CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 02/28/13

UGA horticulturalist releases gardening book focused on conifers

By Merritt Melancon

Anyone who moved into a new house between 1995 and 2008 is probably familiar with the fast-growing, super-screening workhorse of the conifer family — the Leyland cypress.

But while the Leyland cypress might be the most popular conifer in Georgia landscapes, there are a whole host of conifers that will grow just as well in home landscapes.

“When you mention a conifer people thought of either junipers or pine trees in plantations and I am interested in introducing them to all the options and the diversity that is out there” said University of Georgia horticulturalist John Ruter.

Conifers are good choices because their structure adds architectural detail to a landscape, and they provide year-round color and visual interest, Ruter said.

He and Tom Cox from Canton have put together a complete guide to selecting and caring for conifers for Georgia gardeners. “Landscaping with Conifers and Ginkgo for the Southeast” will be available in April through the University Press of Florida. It’s available for pre-order now on Amazon.

Ruter’s part-time job in high school was raising Christmas trees for sale, so his conifer fixation started early. Cox is a former president of the American Conifer Society and grows an amazing collection of conifers at his Cox Arboretum in Canton.

After years of advocating for the trees, Ruter and Cox are seeing more Georgians embrace conifers and gingko trees. They wanted to provide a good, consumer-oriented guidebook for people who want to experiment with the trees.

Ruter and Cox were frustrated that there wasn’t a complete set of care guidelines for the plants. There was very little information, for instance, about how to select and care for conifers in the southern half of the state.

The new consumer guidebook details selection and care guidelines for areas ranging from southeast Texas to Appalachian Virginia.

“This guide includes essential information about what to buy, where to plant it, and how to maintain it,” Cox and Ruter wrote in the description.

Merritt Melancon is a public relations manager with UGA's Terry College of Business and previously served as a public relations coordinator for the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Extension.

Authors:
Merritt Melancon
Experts/Sources:
John M. Ruter
UGA Horticulturist John Ruter's new gardening guide book “Landscaping with Conifers and Ginkgo for the Southeast” will be out in April.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
A student harvests red clover at UGArden. CAES News
UGA horticulture class shows students the science behind herbal remedies 04/16/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
The field of medicine is ever-changing, and the use of herbal medicines may play a bigger role in health care as the value of natural remedies gain recognition in the Western world. Students at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are delving into the field of medicinal remedies through the class “Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants.” Offered to undergraduate students through the Department of Horticulture, the class helps students develop a deeper understanding of the connection between nature and health.
Peach growers are looking forward to a fruitful season as the weather this winter and spring have been near-perfect for the sensitive crop. This year is projected to be a much-needed comeback from the disastrous season they experienced after a late freeze in March 2023 took out more than 90% of the state's crop. (Photo by Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA) CAES News
Growers hopeful 2024 peach season will rebound from disastrous 2023 04/10/24 Emily Cabrera
Last year, the peach industry lost $60 million due to the late freeze that hit much of the Southeast in mid-March 2023, said Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agent for Peach and Taylor counties. With no freezing temperatures in the forecast and hope for strong pricing during the upcoming season, peach growers are looking forward to a much-needed rebound year.
A mug of UGArden's chamomile tea. CAES News
UGArden herbal tea program launches sales in campus dining halls 03/21/24 Jordan Powers
The door to UGArden’s herb drying room leads to an olfactory explosion — sharp peppermint, earthy tulsi, sweet calendula and floral chamomile mix into an herbal perfume that would undoubtedly have tea drinkers reaching for their kettles. Now University of Georgia students will be able to get a taste of UGArden’s chamomile tea, along with a selection of the student community farm’s other herbal teas, with their campus meals as the UGArden medicinal herb program expands into UGA dining halls this spring.
UGA horticulture course teaches fundamentals of floral design CAES News
UGA horticulture course teaches fundamentals of floral design 02/08/24 Jordan Powers
As students filter into Julie Campbell’s Tuesday morning lab, they are greeted by bins of sharp tools lining cold, stainless steel tables. It’s dissection day, but not the kind you may expect. This is “Floral Design and Management,” or HORT 3030, and today’s lesson is the anatomy of a flower. Students pass pale pink carnations and delicate yellow-and-orange Alstroemeria around the room as Campbell, assistant professor in the University of Georgia Department of Horticulture, begins a lecture on plant morphology.
At a recent event hosted by City of Refuge, 10 fellows packed 1,200 bags for students who are dealing with food insecurity. (Photo by Wes Mayer) CAES News
UGA program addresses food insecurity in Athens 01/18/24 Kristen Linthicum
The University of Georgia’s Office of Service-Learning has established longstanding partnerships with community organizations to help address local food insecurity. Last September, the office launched the AmeriCorps Community Food Fellows program to further support these organizations. Since then, the 20 fellows have connected with organizations across the Athens community, serving daily meals at Our Daily Bread, harvesting food at UGArden, packing meals with Campus Kitchen, and delivering meals to families served by the Athens Community Council on Aging.
Controlled environment agriculture CAES News
CAES alumnus joins UGA-Griffin to expand food production through controlled environment agriculture 01/10/24 Ashley N Biles
For plant breeder Andrew Ogden, things are looking up. Way up. A new assistant professor in the University of Georgia Department of Horticulture at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Ogden focuses on breeding members of the cucurbit family — namely melons and squash — in a vertical greenhouse environment. An asset to the UGA Griffin campus, Ogden joins the college's controlled environment agriculture research team, which was formed to support the ever-expanding green industry.