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Published on 04/19/07

Kids' gardening featured on 'Gardening in Georgia'

Digging tools, building bogs, killing grass and having fun with the kids highlight the April 26 "Gardening in Georgia."

"Gardening in Georgia" airs on Georgia Public Broadcasting stations across Georgia each Thursday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Georgia gardening guru and retired University of Georgia Extension agent Walter Reeves hosts the show. Each episode features valuable gardening information specific to Georgia soils, climate and growing conditions.

Having an artificial bog is a great way to grow and appreciate a different class of plants than you normally grow in your garden. Kathryn Gable at the Georgia Perimeter College Native Plant Botanical Garden shows how to make a simple bog in a tub and plant carnivorous plants to enjoy with your children.

Viburnums are often overlooked as landscape plants, but they pack a lot of punch. Doublefile viburnum offers tier upon tier of white flowers in spring. And with its ball-like flower head, snowball viburnum gives the look of a hydrangea in late April. See some great examples of these tough shrubs.

A sharp stick was the first digging tool. See how far we've advanced in hand-powered, soil-moving tools. Show host Walter Reeves shows several different shovels and the tasks they're designed for.

Get a demonstration of a fun project to do with kids, too. Reeves shows how to make a garden caterpillar out of clay pots, string and a bit of paint.

Finally, find out the importance of carefully reading the label on a weed-killer bottle before you cause streaks of dead grass in your lawn.

"Gardening in Georgia" is a coproduction of GPB and the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The 2007 season is made possible through an underwriting gift from McCorkle Nurseries and support from the Metro Atlanta Landscape and Turf Association.

More on "Gardening in Georgia" can be found at www.gardeningingeorgia.com.

Faith Peppers is the director of public affairs with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.