Welcome to GregFreeman.garden, the online home to Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle

More than merely offering a chronicle of my gardening experiences, this site celebrates lush beds of fragrant flowers, heirloom vegetable preservation, farm to table dining, the slow food movement, lazy summer afternoons resting beneath shade trees, and choruses of birds singing, bees buzzing and breezes wafting.  In addition to the plants growing in my own garden, I will periodically explore garden-related subjects from around the world, ranging from rare trees and innovative hybridists to
en plein air paintings and artful filmography depicting lovely flowers and stunning landscapes. 

So journey with me!  Spade and trowel are optional, of course, but I hope something discovered here will compel you to see gardening through a new lens, one that opens up a world of infinite possibilities and years of gardening pleasure.

Greg Freeman
Publisher










Access editions of Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle (ISSN 2575-9744) from the list below! 

The Garden Chronicle is published biannually as a downloadable, printable pdf.

Feel free to click on the links below to access the most current and previous  editions of Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle (ISSN 2575-9744) in PDF format.


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June 2023       Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle       Issue 15
What's Inside?  Garden Club of Georgia Convenes at Stone Mountain (Greg Freeman recounts time spent at the 2023 GCG Convention in the shadow of Stone Mountain, Georgia, where he was a guest speaker);  The Daffodils of Woodburn Plantation (Greg Freeman explores the array of daffodils growing at the historic Pendleton, South Carolina property, which was once the summer residence for U.S. Founding Father Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, as well as the birthplace for Jane Hunter, who established the Phillis Wheatley Association and served on the board of the NAACP); Photograph:  Enviable Green.


December 2022       Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle       Issue 14
What's Inside?  Stephen J. Vinisky (1953-2022) (Greg Freeman's recollections of friend and mentor, Steve Vinisky, of Cherry Creek Daffodils fame); A Meal Fit for a Maharaja...or Perhaps a Sultan (a delicious, easy recipe for Greg Freeman's Indian-influenced Sheet Pan Chicken); Keukenhof Mural to Serve as Backdrop for American Daffodil Society's National Show in Atlanta (a look at a stunning Lynwood Hall mural, commissioned by Mrs. Deen Day Sanders); The Big Freeze of 2022 (a recounting of December 2022's Arctic Blast and its consequences in the garden); Photograph:  Hiding in Plain Sight.


June 2022       Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle       Issue 13

What's Inside?  Atlanta Botanical Garden Wows Visitors with Biennial Flower Show (a recounting of Greg Freeman's first experience exhibiting at a show situated in one of Atlanta's most beautiful urban oases); Lipscomb Daffodils Shine at Atlanta's Historic Oakland Cemetery (discusses the daffodils donated to Oakland by the children of the late Captain John Lipscomb); Daydreaming of Italy, One Dish at a Time (explores how great Italian food, particularly dishes by celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich, can transport one to a faraway land); Winning Daffodils from Atlanta and Knoxville (chronicles the winnings of Greg Freeman and others at the Georgia and East Tennessee Daffodil Societies' Shows); Remembering Mary McCall Winkler (1939-2022); High Hopes for Maltese Seeds (tells of the journey of some Narcissus seeds from Malta to Germany to the USA);  Sausage-stuffed Sweet Peppers (a different take on preparing the otherwise ubiquitous sweet pepper); Blueberries, Wisteria, Mountain Drives and Old Men (a personal essay recalling fond memories); Photograph:  In Suspense.


December 2021       Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle       Issue 12

What's Inside?  Jenks Farmer Publishes Crinum:  Unearthing the History and Cultivation of the World's Biggest Bulb (an introduction to the new book recently released by one of our foremost experts on the genus, Crinum; Chriss Rainey Honored with Newly Named Daffodil (an exploration of Narcissus 'Miss Chriss', the delightful tazetta daffodil Greg Freeman recently registered and named to honor well-known daffodilian Chriss Rainey); "Living on Tulsa Time":  Stepping Back in Time at Tulsa's Villa Philbrook (a recounting of Greg Freeman's October 2021 visit at Philbrook and its lovely, expansive gardens); "A Rose by Any Other Name?":  Champneys' Creation and Noisette Class of Roses (an opinion piece about the continuing debate over the name by which these roses are known); Remembering Graham Phillips (a memorial piece devoted to the renowned New Zealand daffodil hybridist); Spring 2022 Garden Picks (Greg's garden catalogue selections); Photograph:  Christmas Camellias (a story of giving to be a blessing, but being blessed in return).

June 2021       Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle      Issue 11

What's Inside?  Bugle Call from Derbytown:  Louisville's Very Own Trumpet Honeysuckle (a "reprint" of Greg Freeman's article published by the American Horticultural Society's magazine, The American Gardener, exploring Lonicera sempervirens 'Blanche Sandman', a selection of our best-known native honeysuckle); How the Light Gets In (a poignant look at grief and how gardeners are poised to be a blessing to those experiencing a time of loss); In a Pickle (a humorous reflection of planting cucumbers, making pickles and competing at the county fair); Life Lessons from a Hybridist (explores some long-awaited flowers and their unexpected and disappointing demise); Photograph:  Water Lilies at South Carolina Botanical Garden (a tranquil scene reminiscent of Claude Monet's garden at Giverny).

December 2020       Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle       Issue 10

What's Inside?  Vintage Mediterranean Post Cards Prove Captivating (takes the reader on an early 1910s journey from the French Riviera to Cairo); Coq au Vin:  A French Classic (offers an easy recipe for making a fabulous French dish your guests are sure to enjoy); Garden Picks of 2020 (takes a look back at a year that brought much disappointment, but some success with several plants, including an exciting Hibiscus and a stunning Gerber daisy); If at First You Don't Succeed... (encourages gardeners to keep planting even when facing adversity...Greg offers some examples of his own experiences with cyclamen and species daffodils); Photograph:  Crocus sativus in The Climbers (an exploration of the source of saffron, which is so popular in various cuisines).


May 2020       Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle       Issue 9

What's Inside?  Late Nineteenth Century Atlanta Nurserymen to Be Featured in Article Series (delves into the effort to compile and record the history of Atlanta's nurseries and their owners, particularly during the post-Reconstruction era); Latest Daffodil Seedlings Fail to Disappoint (takes a look at Greg Freeman's newest daffodil hybrids); Classic Films, Classic Gardens (discusses gardens and plants from movie scenes, with emphasis on Suddenly Last Summer and The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone, film adaptations of Tennessee Williams' works); Gardens Abuzz (explores several beneficial insects besides our celebrated pollinators); A Few Highlights from Spring 2020 (is a small ensemble of photos taken of Freeman's flowers during the COVID-19 shutdown); Photograph:  Stars of Bethlehem.


December 2019       Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle       Issue 8

What's Inside?  Ledebouria socialis:  Diminutive South African Bulb Source of Happy Returns (a look at silver squills or silver leaf thicket onion, a terrific houseplant and summertime patio display); South Carolina Art Exhibition Containing Vincent van Gogh's First Garden Painting Ending Soon (an urgent reminder for  anyone within easy driving distance of the Columbia Museum of Art to check out Van Gogh and His Inspirations, which contains the lovely painting, Bulb Fields (1883); Mediterranea Off to Good Start (the first progress report on Greg's ambitious terrarium project); A Promise to Lady Banks (Rosa banksiae 'Lutea', the yellow Lady Banks' rose, finds promised home in Greg's garden); Photograph:  Colors of the Season (still-life photograph of herb cuttings and stem of Narcissus 'Verdant Sparks', the all-green, fall-blooming jonquil bred by Dr. Harold Koopowitz, Santa Ana, California, USA, celebrates the colors of the Christmas season).

May 2019       Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle       Issue 7

What's Inside?  Garlic:  Beckoning like a Siren's Song (an exploration of garlic, how to grow it and use it in the kitchen for dishes like Greg's Lemon-Garlic Chicken); Observations of a Green Lynx Spider (a photographic journey getting to know this beautiful spider); A Daffodil Show Season to Remember (a look back at the 2019 Georgia, East Tennessee and Kentucky daffodil shows at which Greg caught up with friends, won a Best in Show and raised an eyebrow or two with his homebred daffodils); The British Landscape from the Vantage Point of George Willis-Pryce (a discussion of Greg's recent purchase of another Willis-Pryce landscape painting); Photograph:  Woodland Treasures (remembering a small microclimate containing bluets, native orchids and verdant moss).

December 2018       Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle       Issue 6

What's Inside?  "Tea for Two, Please" (pleasures of afternoon tea, incorporating homegrown produce into a tea serving, growing tea bushes); Going Green.....Architecturally Speaking (vertical gardens, the work of Patrick Blanc); Looking Ahead to 2019:  Mediterranea, Bonsai Honeysuckle and More Videos (an ambitious terrarium in the making, an exciting bonsai project and more); Photograph:  Colorful Flower Beds in Falls Park.


May 2018       Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle       Issue 5

What's Inside?  2018 Georgia Daffodil Show Highlights; Suburban Atlanta Gardeners Get the Low Down on Progress in Daffodil Hybridizing; The Pleasure of Owning a Fine Plant (clivias and crinums); Discovering a Taste of India in Knoxville; Rain Fails to Dampen Enthusiasm at East Tennessee Daffodil Show; Planning and Planting for Old World Flavors (heirloom seeds); Photograph:  The Odd Couple.


December 2017       Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle       Issue 4

What's Inside?  Churchill's Art Reveals a Love of Landscapes and Gardens; Just What the Doctor Ordered:  South Carolina Physician's Passion for Gardening Helps Make One Holy Space an Inviting Place; The Taj Mahal:  A Symbol of Love Situated in a Garden of Paradise; A Charleston Excursion:  Meeting Picasso, Touring Middleton Place; Late 2017 Garden Additions and the Loss of a Special Friend; Photograph:  Glorious Sunflowers.


April 15, 2017       Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle       Issue 3

What's Inside?  Long-Anticipated Maiden Daffodil Blooms Make an Appearance; A Taste of Italy:  Spaghetti all'Amatriciana; The Story of a Survivor (Hiroshima-surviving bonsai tree); Lessons from the "Butterfly Lady"; Review:  Paris in 3D in the Belle Époque; A Watchmaker's Timeless Flower (Hippeastrum x johnsonii or hardy amaryllis); Photograph:  All Dressed Up and No Place to Go.


December 7, 2016       Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle       Issue 2

What's Inside?  Buddlejas for All Spaces and Budgets (butterfly bushes); The Humble Fig; Daffodils to Honor My Friend; Sculptus HortusThe Climbers; Gardening Lessons from a George Willis-Pryce Painting.

April 15, 2016      Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle       Inaugural Edition

What's Inside?  Tulip Fever Slated to Release in 2016; A Lesson in Faith:  The Symbolism of Job's Tears in One Gardener's Journey (Coix lacryma-jobi or Job's Tears); Terrariums:  Easy, Affordable Garden Projects for the Young...and Young at Heart; Hidden Botanical Treasures (Cyclamen hederifolium x 'Silver Leaf', Primula acaulis 'Blueberry Swirl'); Ronde de Nice Courgette Farcie (Stuffed Zucchini Ronde de Nice recipe); Van Gogh Paintings Spring to Life in New Film; Winners from 2016 Atlanta and Knoxville Daffodil Shows.

Southern Edition, another electronic resource from Greg Freeman Media, features an array of content related to the American South, including its Magnolia Eden department (which is devoted to gardening).  Following are just a few of the Southern Edition gardening articles that might be of interest:
Southern Live Oaks:  Nature's Great Survivors by Dr. Ed Brotak
The Chestnut Rose:  A Unique Rose's Journey from the Far East to the American South
The Catalpa Tree:  More Than Just an Angler's Delight
The Carolina Lily:  Michaux's Discovery Still Prized by Gardeners
Poncirus trifoliata 'Flying Dragon':  Revered and Respected by Southern Gardeners
© 2016 - 2024 Greg Freeman Media
All rights reserved.

           In addition to being an avid gardener and daffodil hybridist, judge and exhibitor, Greg Freeman is an author, editor, recording artist, songwriter, amateur visual artist and life-long horse lover.  His nonfiction writing on a number of subjects has appeared in magazines, encyclopedias and books of academic and scholarly interest, as well as Southern Edition, Freeman's digital publication devoted to the American South.  Published academic/encyclopedic contributions by Freeman include a chapter in Nadine Farghaly's edited volume, Gender and the Modern Sherlock Holmes: Essays on Film and Television Adaptations Since 2009 (2015), as well as multiple entries in: Race in American Film: Voices and Visions That Shaped A Nation (2017), edited by Dr. Daniel Bernardi and Michael Green; The British Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia (2018), edited by Dr. Mark Doyle; and Music around the World: A Global Encyclopedia (2020), edited by Drs. Andrew R. Martin and Matthew Mihalka.  In 2015, Freeman released a country music radio single, "Sunlight and Shadows," garnering international airplay, and his gospel music has received national exposure through television, radio and commercial recordings , including the Collingsworth Family's GMA Dove Award-nominated album, Just Sing! (2021), on which his song, "I Owe You Everything," appears  His gospel EP, Blessing and Blessing (2018), featuring guest vocalists Babbie Mason, a Grammy-nominated artist, and Gospel Music Hall of Famer Calvin Newton, released in December 2018.  An owner of Belgian draft horses since 1987, Freeman's horse interests expanded into the world of Thoroughbred racing and breeding with the purchase of shares in Authentic in 2020.  Authentic subsequently won the Haskell Stakes, the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic before retiring to stud at Spendthrift Farm, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.  He won the coveted Eclipse Awards for Three-Year-Old Male of the Year and Horse of the Year.  Additionally, in 2023, Freeman acquired the proven Belgian draft sire and show champion, Remlap DVP, a son of Remlap Constance Edie Johne, a broodmare extraordinaire and undefeated show winner.  Remlap DVP was bred by noted breeder Beth Palmer, Tottenham, Ontario, Canada, and named to honor her late father, the illustrious horseman, Douglas Victor Palmer.



Greg Freeman's Garden Chronicle is hosted online by GregFreeman.garden, an online resource with additional content not found in the Garden Chronicle.  Feel free to share links to this publication via electronic mail, social media or other websites.  No content may be reproduced without prior written consent from the publisher, except as permitted for Fair Use by copyright laws.  To contact the publisher, send communications to Greg Freeman Media, 509 Old Wagon Road, Walhalla, South Carolina 29691 USA or
gardenchronicle@outlook.com.