthusiastic plant nuts out there and I’m proud to call him my friend.

We discussed micro-climates and pushing the envelope with plants that are
marginally hardy.

Heavy Petal, our plant pick of the week: Dave Smith Sales Associate at
Ashe-Simpson Garden Center

Dave’s pick is Camellia. He told us about Camellia japonicas and C. sassanquas and how
if you plant thoughtfully you can have blooms starting in November through February!
One of his favorites is a Camellia japonica called _Tama Electra’. It has large single
white flowers edged in red. Ashe-Simpson is known for their huge selection of
Camellias. Stop by and ask for Dave.

Creature Feature: Voles
People often think moles are the ones doing all the damage in their landscape.
To be sure, moles leave unsightly tunnels in the garden. But moles are doing you a
favor by eating those white grubs feeding on the roots of your beautiful lawn.
So DO NOT kill them! If they bother you, just stomp their tunnels down. Sooner
or later they will move on. Now, back to Voles. They’re the ones doing all the
damage. They use moles tunnels to get from plant to plant. Eating away at your
prize hosta. To control them keep mulch away from the crowns of plants. There
traps, but I find them ineffective and inhumane. I use a commercial deer and rabbit
repellant but these have to be reapplied often. Someone told me to try used cat
litter around my plants. I have yet to try this so I can’t say if it works or not.
Hayes uses Gardenia and Terry, his two Rat Terriers. They do an excellent job of keeping the population down! Remember, Moles names start with an M. They eat Meat. And
are basically harmless. Voles names start with a V. They are vegetarians. They are
the ones eating your hosta!

Special Guest: Tony Avent owner of Plant Delights Nursery and author of _
So You Want to Start a Nursery’
Tony and Hayes have traveled together all over Asia. It was fun to hear their stories
of what it was like seeing a plant in the wild for the first time. And some not so pleasant
stories that involved _land’ leeches. We talked with Tony about his nursery _Plant Delights’.
I can’t think of another nursery out there offering such cutting edge plant material. Well,
there was one, Heron’s Wood Nursery owned by Dan Hinkley in Seattle. Tony and
Dan traveled extensively together as well and shared many plants. Tony shared with
us his thoughts on how George Ball of Ball Seed bought it then abruptly closed
Heron’s Wood. He made fun of it on the cover of his fall 2006 catalog. It is brilliant!
Tony’s catalog is not only known for the plants it offers but it’s witting often biting
commentary. I look forward to receiving mine twice a year, in the fall and spring.
To get your copy go to wwwplantdelights.com.  Then we moved on to Tony’s
book, _So You Want to Start a Nursery’. I don’t think there is a gardener out there,
myself included,  that hasn’t toyed with the romantic idea of starting their own nursery.
Well, this book is a must read! I have given this tome to so many of my friends and
I can’t recommend it enough. It is published through Timber Press but you can get
it at all the big book stores, Amazon.om or through Tony’s web site.

Special call in segment: Susan Franklin a Master Gardener for Cherokee County in Georgia. 
She called in to tell us about the Cherokee Master Gardeners Farmers Market.
They had plenty of organic fruits and vegetables along with all kinds of crafts. It was
being held at Cagels Dairy in Woodstock, GA. For more information go to
www.cescherokee.org