On this week’s “Gardening in
Georgia, host Walter Reeves visits with Wally Pressey at Classic
Groundcovers in Athens, Ga. The show airs on Wednesday, Oct.
17, at 7:30 p.m. on Georgia
Public Television. It will be rebroadcast at noon on
Saturday, Oct. 20.

Pressey shows several varieties of liriope and mondo grass: “John
Burch,” “Christmas Tree,” “Silver Dragon,” “Royal Purple,”
“Evergreen Giant,” “Big Blue,” “Variegata,” Aztec grass and more.
Why is it called “monkey grass”? Pressey doesn’t know, but he
offers a plausible theory.

Co-host Tara Dillard visits with Janet Ivarie and her
European-style front-door garden. From her circular drive, what
could have been a sidewalk to the front steps is instead a
flagstone path, set in dirt, with dwarf mondo grass planted in
the cracks and shrubs, small trees, ground covers, perennials on
either side.

Saddleback Caterpillar

Reeves points out a short, green caterpillar with white spines at
each end. A large brown dot in the center of the green body gives
rise to its “saddleback” name. If your skin touches the spines,
they release venom which causes the skin to burn. Reeves advises
care when you pull weeds in early fall lest you feel the pain of
this caterpillar’s defense system.

“Gardening in Georgia” airs each Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. It’s
rebroadcast every Saturday at noon. The show’s Web site
provides further information.

The show is produced especially for Georgia gardeners by the UGA
College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and GPTV.