In late winter/early spring, in many regions, we begin to get stretches of warm, sunny weather, which can awaken the hibernating gardener within us. We find ourselves wandering the aisles of our favorite nursery, considering the purchase of plants and seeds that “might do okay” if the weather holds. Perhaps a better investment during this tricky yearly phase is a soil thermometer .   Monitor Soil Temperature Typically featuring a 5-7 inch probe stem, this type of thermometer

from Lori Thomas, President of Hall County Master Gardeners As I sit down to write this, the ground outside my window has patches of snow, it is 20 degrees, and more snow is predicted for the weekend.  Thoughts of starting your summer garden may seem absurd, or at least not at the top of your list of to-do’s, but there is much you can be doing now to increase the success of your summer garden. Testing Your Soil We think of gardening as nurturing plants, but it is also about n

from HCMG's new Blog Editor, Tanya Bennett Hello, and thanks for the opportunity to serve as the new editor of this blog! I’m a spring 2026 Master Gardener trainee, so I still have lots to learn. Nonetheless, I hope my 30 years of trial-and-error gardening, along with access to the Hall County Extension Office and Master Gardener experts, will enable me to offer you some helpful insights as we get our hands dirty in our respective landscapes. Learning from the Past One les