Once the holidays are officially over, the catalogs in your mailbox will shift from country Christmas charm to the onslaught of the spring garden.
These catalogs seems to offer everything conceivable, from perennials and annuals boasting magnificent masses of continuous flowers, to pitchforks and plows, composting and vermiculture, even the latest pure strains of genetically altered seeds and plants.
Beginning to look through these catalogs can induce a trance-like state where your backyard becomes the cover story for the next issue of Southern Living. It soon becomes apparent, though, that there are far too many plants to choose from and far too little backyard in which to plant them. So where and how do you begin?
The first thing to do is contact your local County Agricultural Extension office (in Smith County the number is 535-0885). The office can provide you with a wealth of information, including your USDA Hardiness Zone designation and variety lists for the plant species that grow best in our area. They will also be able to provide you with some Southern sources for seeds and plants.
So keep dreaming early spring is just around the corner. And as you "weed" through your pile of garden catalogs, remember that most of these publications can be recycled.
Douglas Hine, Smith County Master Gardener
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