Whether greenthumbs reside in a lofty city townhome or a rustic country farmhouse, their devotion to raising plants and/or vegetables can be equally passion-filled and productive.

Cultivating the Country

If ever Coweta was home to a country squire, it’s Tom Andrews. Charming, friendly and unmistakably Southern, Andrews is also a talented gardener whose hobby spans five decades. He has what it takes to coax a dazzling array of delicious homegrown veggies out of his land, from green beans and tomatoes to squash and okra.

Nestled on 26-plus acres in Moreland, Andrews describes himself as primarily a vegetable grower, although blueberries, muscadines and even a fig bush thrived in one of his three garden plots this summer.

If his face is familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen him selling surplus veggies for 30 years at the Coweta Farmer’s Market held Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Asa M. Powell Sr. Expo Center in Newnan.

As a farmer’s son, working the land has long been part of Andrews’ life. “I’ve been gardening since I was six, the first 20 years against my will,” he jokes, admitting that he still enjoys it. “It gets in your blood.”

The word “organic” is now common in the food lexicon, but the Moreland resident has been gardening organically for 30 years, long before it was cool. Though not officially certified organic due to what he calls “USDA red tape,” Andrews chooses to grow organically, saying “It’s the right way to treat your soil.”

Some gardens feature raised beds. Andrews has worked with those but primarily utilizes the traditional row method. A garden of any size, he says, is almost a fulltime job.

Hard work, heat, rain, weeds and critters of all kinds can present challenges even to a seasoned gardener like Andrews. His largest garden is fenced to keep deer out, but rabbits and squirrels easily breach the enclosure. The farmer finally quit trying to fight them. “I just plant enough for the rabbits,” he says with a laugh.

His 16-foot-square kitchen garden is planted just five feet from the house he shares with wife Rhonda. The kitchen garden is so named because he or Rhonda can simply walk out of the kitchen and handpick the freshly grown vegetables needed for a meal. Tomatoes, yellow squash, corn and some okra are grown in this small plot.

The jewels of the larger garden include okra, hot and sweet peppers, yellow squash and peas. “You plant what you like to eat,” says Andrews.

While his focus is on growing vegetables, the Coweta farmer’s gardens featured a floral guest this summer: gladiolas that he planted at the request of his daughter. He buys seeds from a catalog or from Arnall Grocery, where he once worked, and plants the same vegetables year in, year out, but often tries new varieties.

Andrews is an active member of the Down to Earth Organic Garden Club, established 17 years ago. Meeting monthly, the members share intel and learn from each other. “I’m still learning, 50 years later,” says Andrews, who recently found a sign that seems to sum up his passion: “Gardening is cheaper than therapy – and you get tomatoes.”

Haute City Horticulture

While most wannabe gardeners wish for a green thumb, Heather Hale’s entire hand is emerald.

A lovely lavender crepe myrtle softly greets guests at the Newnan home she shares with her fiancé Ryan Shaw. An arbor adorns the front gate. Plantings and their blooms are found in the front, back and side yards. Wildflowers growing along the white picket fence are pure whimsy. Potted plants cover the expansive, Southern, wraparound front porch, complete with hanging ferns and flowers. The back deck has lined railing planters, baskets and more free standing planters.

Hale and Shaw live in the downtown College-Temple historic district where they’ve made the most out of their quarter-acre lot. Their 1840s-era home boasts a city garden paradise. In just a year at their address, they have transformed their in-town landscape into a feast for the eyes.

Color, texture and blooms abound with absolutely striking hot pink stargazer lilies and greenery in various stages of growth. Brilliant yellow sunflowers are the stars of the garden, creating a dazzling visual that reaches dizzying heights.

“The tallest we’ve measured is 12 feet,” says Hale. “We were amazed by it.”

Out back, the veggie patch grows in two raised planters. Squash, zucchini, corn, jalapenos, okra and basil thrive in beds while tomatoes take up their own narrow planter.

Many accent pieces in the garden were retrieved after the March tornado, according to Hale, who salvaged select items as debris was discarded. An antique headboard is now home to her tomato plants. Potted birds of paradise are situated on either side of an old church pew. A wooden porch chair, another antique, is home to a few potted plants.

Sifting through trash is “kinda not normal” Hale says with a laugh. “But I have to go look,” she adds. “Trash becomes treasure.”

Gardening has been a natural extension of Hale’s longtime fondness for plants. She says she’s always had houseplants, and she’s even taken in plants that others don’t want or couldn’t properly care for. Call her a
plant rescuer.

For example, she’s proud of the ficus she’s had for 10 years. Her elephant ears are huge now, and the azalea bushes were brought from a previous address and transplanted on their land. She’s even kept mums alive – for three years!

“It’s neat to see things you’ve had for a long time keep flourishing,” says Hale.

She and Shaw call their yard a secret garden, but it appears the secret is out. Recently, a movie production team noticed the verdant setting with its beautiful blooms and approached the homeowners about using their yard in a film. The couple welcomed them.