Tag: Georgia

  • Tending Herbs Through a Georgia July: Watering, Harvesting and Heat-Tolerant Choices

    By July, a Middle Georgia herb garden is in full swing. Basil is bushy, rosemary is fragrant and the mint is trying, as always, to escape its pot. It is also the month when herbs feel the most strain. Long, hot days, heavy humidity and sudden downpours followed by dry spells can leave even sturdy plants looking tired. A little attention now keeps your herbs productive and lovely through the rest of the summer.

    Water wisely

    Watering is the most important summer task, and timing matters.

    • Water early in the morning, when less water is lost to evaporation and leaves have time to dry before evening.
    • Aim at the soil, not the leaves. Wet foliage in humid weather can invite problems.
    • Check containers daily. Pots, especially small and terracotta ones, can dry out in a single hot afternoon.
    • Water deeply and less often for herbs in the ground, so roots grow down rather than staying near the surface.

    Not all herbs want the same amount. Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage prefer to dry out between waterings. Basil, mint and parsley like more consistent moisture. Push a finger into the soil an inch or so deep; if it is dry, it is time to water.

    Shade and shelter

    Some herbs welcome a break from the afternoon sun in a Georgia July. Parsley, mint, chives and lemon balm often look better with morning sun and afternoon shade. Container herbs can be moved to a spot out of the hottest hours, and grouping pots together helps them hold moisture. A light layer of mulch around in-ground plants conserves water, but keep it pulled back from the stems of Mediterranean herbs, which like dry crowns.

    Harvest often

    Regular harvesting is good for most herbs, and July is a time of plenty.

    • Pick in the morning, after the dew dries but before the heat sets in, when leaves are most fragrant.
    • Pinch basil just above a pair of leaves, and remove flower buds to keep it producing leaves longer.
    • Take no more than about a third of a plant at one time, so it can recover.
    • Use, share or preserve the extra. Fresh herbs are wonderful in summer meals, infused water and simple bouquets.

    Let some herbs bolt

    Cool-season herbs such as cilantro, dill and parsley often bolt in the heat, sending up flower stalks and slowing their leaf production. Rather than fighting it, consider letting a few plants bloom. Their flowers feed bees and other pollinators, and cilantro gives you coriander seeds. Dill and parsley may also host swallowtail caterpillars. Plan to sow fresh cilantro and dill again when cooler weather returns in the fall.

    Herbs that handle the heat

    If your garden struggles every July, consider adding herbs that truly love hot weather: basil in its many forms, including Thai basil, along with lemongrass, rosemary, oregano, thyme and Mexican mint marigold, a sunny herb with a tarragon-like flavor that often handles Southern summers better than French tarragon. For local advice on varieties and timing, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is an excellent resource.

    And remember to care for the gardener. Work in the cooler hours, wear a hat, keep water nearby and take breaks in the shade. Ten quiet minutes among the herbs in the early morning can be one of the most peaceful parts of a summer day.

  • A Morning at the U-Pick Farm: Blueberry Picking as a Slow Summer Ritual

    A Morning at the U-Pick Farm: Blueberry Picking as a Slow Summer Ritual

    There is a particular kind of quiet in a blueberry field early on a summer morning. The dew is still on the leaves, the air has not yet turned heavy and the only sounds are birds, distant voices and the soft drum of berries dropping into a bucket. Picking blueberries is repetitive, unhurried work, and that is exactly what makes it so restful.

    Georgia’s blueberry season

    Blueberries are one of the few fruits native to North America that are grown on a large scale, and Georgia has become one of the country’s major blueberry-producing states. Two main types thrive here: rabbiteye blueberries, which are native to the Southeast, and southern highbush varieties, which tend to ripen earlier. Depending on the variety and the weather, picking season in Georgia generally runs from late spring through midsummer.

    Many farms around the state open their rows to the public for pick-your-own. Hours, prices and picking conditions change from week to week, so check the farm’s website or call before you go. Some farms close for the day once the ripe berries are picked over.

    Planning your morning

    • Go early. The first hours after opening are the coolest and often the best for picking.
    • Dress for the field. A wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, light long sleeves and closed shoes for uneven ground.
    • Bring water and a snack, plus a damp cloth in a bag for sticky fingers.
    • Ask about containers. Some farms provide buckets; others welcome your own.
    • Follow the farm’s rules about where to pick and whether tasting in the rows is welcome.

    How to pick like a regular

    Ripe blueberries are fully blue all over, with no red or green near the stem. The best way to pick is gentle: cup your hand under a cluster and roll the berries lightly with your thumb. Ripe ones drop into your palm, and unripe ones stay on the bush for another day. Look under the leaves and toward the inside of the bush, where shaded berries are often plump and missed by others.

    Bringing the harvest home

    Keep your berries out of the sun on the way home, and refrigerate them as soon as you can. Do not wash them until just before eating, since moisture makes them spoil faster. To freeze, spread unwashed berries on a tray in a single layer, freeze until firm and then pour them into a bag. They will stay separate and ready for pancakes, smoothies or a handful straight from the freezer on a hot afternoon.

    Letting it be slow

    The real pleasure of a U-pick morning is not the full bucket at the end. It is the rhythm of the work: reach, cup, roll, drop. Let your attention settle on the feel of the berries and the sound they make. Notice the sweetness of a sun-warmed berry compared with one from the shade. Talk with whoever came with you, or do not talk at all.

    Children often love it, too, once they discover that the best berries hide low on the bush, right at their eye level. An hour in the rows, a cold drink in the car and a bowl of berries on the kitchen table: it is a small, complete summer day, finished before the heat has even arrived.

  • Watermelon: The Long Journey of a Southern Summer Favorite

    Watermelon: The Long Journey of a Southern Summer Favorite

    Few foods are as tied to a Southern summer as watermelon. It turns up at church picnics, Fourth of July cookouts and roadside stands, cut into wedges and eaten over the porch rail with juice running down to the elbows. It is more than ninety percent water, which helps explain why it tastes like relief on a hot day. Its story, though, begins far from Georgia.

    An ancient fruit from Africa

    Watermelon’s wild ancestors grew in Africa, and people there have eaten and cultivated melons for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians grew them, depicted them in tomb art and placed watermelon seeds among the provisions for the afterlife; seeds have been found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. From North Africa, watermelon spread around the Mediterranean, into the Middle East and India and eventually to China, which today grows more watermelon than any other country.

    Watermelon in the American South

    Watermelon arrived in the Americas with European colonists and with enslaved Africans, who brought both seeds and long knowledge of the fruit. It flourished in the long, hot growing season of the South. By the nineteenth century it was a common crop across the region, and it became woven into Southern summer life.

    Georgia remains one of the country’s leading watermelon-growing states, especially in its southern counties. The town of Cordele has long called itself the Watermelon Capital of the World, a title it carries with good humor and pride.

    Seedless watermelons, now the most common kind in stores, were developed in the twentieth century by crossing plants with different numbers of chromosomes to produce fruit that cannot form mature seeds. The small, pale, soft seeds you sometimes find in them are simply undeveloped seed coats.

    Choosing a good one

    • Look for the field spot. A creamy yellow patch on one side shows where the melon rested on the ground while it ripened. White or pale green may mean it was picked early.
    • Feel the weight. A ripe melon feels heavy for its size.
    • Check the rind. A dull rather than glossy surface is often a good sign.
    • Give it a thump if you like. Many people listen for a deep, hollow sound, though this one is more tradition than science.

    Simple ways to enjoy it

    Rinse the rind before cutting, since a knife can carry anything on the outside into the fruit. Keep cut watermelon covered in the refrigerator and eat it within a few days.

    Beyond the classic wedge, try cubes tossed with mint and a squeeze of lime, a few frozen cubes dropped into a glass of water or a salad of watermelon, cucumber and a little salty cheese. Pickled watermelon rind is an old Southern tradition that makes good use of the whole melon.

    Best of all, eat it the old way: outside, on a hot afternoon, with someone you like and nobody worrying about the mess. There is a reason watermelon has lasted thousands of years. Some pleasures do not need improving.

  • Peach Season Begins: Mindful Eating With Georgia’s Favorite Fruit

    Peach Season Begins: Mindful Eating With Georgia’s Favorite Fruit

    The first Georgia peaches of the year show up at roadside stands and farmers markets in late spring, and the season runs through the summer as different varieties ripen. A peach eaten at its peak, warm from the counter with juice running down your wrist, is one of the simplest pleasures the state has to offer. It is also a perfect subject for mindful eating.

    A fruit with a long journey

    Peaches are native to China, where they have been cultivated for thousands of years and appear in ancient art and legend as a symbol of long life. They traveled west along trade routes, were grown by the Romans and reached the Americas with Spanish and other European settlers. Georgia’s climate suited them well, and the state’s identification with the fruit goes back well over a century, long enough for it to end up on license plates and in the nickname of the state itself.

    Choosing a good one

    A peach does not get sweeter after it is picked, though it does get softer and juicier. Look for fruit that:

    • Smells like a peach when you hold it near your nose
    • Gives slightly along the seam when pressed gently with a thumb
    • Has a warm yellow or cream background color; the red blush is about the variety and sun, not ripeness
    • Shows no green near the stem

    A firm peach will soften on the counter in a day or two. Once it is ripe, the refrigerator will hold it for a few days, but let it come back to room temperature before eating. Cold mutes the flavor.

    Eating one peach slowly

    Mindful eating simply means paying full attention to the food in front of you. A peach is an ideal place to practice because it engages every sense.

    Hold the fruit and notice its weight and the fuzz on your fingertips. Smell it. Take one bite and let it sit in your mouth before chewing, noticing sweetness, acidity and the texture of the flesh. Chew slowly. Notice the juice, the moment the taste fades and the urge to take the next bite. Then take it, just as slowly.

    One peach eaten this way takes a few minutes and can feel like a small break from the rush of a working day. Many people find it leaves them calmer than a snack grabbed at a desk, which is reason enough to try it.

    Keeping it simple in the kitchen

    Peak-season peaches need very little help. Slice them over plain yogurt at breakfast, grill halves briefly and serve with a spoonful of honey, or drop a few slices into a pitcher of water or iced tea. Cobbler and pie have their place, but a perfect peach eaten standing over the sink needs no recipe at all.

    The season will be over sooner than you expect. Buy a few at a time, eat them at their best and let each one be a reason to pause.

  • Azaleas, Dogwoods and Wisteria: Noticing the Spring Bloom in Middle Georgia

    Azaleas, Dogwoods and Wisteria: Noticing the Spring Bloom in Middle Georgia

    For a few weeks each spring, Middle Georgia puts on one of the great flower shows of the American South. Azaleas blaze in every shade from white to deep magenta, dogwoods open their pale four-petaled blooms in the understory and wisteria drapes purple over fences and pines. The display follows the cherry blossoms and overlaps with the heaviest pollen, and it rewards anyone willing to slow down and look. Here is a short field guide to the three stars of the season and a few ways to enjoy them mindfully.

    Azaleas

    Azaleas belong to the rhododendron family, and the ones most people picture, the dense evergreen shrubs covered in bloom, are mostly Asian varieties introduced to Southern gardens over the past two centuries. They thrive in the acidic soil and dappled shade under Georgia’s pines and oaks, which is why they are everywhere in older neighborhoods. Peak bloom in Macon usually falls in late March and April, depending on the year.

    Georgia also has native azaleas, deciduous shrubs with looser, more fragrant flowers in white, pink, orange and yellow. The native azalea is Georgia’s official state wildflower, and the Piedmont azalea, with its honeysuckle-like scent, can still be found blooming wild along streams and woodland edges in spring.

    Dogwoods

    The flowering dogwood is a small understory tree native to the eastern United States. What look like its four white petals are actually modified leaves called bracts surrounding a cluster of tiny true flowers in the center. Each bract has a small notch at its tip. Dogwoods bloom just as their leaves emerge, often a week or two after the azaleas begin, and they glow in the shade of taller trees. In fall the same trees turn red and produce bright berries for birds. Dogwood festivals are a spring tradition in several Southern cities, and the tree is beloved enough to appear in countless front yards across Georgia.

    Wisteria

    Wisteria is the most dramatic and most complicated of the three. The cascading purple blooms that drape over abandoned barns, fence lines and tall pines in April are usually Chinese or Japanese wisteria, vigorous vines introduced as ornamentals that have escaped into the wild across the Southeast. They are beautiful and heavily scented, and they are also considered invasive, capable of strangling trees and spreading through woodlands. Admire them freely, but think twice before planting one.

    There is a gentler option. American wisteria, a native vine, has shorter, less fragrant flower clusters and a much more restrained habit. Several cultivars are sold at nurseries for gardeners who want the look without the takeover.

    Seeing Them Slowly

    The bloom lasts only a few weeks, which is an argument for paying attention now. A few ways to do that:

    • Take the same walk once a week through April and notice what has opened and what has faded.
    • Stand under a dogwood and look up through the bracts at the sky. The light through them is one of the quiet pleasures of the season.
    • Smell a native azalea or a wisteria cluster from a few inches away, then step back and notice how far the scent carries.
    • Sit on a bench near a mass of azaleas for ten minutes and watch the bees and butterflies work.
    • Sketch or photograph a single bloom rather than the whole hedge.

    A note for allergy season: the showy flowers in this article are mostly insect-pollinated and release little airborne pollen; the yellow dust on your car comes from pines and other wind-pollinated trees blooming at the same time. If you have allergies, talk with your doctor about what affects you. For everyone else, the spring bloom is simply an invitation. It asks nothing but your attention, and it is gone by May.

  • Humidity Returns: Keeping Skin Comfortable as Georgia Warms Up

    Humidity Returns: Keeping Skin Comfortable as Georgia Warms Up

    By mid-April, the air in Middle Georgia has changed. Mornings are soft, afternoons are warm and the humidity that defines a Southern summer begins to creep back. Skin notices before the calendar does. Products that felt perfect in February suddenly feel heavy, foreheads shine by lunchtime and sweat becomes part of the day. A few adjustments keep skin comfortable as the season turns. This is general skincare information; for a skin condition or persistent concern, see a dermatologist.

    What Humidity Does to Skin

    Humid air holds more water, and skin loses less moisture to it. For many people that is good news: the tightness and flaking of winter ease without any help. At the same time, warmth tends to increase oil production, and sweat mixes with oil, sunscreen and pollen on the surface. The result is skin that may feel both more comfortable and more congested than it did in the cold months.

    Lighten the Layers

    The simplest spring adjustment is to use less. Try these one at a time and give each a week:

    • Switch a rich cream for a lotion or gel-cream, or save the cream for night only.
    • Use a smaller amount of whatever you apply. A pea-sized dab of moisturizer often covers the face in humid weather.
    • Trade a cream cleanser for a gel if your skin feels oily by midday.
    • Set aside heavy facial oils until fall, or use a single drop only where skin still feels dry.

    Lighter does not mean skipping. Even oily skin generally feels better with a light moisturizer than with none, and sunscreen remains essential every day.

    Sunscreen in Warm Weather

    Thick, greasy sunscreens are the main reason people stop wearing them when it gets hot. Look for a lightweight, broad-spectrum formula labeled for the face, apply it generously in the morning and reapply if you are outdoors for long stretches or sweating heavily. A mineral powder sunscreen or a spray can make midday reapplication easier over makeup.

    Managing Sweat and Shine

    Sweat itself is not bad for skin, but letting it sit mixed with sunscreen and grime can feel uncomfortable. After a workout or a hot afternoon of yard work, rinse your face with lukewarm water and a gentle cleanser as soon as is practical, then apply a light moisturizer. For shine during the day, blotting papers absorb oil without disturbing sunscreen; powder adds coverage but can build up. Avoid the temptation to wash more than twice a day with cleanser, which tends to leave skin tight and can make it feel oilier in response.

    Body Skin Needs Attention Too

    Humidity affects more than the face. Areas where skin rubs or stays damp, such as under arms, beneath clothing bands and between toes, benefit from being washed and thoroughly dried each day. Breathable fabrics such as cotton and linen help. A lighter body lotion replaces the heavy winter butter, and a quick rinse in the evening after a sweaty day makes bed feel better. For feet, let sandals and shoes dry out fully between wearings.

    Spring in Georgia is changeable, and a cool snap can send skin back to winter behavior for a week. Rather than following a fixed routine, pay attention each morning. Does your skin feel tight, comfortable or oily? Adjust that day’s products to match. By late May the humidity will be here to stay, and a lighter routine that you settled into gradually in April will already feel like second nature.

  • Listening to the Dawn Chorus: A Mindful Start to Spring Mornings

    Listening to the Dawn Chorus: A Mindful Start to Spring Mornings

    In spring, the first light brings a sound that is easy to sleep through and remarkable to hear: the dawn chorus. Across Middle Georgia, cardinals, wrens, mockingbirds, thrashers and dozens of other species begin singing in the half hour before sunrise, building to a peak as the sky brightens and then tapering off as the day gets underway. Listening to it on purpose is one of the simplest mindfulness practices there is, and it is free every morning from now through early summer.

    Why Birds Sing at Dawn

    Birdsong in spring is mostly about territory and courtship. Males sing to claim a patch and to attract a mate, and dawn is a good time to do it. The air is still, so sound carries well. It is too dim to forage efficiently, so there is little else to do. And a bird that sings strongly after a long night signals that it is in good condition. The chorus is loudest from late March through May, which is nesting season for most of our local birds, and it fades as summer heat settles in.

    Who You Are Hearing

    You do not need to identify birds to enjoy the chorus, but a few voices are easy to learn:

    • The Northern cardinal, with clear, whistled phrases that often sound like cheer, cheer, cheer.
    • The Carolina wren, tiny but astonishingly loud, with a rolling three-part phrase repeated over and over.
    • The Northern mockingbird, which strings together imitations of other birds and repeats each one several times.
    • The brown thrasher, Georgia’s state bird, which also imitates but typically repeats each phrase twice.
    • The mourning dove, with its soft, low cooing that many people mistake for an owl.

    Free smartphone apps can identify songs from a short recording, and they make a pleasant companion for the first few mornings.

    A Simple Listening Practice

    Set an alarm for about half an hour before sunrise. Make a warm drink and step outside, or open a window and sit beside it. Then simply listen for ten minutes.

    • Start by noticing how many different voices you can hear.
    • Pick one and follow it for a while. Notice its rhythm and where it seems to be coming from.
    • Let your attention widen again to the whole sound, near and far.
    • Notice how the chorus changes as the light grows.
    • When your mind wanders to the day ahead, gently bring it back to the sound.

    That is the whole practice. There is nothing to achieve and no way to do it wrong.

    Why It Feels Good

    We make no claims about health. But there is something quietly steadying about beginning the day with attention turned outward, before screens and schedules take over. The chorus connects you to the season, to the place where you live and to a rhythm older than any calendar. Many people find that a day started this way feels a little more spacious.

    Making It Easier

    You do not have to do this every day. Once or twice a week is plenty. If you are not a morning person, the evening chorus at dusk is a quieter but still lovely alternative. A porch chair, a blanket and a thermos make the habit more inviting. And if you oversleep, the birds will be back tomorrow.