​Devil’s Ivy

​This vine with the spooky name is also known as pothos, and is so good at growing inside, lots of people call it the cubicle plant. You can grow it in dirt if you want, or in a vase with just water. It grows pretty quickly, and you can cut off longer vines and stick them in their own vase of water to make more pothos! They’re fine with the shade of being inside and only need to be watered maybe once a month, when their dirt is officially bone-dry (assuming, of course, you’re growing them in dirt. If it’s in a vase with water, you can quite literally just forget about it!)

​ZZ Plant

​The Zamioculcas zamiifolia (hence ZZ) plant has smaller oval leaves and is low-maintenance enough you could go on vacation for a year and come back to find it happy and healthy. It needs such little water, and does well in any level of light, so whether or not you’ve got window space available, the ZZ plant will be fine. The only downside to this miracle plant is the fact that it grows pretty slowly, so be prepared for it to stay small for a long time.

​Aloe Vera

​Not only is aloe vera easy to grow, but it’s super useful! Whether you want to make a nourishing face mask or cool off the weekend (or gameday!) sunburn, aloe has intensive healing properties and also is a great air purifier. Aloe plants do like bright sun, so make sure to leave it by the window. Let the soil get really, really dry before you water it again (think maybe once a month), and watch it grow.

​Snake Plant

​The name sounds a little unattractive, but Dracaena trifasciata is actually … well. Pretty. It likes bright light best, and would prefer to sit by a window, but won’t die if your apartment sits more in the shade than the sun. It also doesn’t much care for water, and is great at surviving droughts—so don’t panic if you forget to water it!

​Spider Plant (pet friendly)

​This jungle-looking bush will bring some lighter green tones to your home, but keep in mind that the spider plant prefers lots and lots of light. Not direct sun, mind you, but just brightness. It’s great at cleaning the air and doesn’t need much water to provide you with “baby spiders” (spiderettes), which are basically mini-me versions that can easily be put in another pot to give you more spider plants!

​Philodendron Green

​This vine grows similar to pothos, but with heart-shaped, uniformly-colored leaves. It can’t grow in just water, like pothos can, but it’s fine with little to no sunlight and needs minimal watering. You can also propagate it just as easily as the pothos, which means even more plants for you.

​Dracaena Lisa

​This hardy, leafy plant can get pretty big—more like a small tree than a potted plant. But if you’ve got the space for it (maybe an empty corner?) it’ll clean your air better than almost anything. Like other Dracaena species, Lisa can adapt to most any environment, so whether the corner is sunny or shady, as long as you give her water every couple of weeks, she’ll be happy as a clam.

​Bird’s Nest Fern (pet friendly)

​With it’s bright-green, rippled fronds, and moisture-loving tendencies, this fern will bring some much-needed color to your bathroom or shower! As long as you’ve got a window to let a medium amount of light in, you’ll have clean air for your morning and/or nightly routine. The bathroom is usually where you use the most chemicals, like hair spray, bleach cleaners, and aerosol shaving creams, so having a Bird’s Nest in there will really help your long, de-stressing showers purify your lungs, too!

​Kalanchoe

​If you’re looking for something with pretty flowers to bring into the house, look no further than kalanchoe. The gentle red, orange, or pink flower bundles that will even bloom in wintertime. Give it a medium amount of light and water thoroughly only once the soil has completely dried out, and you’ll have a colorful addition to your living room all year long!

​Moth Orchid

​We know what you’re thinking—it’s an orchid! How can it be on the list? While most orchids are pretty finicky, the moth orchid is the exception. As long as you’ve got some medium levels of light (it also likes extra-bright light, and can tolerate lower light as well), and you water it every so often, the moth orchid will be just fine. The flowers last for a long time, and once the fall comes in and the nighttime temperatures start cooling off, you may even get a second bloom!

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

HERBS

FRUIT

VEGETABLES

FLOWERS

TREES

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

According to legend, the Tree was a staple in Colonel Jackson’s childhood, and he had many memories associated with it. Some argue that, as Jackson actually spent most of his childhood in Jefferson County, and not in Athens, this claim is baseless. However, as his family did indeed own the property for a time, it isn’t impossible that he visited enough to form fond memories of the Tree.

The History of The Tree That Owns Itself

By 1906, notable erosion had exposed the base of the Tree. A commemorative tablet, chain barricade, and new soil were all installed by a George Foster Peabody in efforts to maintain the Tree’s integrity, but these efforts were in vain, as an ice storm in 1907 caused permanent damage and allowed rot to set in. Many believe the tree died many years before its collapse due to root rot.

The Son of The Tree That Owns Itself

On December 4th, 1964, a ceremony was held to officially dedicate the Son of the Tree that Owns Itself. It was at this event that representatives of the Garden Club announced their intention to take full responsibility for the maintenance of the Tree and its plot. A similar ceremony was held on the same day (December 4th) of 1996 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Son’s planting.

Where Does the Legend Come From?

On August 12, 1890, the Banner printed a front-page article called Deeded to Itself; the article detailed that the tree resided on property formerly belonging to Colonel Jackson, and described the Colonel’s father, James Jackson, who was an American Revolution soldier, congressman, US Senator, and governor of Georgia. The article also discussed Colonel Jackson’s son, who was also named James Jackson, and was a congressman and Chief Justice on Georgia’s Supreme Court.

Can a Tree Own Itself?

What Do the Records Say?

​Property records confirm that one William H. Jackson did actually own property located on the opposite side of Dearing Street from where the Tree stands. In the early 19th century, that plot of land was designated as Lot #14; the plot of land including the land inhabited by the Tree was known as Lot #15. Both plots were owned by the Jackson family until 1832, when the family sold Lot #15 to a Doctor Malthus Ward. Interestingly, 1832 is also the year noted on the Tree’s commemorative plaque as the year it was deeded to itself.

So Who Owns the Tree?

But, according to the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government in a statement from the early 20th century, “However defective this title may be in law, the public recognized it." So, in spite of the questionable legality, Athens declared the Tree the true legal owner of itself, and maintains a policy to treat the Tree as a public street tree and take care of it as such.

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

The sweetgum name actually comes from the sap of the tree, which is used to make—you guessed it—chewing gum. The sap has been called everything from liquid amber (which is, incidentally, where the genus Liquidambar comes from) to copalm basalm, and is also used medicinally and even as resin for stringed instruments.

Those spiny gumballs are actually the fruit of this deciduous tree. Each one conceals seeds behind that barbed exterior—when they first drop, they’re actually pretty soft, and only get hard and pokey once they’ve released their seeds. Everybody from goldfinches and sparrows to chipmunks and squirrels enjoy eating these seeds, which makes them an ideal addition to parks and wildlife refuges, but may cause a nuisance in your yard. While they’re most commonly called gumballs, the fruit is also referred to as burrs, spike balls, sticker balls, and (our personal favorite) space bugs.

​These flowers bloom from around March to May, depending on the area, but can persist all the way through the fall and winter where temperature permits. Appearance-wise, they don’t really look like what you think of when you hear the word “flower;” they look more like little pyramids, sometimes with some red-orange color, but mostly just a lighter green than the surrounding leaves. The untrained eye would easily mistake them for more foliage rather than flowers.

​​American sweetgums are actually characterized by their leaves, which have a unique star shape. Mostly, we’re talking 5-point stars, but occasionally you’ll find a 3- or 7-point star hiding in the foliage—some people even consider this a sign of good luck, like finding a four-leaf-clover! Up close, each leaf has small “teeth” along the margins of their 4- to 7-inch length. During the spring and summer, the leaves are a dark, rich green with a light gloss; in fall, they turn gorgeous arrays of yellows, oranges, purples, and reds, and linger on their branches much longer than other tree species.

​​The last defining feature of the sweetgum is the bark. Usually, the bark is light brown in color, with random reddish, greyish, and brownish streaks and scaly ridges. Around their maturity age of 20 to 25 years, the bark will begin to accrue lots of deep fissures; these cracks, when coupled with the vertical way the bark attaches to the tree (rather than horizontally, like other trees), give the bark a rather “reptilian” appearance. This is actually where the name “alligatorwood” comes from—if you squint, any branch could look like the back of a gator.

To reach its full potential, the American sweetgum needs about 6 hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day, which isn’t usually a problem here in the South. They have a moderate drought tolerance, and they aren’t too picky about soil composition, so they do A-okay in Georgia red clay. Just be sure to leave plenty of space to account for the roots—the sweetgum will end up with an extensive root system that you don’t want destroying your driveway or crowding out your flower garden.

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

One of the prides of Athens and Watkinsville is that a large portion of our businesses are small, family-owned, and not part of multi-location chains. Shopping local basically just refers to doing business with smaller businesses in your area, whether it’s the Mom and Pop hardware store on the corner or your best friend who sells homemade masks on Facebook.

Why should you shop local?

Plus, they’re your friends and family, and aren’t we all eager to do what we can to help out our friends and family? ​As a family of red-heads, you’ve probably seen the Rushings shopping at Publix, dropping off kids at daycare, or attempting to sit still in church on Sunday. Many of our family members have small businesses and we do our best to support each other. Employ Your Neighbors

What do you get out of it?

The benefit of small businesses is that they’re small; even if they have hundreds of customers, they still don’t have near as many as the superstore. Local business owners appreciate each and every one of the customers who choose to do business with them, and as such, will spend as much one-on-one time with you as you need to ensure you get what you’re looking for and leave completely satisfied. You won’t find that level of personal attention anywhere else.

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

What is underbrush?

Why should you get rid of it?

Can you find the snake hiding in this underbrush?

Okay, I get it - but why can't I do it myself?

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

They are tenuously attached to the tree, and will fall at the slightest provocation, leading to sidewalks and driveways littered with a veritable carpet of color. Children—and even, admittedly, adults—love to rustle the branches while standing under them to watch them float gently to the ground, like a colorful snowfall.  ​ The flowers and even leaves and seeds are rated as safe for human consumption, so if you have an adventurous toddler interested in munching some petals, they’re perfectly safe. The   ASPCA  has also certified them as safe for animal consumption, so you don’t have to worry about your beloved fur-baby who loves to eat anything and everything in sight.

A common misconception when it comes to Crepe Myrtles is that, in order to secure bountiful blooms for the next season, you need to chop off all branches down to the main trunk(s). This is not true, and often referred to in the arboreal world as Crepe Murder. Not only does a lobbed-off tree look sad, it’s also extremely unhealthy. All nutrients and energy will be channeled into new growth from the nubs, and while this new growth will bloom as desired, the blooms will be too heavy for the twigs they grow on, and will weigh them down until they break.

So now that you’ve reached the end of this article, you’re probably thinking how much you’d like to plant a Crepe Myrtle or two in your backyard, or maybe by your front door, and you’re probably feeling put out that it’s summer now, and most trees need to be planted in the early spring. But never fear! While they do prefer to be planted in early spring, they can still survive a summer planting, so long as they are sufficiently watered. If you do decide to grab yourself a new tree friend, be sure to read the tag thoroughly before you buy, so you get the exact size and color you want. There are many colors to choose from, and it would be a shame if you have your heart set on light pink blooms and you end up with dark red next year.

Did You Know? The common Crepe Myrtle is a native of China and Korea. They call it The Lilac of the South.

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

​Have you ever driven down someone’s driveway and commented on how bumpy the concrete is? Or maybe you’ve noticed how the sidewalk in the park has huge fissures and bulges, like something’s trying to break through. Maybe you’ve seen a veritable wall of bushes lined up in a row with one or two looking yellow and sickly, even though the bushes around them are just fine

Most people don’t realize how large a root system can grow, and how far that root system will spread. Just like the tip of the iceberg you see sticking out of the water is only…well, the tip of the iceberg—there’s a massive danger lurking just beneath the surface, whose size is underrepresented by what you can see.

New homeowners are also guilty of this; thinking about how commanding and fairy-tale-like it would look with a pair of gorgeous oaks framing the driveway, they plant much too close to the pavement and end up with massive bumps and cracks in their new driveway. ​Sometimes, it’s the other way around; structures are built much too close to surrounding trees, with an unintentional disregard for the potential danger. In the South, this is seen frequently with sheds; people like to build one under a nice, big tree for the cool shade it offers (the shed itself will likely not be air-conditioned). This leads to roots breaking through the floor of your new workshop, which damages its structural integrity.

But just as roots pose a major threat to your shed, driveway, and home, we can pose the same level of threat to the tree. Tree roots are incredibly sensitive to any kind of impact; whether it’s something as drastic as new construction, or something as innocuous as installing a sprinkler system, roots are notoriously easy to damage. Disturbed roots can stunt the tree’s overall growth, and can even end up killing off some (or even all) of the tree

So What Can You Do?

Be sure to note that when we say the roots will mirror their tree, we mean they will mirror how big the tree would naturally grow. Roots can spread with the intent to support their tree at its fullest potential, no matter how you curb the actual tree’s shape by pruning and trimming

If you want your shed to sit under the protection of canopy, consider elevating it so the floor is safely away from the ground, and there’s room underneath for roots to impose in. If you’re looking at planting a Crepe Myrtle by your front door, look into how big the tree will grow; while they are usually trimmed to look more like a bush, Crepe Myrtles are trees that can grow quite large, and their root system will reflect that no matter how small you’ve cut back the tree itself.

What About Established Trees?

How Do You Protect Your Trees?

The general rule of thumb to keep in mind is that you should stay about 6 to 12 inches away from the trunk for every inch of diameter the tree has. So, for example, if the tree is about a foot wide, that means its diameter is about 12 inches; this means you should give at least 72 inches, or 6 feet, of buffer around your tree if at all possible. When measuring diameter, make sure you’re working at breast-height, or about 4 and a half feet up from the ground

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

What can you plant to keep these pests away?

Let’s start with bugs. On the whole, they’re pretty annoying, especially when you’re sitting on your patio and mosquitos keep landing on your arms and legs. While bees are friendly bugs that we might actually want around, wasps are menaces that terrorize children and adults alike with their angry buzz and painful sting. Plus, bugs like to eat away at your favorite flower bed and decimate your tomato plants.

What specific plants will deter insidious insects?

Herbs

Flowering Plants

Other Plants

Beyond Bugs

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

Flower gardens are a highly-sought-after addition to any home. A bed of brightly-blooming flowers can enhance curb appeal and provide you with cut flowers at the significantly cheaper cost of cutting them yourself than paying for a bouquet at the grocery store. They also attract beautiful butterflies and singing birds, adding some whimsy and fantasy to your yard.

In fact, attracting wildlife like birds, bees, and butterflies is one of the most important functions of any flower; these pollinators and seed-spreaders are vital to the continuation of any plant species, and—in the case of honey bees, specifically—the continuation of the pollinators themselves.

Most everyone in the South knows that Milkweed is planted for Monarch butterflies. These insects swarm to the southeast to breed, and Milkweed is vital for Monarch larvae. Though it isn’t perhaps the most attractive plant, Milkweed is a beneficial addition to any landscape

But what other plants should you plant to help out the butterflies, or the birds, or the bees? We’ve compiled a list of flora that’s best at attracting our flying friends, so you can add something pretty and ecologically valuable to your yard.

Bee Balm

As you may have guessed from the rather on-the-nose name Bee Balm is a magnet for bees. Though the attractive perennial may yellow in the heat of summer, rest assured that any established plant will reliably return year after year. Bee Balm also interests butterflies and birds—especially hummingbirds

Sage

More than just a delicious herb, Sage plants offer gorgeous flowers and are perfect sources of nectar for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds alike. These perennials are surprisingly easy to grow and maintain, and as an added bonus, give you fresh herbs to add to your favorite dishes!

Zinnia

Zinnias are a beautiful addition to any flower bed, and attract all sorts of songbirds in addition to hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. They require a bit more maintenance than some of the other options on our list; to continue blooming, they’ll need the heads of any dead blooms trimmed off. But, if you’re willing to spend a little time in the garden tending them, Zinnias will happily provide colorful flowers all summer long

Lavender - Good for Butterflies and Bees

Lavender attracts butterflies and bees thanks to their gentle fragrance and gorgeous purple blooms. In addition to a colorful addition to your yard, lavender comes with a variety of uses and benefits for humans, too. The gentle scent is known for its soothing, relaxing effect, and the dried plant is often used in air-freshener satchels, since its smell isn’t overpowering. Lavender is also a great addition to your herb arsenal, and can be used in a variety of dishes, from sweet pastries to savory entrees

Borage – Good for Butterflies and Bees

Borage, more commonly known as Starflower, starts out a light pink color and then mature into a wonderful blue. They make great neighbors for tomato plants, and are attractive to butterflies and bees. Borage is an annual plant, which means the same plant won’t come back again next year—but they naturally re-seed, meaning a patch of Borage will likely sprout new plants next year from the seeds of the old ones

Liatris – Good for Butterflies and Hummingbirds

Liatris comes in purple, pink, and white blooms with grass-like, spiky leaves. They can reach heights of up to 5 feet tall, and require little to no maintenance. They are tolerant of drought, cold snaps, and pests, and will bring in colorful butterflies and flitting hummingbirds alike

Phlox – Good for Butterflies and Hummingbirds

This flowering plant grows low to the ground and is fairly hardy, making it great ground cover. It attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, and blooms from early spring all the way through summer

Geraniums – Good for Hummingbirds and Bees

Geraniums are beautiful cluster perennials that will come back every year and attract hummingbirds and bees. They require minimal care, though they do best if blooms are trimmed once dead, to encourage more flowers

Oak Trees

These stately trees attract moths and butterflies, which in turn attracts a wide array of bird species. Plus, they’re gorgeous!

Willows

Whether it’s the shrub-like Pussy Willow or the grand Weeping Willow, these trees are highly enticing to a variety of birds thanks to their nesting real estate and protective foliage. They also attract their fair share of butterflies and bees, and can bring some height to your yard that might otherwise be filled with shorter flowering plants

Cherry Trees

Black Cherries, Common Chokecherries, and other native cherries feed birds, caterpillars, and moths alike, and are a great addition to any landscape.

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.