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Community Corner

Losing Yourself in Your Backyard

Gardening moms find solace in working outside.

Doing yard work may not be enjoyed by everyone, but for gardening moms, it can be a blessing—an easy getaway from the kids.

Kim Kornblatt certainly looks at it that way.  

“When I get that rare free moment, I work in my yard. It’s very therapeutic (and) very quiet,” she said.

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Kornblatt is raising three teenagers while running on Marietta Street in downtown Powder Springs, so “quiet” is also rare for her. The kids may complain about drizzle and rain, but Kornblatt digs in.

Most gardeners don’t mind a little dampness because it makes the soil malleable, and they know whatever they plant is going to get a good drink.

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“I love planting peonies,” Kornblatt explained. “I have 23 plants, and more than 200 blooms each year.”

Kornblatt gets many of her plant materials online, but she also pops into some local nurseries, such as Lost Mountain Nursery on Poplar Springs Road in Dallas. She likes the variety of plants there.

Sharon Mills with Lost Mountain said: “The vast majority of our walk-in customers are women. Lots of moms. We sell trees and shrubs, along with annuals and perennials.”

Mills is also a mom, “and a grandma,” and she likes digging and planting in her backyard during her time off, just like Kornblatt.

“It’s peaceful and a treat to make things grow,” she said.

But making things grow isn’t all Kornblatt likes to do in her backyard puttering. “I like to work with stone, too, and do some landscaping.” 

She prefers Daco Stone on Florence Road in Powder Springs for her materials, since it has outdoor kits for do-it-yourselfers. Daco also has professionals on staff who can help install projects.

Mike Fuller with Daco Stone sad: “Quite a few women come in looking for ideas, sometimes with their husbands, sometimes on their own.” They can do a variety of projects, Fuller added, and “lots of builders send clients to us.”

Georgia Landscape Supply on South 120 Loop in neighboring Marietta is another source for do-it-yourself landscapers. It offers a variety of stone, mulch and topsoil.

Kornblatt said some of her gardening projects have actually come in handy at PearTree.  

“I’ve used my peonies in my decorating,” she explained. “They bloom only briefly, but they are so worth the effort. They’re beautiful, and they smell so great.”

But it’s not just sights and smells that draw her to her garden in her free time. 

“It’s fun, and it’s good exercise, and nobody’s screaming my name,” she laughed.

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