Newton Citizen

ORRIN MORRIS: Find blue-eyed grass at Panola Mountain State Park

The warmer weather of this week instills hope in me. Spring is coming and winter's grip of last weekend is lessening.Already, the heleborous is blooming, the crocus and the periwinkle are budding, and very soon the blood root and dandelion will spread forth their leaves.. Yes, spring is coming. May

ORRIN MORRIS: Moss verbena a metaphor for how to find righteousness with God, neighbors

The diversity of the wildflower kingdom is minor compared to the diversity of humanity. Every individual is unique although he or she dwells within a family, a community or a culture.

ORRIN MORRIS: Chickweed reminds us we 'have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God'

Most of the year my garden plot has been covered with chickweed. We have sprayed some with herbicides but not those close to the cool weather crops. Some chickweed we pulled up by hand.When spring comes, I will till the garden but all I will do is fold under the seeds that were on top and bring up from underground the seeds that were tilled under last fall. Soon these pesky plants will sprout, bloom and produce seeds. The cycle in the fight with chickweed continues.

Conyers Garden Club displays Christmas arrangement

ORRIN MORRIS: The unique and exotic pool sprite exists in our own front yard

Charles Darwin's observations have made a profound impact on modern thought. There are at least two issues his theory of evolution did not address: how, when or where life began and how to explain gravity.

ORRIN MORRIS: Oconee bell reminds us of the diversity of God's world

One of the most frequently repeated verses in the Bible was first recorded by King David when the Ark of the Covenant was finally brought to Jerusalem -- his song of praise in 1 Chronicles 16:7-36. In verse 34, we read "O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever."This very phrase is repeated five other times in the Psalms (106:1, 107:1, 118:1 and 29; and 136:1).

ORRIN MORRIS: Shepherd's needle can cover your pant leg before you know it

Sheep herders were the first mortals to hear the angelic announcement. Once I became old enough to learn what it meant to shepherd sheep, I wondered why they were chosen to first hear the good news. Theirs was a tedious and smelly job. Furthermore, sheep are among the lesser intelligent animals and require constant vigilance.

Conyers Garden Club: November Yard of the Month

Conyers Garden Club members from left, Joyce Andrews, Melinda Cowan and Susan Dodd stand at the edge of Dodd's newly installed pond at her home. Certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a provider of a wildlife habitat, Dodd gave a presentation on how to install water features in the

Conyers Garden Club: Yard of the Month

Conyers Garden Club Yard of the Month for October 2011

ORRIN MORRIS: Devil's bite endangered in the North but not the South

The first time I was aware of Halloween, the children who visited our house in Omaha, Neb., frightened me. I was so scared that Mom had to hold me. Those big kids had scary faces and were dressed like ghosts, pirates, witches, and vicious animals.. Mom told me about Halloween

ORRIN MORRIS: Fall brings false foxgloves to roadsides, embankments

The Creator has put the seasons in order, even as He set the moon and stars in the heavens. In Genesis 1:14, the biblical writer noted, "And God said, 'Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be

Garden Club to celebrate National Garden Week

CONYERS -- The Conyers Garden Club will celebrate National Garden Week with a "Lunch and Learn" event Wednesday, June 8, at the Olde Town Pavilion.

Three arrested in pot garden, 'shot house' raids

Acting on resident complaints, the Covington/Newton County Special Investigations Unit recently made arrests in connection with cultivation of marijuana and unlawful sales of alcohol.

A 'friend-raising' garden

Diana Nazaroff tends her garden plot in the Porterdale Community Garden in preparation for guests. Hands on Newton, which helped organize the collaborative garden, is holding a garden party to celebrate the overwhelming success of the project. Program Director Mollie Melvin calls the event, which will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, a "friend-raiser" and hopes new friends will come out to see the work that's been accomplished on the 38 plots in the garden.

Golden gardener: Groves' story a bouquet of greatness

OXFORD -- Sara Groves' life story sounds like the plot for a movie -- a biopic about a woman who crammed more into one lifetime than most could in five.But if you ask Groves, she'll say her life is more like a garden than a movie. Her philosophy -- "Life is a 50-acre garden -- get busy!" was the title of a presentation on her life given Wednesday afternoon at Merryvale Assisted Living in Oxford, where Groves now resides. The presentation was to honor Groves and to coincide with Women's History Month and National Nutrition Month.

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