Surveying The Athens Landscape

Athens is a perfect place if you enjoy well-landscaped environments. The University of Georgia boasts its own marked arboretum, the president's garden and test gardens full of specimen trees, shrubs and flowers on the main campus. Or visit the State Botanical Gardens, where you can easily get your fill of gorgeous landscaped environments full of unusual plants and trees.

For the more inspired searcher (like myself), one can also find some of the nation's best wholesale and retail nurseries in the region. Some of my favorite retailers are Goodness Grows (Lexington), Thyme after Thyme (Winterville), Cofer's (Athens), Outdoor Specialty (Watkinsville), Land Arts (Monroe), Pinebush Nursery (Ila), and Thomas' Orchard (Watkinsville). These nurseries feature everything from new cultivars of plants that have emerged from research at UGA by legendary professors like Dr. Michael Dirr and Dr. Allan Armitage to old favorites found on the side of the road released to the world by Athens entrepreneurs. Without these nurseries and their operators, the communities of Northeast Georgia would not be nearly as green.

Indeed, when the local watering bans came down last year, I was one of a few locals who decried the impact they had on the landscape industry, which deserve better treatment by our local governments given the jobs and economic benefits they create, never mind the aesthetic impact and strong use of rural land in our "greenbelts."

But perhaps the most spectacular gardens in Athens and surrounding can be found in a variety of private homes. One of the most impressive is featured in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution. This is the garden of UGA's legendary Coach Vince Dooley, who now officially qualifies as Athens' most famous gardener.

Coach Dooley's gardens feature a range of rare plants, old favorites, and new introductions in what looks like an amazing setting. Be sure to click on the link and check out the photos, story and video. As an amateur plantsman, I'm excited to hear that Coach Dooley and Dr. Dirr are also planning to include a number of rare plants at the new plaza that will honor Coach Dooley that is being installed near the track on Lumpkin.

Coach -- any chance a reporter from the Inbox can get a preview? Let us know!

Photo credits: AJC

Update: UGA and the Georgia Research Alliance have also announced the recruitment of an eminent scholar who happens to be a tree expert to UGA. Good news for trees and gardeners. The Research Alliance is a Jackson Spalding client.

TCBY: Athens' best hidden secret

I used to work at TCBY in high school. Coming from a small town, it was THE place to hang out (and still is). Boy, could I swirl those cones with the best of 'em.

When I moved to Athens, I thought this town has everything- except a TCBY. Yes, I like Marble Slab and Cold Stone (may it rest in peace), but my heart still lies with the institution that made White Chocolate Mousse and Strawberry Swirl sound appetizing.

I would complain to my friends and other Athens locals about the lack of delicious frozen yogurt (Jason's Deli doesn't cut it. They don't have sprinkles.), and they all would say, "Well you know there used to be a TCBY in the Beechwood Shopping Center. It's where Larry's Giant Subs is now." I love Larry's, but after I discovered that fact, my sandwich didn't taste so good anymore.

Until this year, I did not know what had been within 15 miles of my reach. This spring, I was putting something in the trash at my apartment, and I saw a TCBY cup in there. I immediately ran through my apartment asking my two roommates where that cup came from. Long story short, it was from Athens- sort of.

If you drive up the loop, past the Milledge Ave., College Station and Lexington exits, past Olympic Drive, all the way until the loop "ends," keep going. You'll pass Athens Tech., and then, a couple of miles later, you'll see a little gas station/Blimpie/TCBY conglomerate. Heaven.

Even with gas prices as high as they are, I still make it a point to go up there at least once a month. I must admit, it's not as nice as the one in Morristown, but the yogurt tastes the same.

This discovery made me happy, and I hope it makes you happy, too. Athens seems a little brighter now.