By: Gary Pike; Gary's Garden Center

In the lake area, there are places in the landscape that have a tendency to stay moist. Many plants will not tolerate moist soil; quite often root rot and fungus will cripple and kill a plant. Fortunately, there are plants available that will tolerate moist soil conditions but there are very few that will survive in areas that stay very wet. If you have very wet areas, consider using bog plants. For areas that are moist but not wet, here are a few examples of trees to use; Weeping Willow, River Birch, American Hornbean, Sycamore, Serviceberry, Pin Oak, Bald Cypress, Black Gum, Red Maple, D. D. Blanchard Magnolia and Sweetbay Magnolia. There is also a good selection of shrubs that can be use in moist areas. Moisture resistant shrubs include Clethra, Wax Myrtle, Viburnum, Spiraea, Anise, Fothergilla, Yaupon Holly, Inkberry Holly, Itea, Emerald Green Arborvitae, Pussy Willow, Witch Hazel and Bottlebrush Buckeye.

There are perennials that grow in moist areas including Ferns, Foam Flower, Astilbe, Balloon Flower, Beebalm, Verbina, Black-eyed Susan, Canna Lilly, Columbine, Foxglove, Creeping Phlox, St. Johns Wart, Hollyhock, Japanese Iris and Lamb’s Ear. Good ground covers are Vinca Minor or Major, Liriope, Mondo Grass, Sweet Flag, Creeping Jenny and Creeping Raspberry. If your area stays wet, you could install French drains or you could add some drainage rock to the bottom of holes before planting. With a little extra care and planning, the moist areas in your landscape can be attractive.
Happy Gardening!

Printed in the October 1, 2009 edition.

By: Fred Johnson; Columnist

We knew a lot about Mr. Obama before the election. We knew that he had no business experience, no experience in foreign affairs and that he associated with radicals. However, he was a good speaker and promised to be a healer and many voters were excited about electing a president who promised hope and change and who might make us better liked abroad.

But eight months into his presidency his popularity has plummeted and many of his supporters are angry. He has broken many promises: no pork, five days to study bills, an open government, bipartisan cooperation, and on and on. People are realizing that Obama is not a healer, he is not sincere and it turns out he is not even a good speaker without his teleprompter. And rather than distancing himself from his radical friends, he has appointed many as his czars.
During the healthcare debates his story changes daily; there is no public option, then there is a public option, there will be no cost increases except taxes must be raised, etc. He has given us several figures on the number of uninsured that change weekly. It has become obvious that he, himself, has not read the healthcare bill and citizens who attend town hall meetings seem to have a better understanding of it than he does.

His attempts at foreign policy have proven to be a joke. His approach seems to be that if we are nice to ruthless dictators and apologize, they will like us and stop their efforts to destroy us. But North Korea and Iran are openly defiant and are continuing with their weapons programs and now Chavez is threatening to partner with Iran to develop their own nuclear program in South America. 

Our youngest finished his swim lesson at the Aquatics Center. His dripping body approached my chair.
“I want something to eat.”

I have a rule about not buying snacks when we will be home in minutes. But this day, I agreed to a salty snack though not to a drink. Jennifer Breedlove can verify this and my usual no snack rule at the pool.

He selected, “Lay’s Barbecue Potato Chips.”

Confirming his choice 20 times, I pressed B8. As I handed him the chips, he asked for a drink. “No drink,” I said and walked toward the door. He threw a fit. I had pressed the wrong button and in spite of all indications to the contrary, he had wanted Cool Ranch Doritos not barbecue potato chips. I apologized for this lapse in mental telepathy and headed toward the car.

My son screamed, “I wish you never existed!”

I turned to clarify. “You wish I never existed?” He nodded.

At first, I was taken aback not because of his impudence but because he used the word “existed” and in proper context. Begrudgingly, I must tip my hat to some SpongeBob writer for that.

Suddenly a clever thought came to my head. This doesn’t happen often when confronted with a child’s disrespect. Usually, I rapidly spiral from limited patience to all out shaking exasperation.

“Okay. If I didn’t exist — there is no car sitting in this parking lot, so you’ll have to walk home.” He looked at me sideways. “And if I never existed, there is no house for you to walk home to. And you might as well strip off that bathing suit and hand me your towel. I wasn’t around to purchase them.

By: Celia Murray; Columnist

One can often learn important lessons by observing those nearby. I recently read a report about health care in the State of South Carolina, and was particularly struck by the plight of one particular segment of that state’s population. We, as Georgians, have an opportunity to benefit from examining the situation of our neighbors in South Carolina – specifically, South Carolina’s children.

The March of Dimes has released the findings of its Premature Birth Report Card which gives the state of South Carolina an “F” for its premature birth rate of 15.6 percent of all births. (Georgia also received an “F” for its slightly better 13.6 percent premature birth rate.) Premature births are the leading cause of newborn deaths. According to the Census Bureau, South Carolina’s infant mortality rate is 9.4 deaths per 1,000 live births (Georgia’s is 8.2).

The March of Dimes has also released a special report which shows that in 2008, more than 20 percent of American women of childbearing age – 12.4 million – were uninsured. “One of the ultimate outcomes of health reform by Congress should be the expanded access to coverage for all women,” said Dr. Marina L. Weiss, senior vice president of public policy and government affairs for the March of Dimes. “Uninsured women receive fewer prenatal services and report greater difficulty in obtaining needed preventive care than women with insurance.” A major cause of premature birth and low birth weight in newborns is the lack of prenatal care.