...after voter approval.? Tripp Williams started as Columbia County's new extension agent, replacing the retired Charles Phillips.? Worley Pierson, 59, of Martinez, drowned Sept. 4 at a Tybee Island, Ga., beach.? Wayne Hartley, of Grovetown...

...things that I wanted to do when I got out of school, it just wasn't available at that time."Extension agent Charles Phillips retired in late 2009, but worked part-time for a while. The office has been without an agent for about two years...

...thus the hydrangea's color, but needed specific information about the kind of lime and method of application.As Charles Phillips wrote in previous columns, the best gardening practice is to take a soil sample. A soil sample indicates the nutrients...

Recent rains have been welcome, but the extra moisture can encourage growth in numbers of plant pests.

Warm-season grasses such as bermuda and St. Augustine should be fertilized during August to promote health roots for the winter.

After five years of writing a gardening column, six practices still are those most gardeners should follow.

Gardeners can plan each year on return visits from such garden pests as the Japanese beetle or sqash borer.

Warm weather and watering practices can worsen problems such as powdery mildew and large patch.

Gardeners often forget about adding herbs to their landscapes, but the plants are easy to grow and beneficial.

Plants can best endure hot, dry weather if the soil is properly prepared before planting, and correctly watered after.