Floyd County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers - Georgia

05/30/2026

Curious to learn more about composting? The UGA Extension has put together a helpful beginner’s guide with do’s and don’ts.

Link in comments below.

It's National Learn About Composting Day, and your friendly neighborhood Extension team is here to help 🍃

While composting can seem a bit overwhelming at first, our beginner guide on the do's and don'ts of composting gives you the expert tips you need to keep your compost pile healthy and manageable.

➡️ Check it out at the link in the comments!

05/27/2026

Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is one of the more frequently propagated native milkweeds and can often be found for sale if milkweeds are being sold. Native presence in Georgia is fairly scattered but this one probably found throughout the state in terms of garden usage. Although very tolerant of wet conditions, this species is fine in average moisture conditions. Here a milkweed bug explores the flowers of swamp milkweed in a rain garden.

Also called red milkweed, the petals of the flowers can be a darker pink than the hoods, making for a very beautiful effect. The leaves are slender and willow-like but they still have the milky sap. Some people say that swamp milkweed has a very nice fragrance. This species can reach over 5 feet tall, so be sure to give it the space it needs in the garden.

05/23/2026

Whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) is a drought tolerant milkweed that has a large range in the eastern US and in much of Georgia. It has narrow leaves in whorls of 3-6 per node. It appreciates well-drained soil, tolerates part shade and will increase its presence in the landscape if conditions are right. The flowers are lightly fragrant. This one was photographed in the Coosa Valley prairies of Floyd County.

05/22/2026

One of the most recognized milkweeds is orange butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa). Native throughout Georgia, this bright flower can be seen on hot and dry roadsides right now, blooming away next to grasses and other perennials.
Several flowering stems per plant may all come from the same thick taproot.

Mature milkweeds can be very hard to transplant, especially this species. Most milkweeds have a milky sap, but this one has a clear sap. It is still just right for monarch butterflies and other insects that depend on it. Once flowers are pollinated, fruiting pods form with dozens of small brown seeds inside, each attached to a tiny piece of silky material that helps the seeds float to new destinations.

05/22/2026

This white milkweed is also called red-ring milkweed (Asclepias variegata). In north Georgia, this species is found in part-shade conditions, but it is native to areas even down into the Coastal Plain. It is more tolerant of shade and grows well in woodland edges. Like most milkweeds, it has a deep taproot and broken leaves will ooze a milky sap.

05/22/2026

Milkweeds are blooming all over Georgia, from the northern counties to the sandy coastal plain. Milkweeds are perhaps best known for supporting monarch butterflies as larval host plants, but there are many insects that rely on them. We’ll spend the next few days profiling some of them and helping you learn more. Nurseries are stocking more milkweed than ever these days, thanks to a campaign of awareness about lower monarch populations. Be sure to get plants that were not raised with pesticides (hard to believe you have to ask that question, right?) and that are suitably native for your location.

Sandhill milkweed (Asclepias humistrata) is native to the Coastal Plain region of Georgia and similar areas in adjacent states. It has a sprawling habit and beautiful pink-veined leaves. It is normally found in sandhill and scrub habitats which can be burned by wildfire. A thick taproot below ground enables it to survive and quickly rebound in case of fire. Flowers are pinkish-white or pale lavender. Photo is courtesy of Hal Massie.

05/20/2026

Our volunteers look forward to seeing folks at this fun event focused on pollinators and the garden at Chieftains. See more details below.

Our next STEAM Saturday is THIS WEEKEND, May 23rd, from 10 AM to 2 PM. This is a drop in event, meaning you can show up at any time in the time block and stay as long as you would like!

This STEAM Saturday is about pollinators and our garden! Kids of all ages can learn about pollination, create their own pollinator finger puppets, and learn about our garden! We will also have a table for a couple of our Master Gardener volunteers to give detailed information about the Master Gardener extension program and the demonstration garden! We hope to see you there!

Adults $5
College students and seniors (62+) $3
Students K-12 $2
4 & Under FREE
Members FREE

05/20/2026

Happy World Bee Day! 🐝
Some interesting and helpful links shared by the UGA Extension team below.

05/14/2026

An interesting listen about monarchs and their migration. Enjoy this short conversation with Sonia Altizer, professor and head of the Department of Entomology in the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. (Link in post below.)

🦋 Sonia Altizer, professor and butterfly expert, has spent her career studying monarchs and the infectious diseases that threaten their survival.

In a recent interview with WUGA FM, she shares practical steps insect lovers can take to help ensure monarchs continue to thrive.

🔗 Listen here: https://ugacaes.org/4tmx069