If you love playing in the dirt, I have a treat for you.  
We are delighted to be the sponsor for the monthly Liberty County Chamber Progress through People Luncheon at noon Oct. 24 at the Liberty County Performing Arts Center. Our speaker, Walter Reeves, is in my opinion one of the best garden experts in the state. Over the years, I have watched his television shows and used his books and website as go-to tools for my gardening questions.
Reeves is quite an authority on gardening here in the South, and I love that. I really do not like to use references or ideas that are not specific for plants — no matter how beautiful they may be — that will not do well in our coastal area.
Reeves is a sure-fire garden expert. He has a lot of book learning, of course, but he is the real deal. He has years of practical experience throughout his whole life. According to a news release, Reeves is retired from the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, where he worked for 29 years. He grew up on a farm in rural Fayette County, where he learned to garden from his parents and his grandmother.  
He hosts “The Lawn and Garden Show” radio call-in show on NewsTalk WSB from 6-10 every Saturday morning and has hosted gardening radio shows for 25 years. Reeves also has a weekly column of garden questions and answers for the Thursday Living section of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where his column has been a fixture 20 years. He hosted “Your Southern Garden” on Georgia Public Television for 10 years and is working on a new TV show named “Dig In.”
In his spare time — and I use that term sparingly because he obviously is a busy man — Reeves manages www.walterreeves.com, which contains more than 7,000 articles and answers to garden questions. He also edits and publishes “The Georgia Gardener” bi-weekly email newsletter.
He is the author of several books that certainly are reference books for me, including “Month by Month Gardening in Georgia,” “The Georgia Gardener’s Guide,” “Georgia Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs and Nuts” and “501 Garden Questions and Answers for Georgia.” He will have some of his books available for sale at the luncheon. Reeves also has served on the board of Southface, a sustainability organization, for 16 years.
Reeves is in person just like Reeves seems to be on TV and on the radio: a laid-back, immensely likeable guy who has a tremendous amount of knowledge about plants and gardening. He fits his own belief about gardeners that they are the friendliest people around and that you can strike up a conversation with a gardener anytime, anywhere. I think that is probably true! He is a true country boy who has made a name for himself in the world of gardening and often is called “Georgia’s Gardener.”
Reeves said the key to success in delving into the world of gardening is to make your gardening low maintenance, before planting and after — “Choose the right plant for the right place in your yard.” He is a practical, down-to-Earth gardener, and that has made him uniquely successful.
Reeves is an honorary master gardener and enthusiastic promoter of environmentally responsible landscaping. So it is easy to understand why I am a “gardening groupie” of his. If you are a gardener, or even if you are not acquainted with his work, join us at this luncheon and you will be delighted that you did. Please make a reservation with the Liberty County Chamber of Commerce by Oct. 21 by emailing assistant@libertycounty.org or calling 368-4445. Tickets for the luncheon are $15 for chamber members and $20 for non-members. Reeves will share information on native plants and coastal gardening.
I can’t wait. I did say I was a groupie, so of course I am excited! Join us — you will not be disappointed.