The Garden Question

Lanie Riner knows pollinator gardens and why thy are so important to our lives. In this episode Lanie explains how to be pollinator successful.

She teams with her husband Gray to grow hundreds of thousands of pollinator plants every year at their nursery Thunderwood Farms.

Thunderwood Farms specializes in producing custom-grown perennial plants. Growing using clean methods supports plant health for an outstanding garden near you.

Lanie’s moving story about how friends and neighbors saved the day right before an approaching hard freeze brought me to tears.

Always an advocate for the horticulture green industry Lanie has taken the next step by becoming the Executive Director for the Georgia Green Industry Association (GGIA).

Lanie was recognized as the GGIA Young Professional of the Year in 2013 and the GGIA Communicator of the Year in January 2020.

She is a 2005 graduate from The University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture. She has served in leadership roles with Georgia Farm Bureau, Center for Applied Nursery Research, Advancing Georgia’s Leaders in Agriculture and Forestry and Georgia Green Industry Association (GGIA).

If the legislature is in session, Lanie is at the state capitol watching legislation and gathering an audience advocating Georgia’s horticulture story.

Brooks Garcia is fulfilling his dream in the Northeast Georgia Mountains. The sun awakens him every day to his new adventure at Villa del Sole. A Tuscan style home and garden complete with long vistas to far mountain ridges.

He designed and built his Georgia version of a Tuscan style home complete with a clay tile roof and wood burning fireplace. When the sun slips behind the ridge Brooks celebrates another fulfilling day building his garden with a swimming pool soak.

In our conversation Brooks reveals the key to unlocking Georgia’s red clay soils and growing flourishing healthy plants in your garden.

Designing and building his “last great garden”. He talks about his favorite plants and how to use them in garden design. Some you won’t believe.

He shares his hands in the dirt experiences building award winning gardens at the Chelsey Flower Show, Southeastern Flower Show, and Foxhall Flower Show.

Brooks worked for Ryan Gainey as his personal assistant where he helped create many outstanding gardens in Atlanta, Long Island and abroad in France.

For 25 years Brooks created gardens for his fellow Atlantans through his company Fine Gardens.

Brooks attended the Lovett School and upon graduation went on to the University of Georgia earning his BLA in Landscape Architecture.

Brooks has given his time restoring historical Old Clarkesville Cemetery, Hills and Dales in LaGrange and Historic Oakland Cemetery.

Carol Hight is a native plant and wild flower advocate. She is a prolific writer for local publications and is a very in demand speaker for wildflowers. Her blog is BloomingBeautiful.com

She is a 30-year retired 5th grade science teacher.

Carol is currently active with the West Georgia Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society where she has served as chairman of the Buffalo Creek Trail restoration committee, and as an active native plant rescue facilitator.

Greg Huber is a public service and outreach faculty member of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service and a Georgia registered landscape architect.

He earned a Bachelor and Master’s degree from the University of Georgia College of Environment and Design.

His 26-year career includes a dynamic range of field experience as a green industry professional and teacher. Prior to joining Extension in 2016, he was the coordinator and lead instructor for the Horticulture program at Southern Crescent Technical College, specializing in workforce training (2005-2015).

Huber has field experience in a dynamic range of industry sectors including landscape design, site planning and construction documents, landscape contracting, landscape management, retail nursery, carpentry, and Christmas tree production.

Huber now leads UGA’s Georgia Certified Landscape Professional and Georgia Certified Plant Professional Programs through the Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture.

Georgia’s landscape and turf industries count on Huber’s communication of critical timely information and announcements through the Landscape Alerts & Updates newsletter, Georgia Certified Landscape Professional and Georgia Certified Plant Professional newsletters.

He is the past recipient of the Southern Crescent Technical College Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Education and the Georgia Green Industry Association Educator and Communicator of the Year Awards.

Joe Raboine started his career as a landscape contractor over 25 years ago.

His garden hardscape expertise and innovation led him to Director of Residential Hardscapes at Belgard. Known as the best in class Belgard is a trend setter with their landscape pavers, retaining walls, fire pits and more creative hardscape products.

Joe created a line of modular outdoor kitchen and living room components called Harmony Outdoor Living which is now Belgard Elements™.

He also developed a method for converting simple sketches into 3D designs and animations so people can envision the hardscapes in their gardens before they are built. Belgard Design Studio is the fruit of his work.

Joe is an avid gardener, outdoor photographer and hiker.

In this episode we will talk with Joe about what’s good to know when choosing and building your next hardscape project.

Christie Bryant speaks for trees every day. She loves to be in a person’s yard meeting their dogs and talking about what is best for their trees.

Climbing to the highest heights and exploring soil depths is important to her for a complete understanding of each tree’s optimum health needs.

Thirteen years as a consulting arborist Christie stays up to date on the latest tree research and what trees love and desire. Her tree consulting company is called Speaking for The Trees.

She believes it is important to know a tree’s potential by performing a tree risk assessment and a real estate due diligence inspection.

As President of the Georgia Arborist Association, she advocates for trees and the professional that take care of them.

She earned a Bachelor degree in Environmental Horticulture from the University of Georgia. Is a Georgia Certified Landscape Professional, ISA Certified Arborist, and a trained Horticultural Therapist .

Christie has appeared as a tree expert on The Weather Channel, various local news outlets, and WSB radio Saturday morning show Green & Growing with Ashley Frasca.

Dr. Bodie Pennisi is an Extension Horticulture Specialist at the University of Georgia.

She has statewide responsibilities for the Georgia landscape industry and conducts applied research with emphasis on sustainable outdoor and indoor landscapes which includes plant, water, nutrient, and soil interactions.

Dr. Pennisi also teaches online university level courses titled: Herbs, Spices, and Medicinal Plants; along with a Plant Physiology course.

She also teaches Master Gardener training classes on landscape installation and maintenance, WaterSmart landscapes, interiorscapes, herbaceous and woody ornamental plant selection, plant propagation and plant physiology.

Dr. Pennisi serves as educational advisor to the Georgia Green Industry Association (GGIA), the Urban Agriculture Council (UAC), and the national organization Green Plants for Green Buildings (GPGB). She serves on the environmental committee of the National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture (NICH).

Dr. Pennisi is a Co-Editor-in-Chief of Scientia Horticulturae.

Gail Woody knows Hummingbirds and how to attracts them by the hundreds each day. Her garden is a must stop for thousands of hummers on their migration journey from and to Central America.

She talks about her feeding strategies and nectar producing plants. Successful water attracting tactics. Growing proven reproduction habitat . Why insects are important to Hummingbird health.

You are probably familiar with Gail Woody from our first interview on The Garden Question episode 002 How to Attract Butterflies.

Gail has been gardening for over 30 years. She creates the perfect eco system that includes butterflies, hummingbirds, native plants, water features and more. Her passion for gardening is contagious! After listening to this episode her excitement will inspire you!

Gail Woody is an ISA Certified Arborist and a seasoned advanced Master Gardener. She speaks and writes on Butterflies, Hummingbirds, and native plants among other garden subjects

If you want to learn how to attracting Hummingbirds to your garden large or small this episode is perfect for you!

Tara Dillard is a nationally recognized garden designer, author, and speaker. She has hosted her own CBS television program, The Better Gardening Show.

After earning degrees in engineering and horticulture she began designing and installing low-maintenance organic landscapes. Her designs emphasis the balance between home, garden, and life.

An award-winning author of 5 books, including Garden Paths and Stepping Stones, Beautiful by Design, and The Garden View.

Tara writes a newspaper column; magazine articles and maintains a popular blog on her website: Tara Dillard.com

Based in Atlanta, GA, she lectures nationally, spreading the message that creating a beautiful landscape will create a beautiful life.

Host: Craig McManus

Rick Smith is the pruning guru. In today episode your deepest pruning fears are comforted with Rick’s interesting and high impact stories.

He explains why Smart landscape design matters and how to avoid the not so smart design mistakes.

After listening you will appreciate how he protects his client’s garden investment for the long run and why they trust him with their extraordinary gardens.

In this episode of “The Garden Question” you will know why garden plants do better when they stay closer to their natural size, form, and texture. Avoiding any signs of over-pruning or under-pruning.

Rick reveals healthy plant management practice along with how his proven knowledge and experience helps prevent common pest and disease problems. 

He lectures throughout the southeastern United States to horticulture college students, garden clubs, landscape companies and horticultural trade associations.

He is featured in the University of Georgia green industry Super Crew training video and has appeared on PBS’s Growing a Greener World with Joe Lamp’l.

Rick is the chairperson of the Georgia Certified Landscape Professional advisory board and also served on the Board of Directors and as President of Metro Atlanta Landscape & Turf Association

His company The Pruning Guru was founded in 2002 after 15 years of developing  his knowledge and skills with the landscape trail blazing company Post Properties.