Iced Lavender Peach Tea Recipe (Herbal and Caffeine-Free)
Iced tea is the perfect drink to sip on during the hot summer days. This variation on peach iced tea is both good for you and refreshing. So let the kids loose in the backyard, make a large pitcher of sweet tea for yourself, and take a few minutes to relax on the patio!
Lavender: A Lovely Little Flower With a Million Uses
I can’t say enough good things about lavender. It’s one of my favorite herbs and definitely a staple around here. People have used it for hundreds of years, and it’s best known for its relaxing and soothing qualities. It also adds a lovely floral flavor to the peach tea recipe.
Lavender plants are quite hardy and grow in many climates, as long as the soil is well-drained. It’s a lovely choice for edging pathways into the house. This way, you can smell it as you walk by and when the windows are open.
The best part of lavender is that it’s so much more than just a pretty plant. I use it around the house in a million different ways, both as an essential oil and a dry herb. For tips on how to grow and harvest lavender yourself (plus my running list of ways to use it), see this post.
Refreshing Lavender Peach Iced Tea: How To Make It
Most teas, like green tea and black tea bags, are made from the leaves of the tea bush. Herbal teas however use various parts of other herbs such as mint, raspberry leaf, and lavender.
Making iced tea from lavender never occurred to me before, but when I came across a delicious lavender tea recipe, I knew I had to give it a try. After a little trial and error, I now have a new favorite summer drink!
And since it’s an herbal tea, that means there’s no caffeine. Plus, my kids love it. Most peach ice tea recipes create a peach syrup out of fresh peaches (or even canned peaches), and granulated sugar. This recipe instead uses honey for the sweetener. All you do is pour brewed tea made from lavender flowers over ripe peaches and honey. After it steeps for a while, you can add more water. It really couldn’t be simpler!
You can remove the peaches or leave them in for a more intensely peach-flavored tea. The peach chunks are kind of tasty to eat too — peachy with a hint of lavender.
This is a great recipe for using up really ripe peaches that are bruised and need to be used soon. Just cut off the not-so-pretty spots and use the rest! You can also use frozen peaches that have been thawed. Sweet peach tea with a hint of lavender makes a refreshing drink to enjoy during peach season. You can also add some sliced peaches as a garnish.
Lavender Peach Iced Tea Recipe
An herbal tea made with lavender, infused with peaches, and lightly sweetened with honey.
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In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
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Add lavender flowers to the boiling water and steep for 5 minutes with the heat off and lid on. Strain out the lavender.
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Place the diced peaches in the bottom of a half-gallon mason jar or pitcher and drizzle the honey on top (if using).
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Pour the strained lavender tea over the peaches and muddle slightly.
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Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, about an hour.
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Add the remaining 4 cups of water to the peaches and tea and refrigerate until cold.
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Serve over ice cubes and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Lavender Peach Iced Tea Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 95
Calories from Fat 2
% Daily Value*
Fat 0.2g0%
Saturated Fat 0.01g0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.04g
Sodium 21mg1%
Potassium 91mg3%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 23g26%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 231IU5%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 23mg2%
Iron 0.4mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
- You can leave the peaches in the tea to make a more intensely peach-flavored tea or take them out before adding the remaining water.
- If the lavender is too strong for your taste, reduce the lavender flowers by 1 TBSP and add 1 TBSP chamomile tea in its place.
Note: Since peaches are consistently on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list, I try to buy them organic. Wherever your peaches come from, it’s always a good idea to wash your produce before using it.
Lavender Peach Tea Recipe Variations
While I love this tea as is, sometimes I also like to switch things up with it. Here are a few tips to try:
- Peach Boost: Muddle the peaches more or simmer them with the lavender for a richer flavor.
- Sweetness Swap: Use maple syrup or a splash of vanilla instead of honey if preferred.
- Fresh Twist: Add fresh mint or a squeeze of lemon for a brighter flavor.
Other Refreshing Summer Drink Recipes
Thirsty for more? Here are some more refreshing summer drinks to wet your palate!
Are you an iced tea drinker? What’s your favorite summertime tea combination? Leave a comment and let us know!
Linda’s Garden on a Mountain in the PNW
Hi GPODers!
A big move is always rife with challenges: adjusting to an unfamiliar neighborhood, saying goodbye to loved ones, discovering your new favorite spots in town, acclimating to a different environment, and more. For gardeners, moving to a new location and climate includes the added challenge of educating yourself on the best practices for the area. Linda Boblett knows this all too well, as she made the change from gardening in Ohio to the mountains of Washington. A completely new climate and increased activity from pests have given her plenty to adjust to, but her lush plantings show no indication that this transition has inhibited her ability to create garden beauty.
Hi all!
After gardening in the Midwest (Ohio), where just about anything grows, I now garden on Lookout Mountain in Whatcom County, Washington state (Zone 8a). Deer and slugs are a constant threat to plants, but I’ve learned to deal with it.
I’m not sure what kind of conditions Linda was working with in Ohio, but her new garden is a woodland wonderland quintessential to the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. The forest around her property is thick, and the plantings within her beds are foliage heavy.
Foliage heavy, but certainly not without flowers—an assortment of rhododendron makes a colorful splash along the border of her patio.
A small seating area is perfectly placed to enjoy all these bold blooms and bask in the tranquility of this shady corner of the garden.
For a shady foundation bed, Linda has a lovely collection of hostas in various colors, patterns, and forms. I wonder how she is managing to keep these beauties from becoming a feast for her local deer.
Shade can feel limiting to many gardeners, but it’s really an opportunity to plant something wonderful that would get scorched in the sun. Foamflowers, for example, love the shade and are textural powerhouses, with spires of tiny flowers and fabulous foliage forms. This appears to be the three-leaf foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata, Zones 3–9).
Another shady foundation planting features various ferns and light purple blooms of a variegated Jacob’s ladder.
A closer look at the Jacob’s ladder reveals more of that gorgeous golden, variegated foliage. It is potentially the Brise d’Anjou variety (Polemonium ‘Blanjou’, Zones 4–8).
A rustic garden bench in another shady spot in the garden is a perfect complement to a more naturalistic scene.
Linda’s garden is not solely shade; some areas do get hours of bright sun, but these sunnier spots are equally as lush and inviting. Ground covers creep between the gaps in these stone steps, and colorful containers lead you deeper into the garden.
One final view of the gardens and a beautiful lily pad birdbath!
Thank you so much for sharing your lush and lively garden with us, Linda! It’s clear that you’re adjusting well to gardening in the Pacific Northwest and creating an enchanting outdoor living area despite the new challenges you face.
Whether your garden is brand-new, decades old, large, small, or anything in between, we’d love to hear the story behind your space and the journey you’ve had with gardening. To share your garden story with the blog, follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
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Fine Gardening Recommended Products
ARS Telescoping Long Reach Pruner
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Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes
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Featuring gorgeous photography and advice for landscapers, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can nourish in our cities and suburbs.
The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees
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The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Doug Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area.
RFK Jr. removes all members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee : Shots
Secretary RFK Jr. says replacing the CDC’s vaccine advisors will help restore ‘public trust’ in vaccination.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images North America
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Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images North America
Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is removing all 17 members of a key advisory committee that helps craft vaccine policy and recommendations for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Kennedy made the announcement on Monday afternoon in a press release from the Department of Health and Human Services and an opinion piece published by The Wall Street Journal.
In his role as head of HHS, Kennedy has the legal authority to replace members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), but the decision to scrap the entire committee flies in the face of precedent and has alarmed the public health and medical establishment.
“A clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science,” Kennedy said in a statement, “ACIP new members will prioritize public health and evidence-based medicine. The Committee will no longer function as a rubber stamp for industry profit-taking agendas.”
Medical groups were quick to issue statements denouncing the move.
The American Medical Association said Kennedy’s decision undermines “trust and upends a transparent process that has saved countless lives.” The president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America called the allegation about the integrity of the committee “completely unfounded.”
Kennedy has previously claimed that ACIP members have serious conflicts of interests.
However, as NPR has reported, a government report he has cited to back that up shows they do not. In addition, committee members are required to disclose if they have any conflicts of interest before casting a vote and recuse themselves if they have one.
Past members of ACIP warn that gutting the current committee removes an important check on changes in the administration’s approach to vaccine policy.
Dr. Jonathan Temte, who served as chair from 2012 to 2015, told NPR that “across the entire world, ACIP has been the paragon of solid, well thought out, evidence-based vaccine policy.”
“I hate to say this, but we are heading in the direction of U.S. vaccine policy becoming the laughing stock of the globe,” said Temte, a professor of family medicine at the University of Wisconsin.
Given Kennedy’s history of leading an anti-vaccine advocacy group, public health experts and members of Congress have worried about what could happen to the committee under Kennedy’s watch.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician and Republican representing Louisiana, cast a critical vote to advance Kennedy’s nomination, saying he had assurances that Kennedy would maintain ACIP’s recommendations “without changes.”
It’s not yet clear who Kennedy will tap to fill the now-vacant seats on the committee, though he said new members are already under consideration.
The outside experts make recommendations for the agency’s vaccine schedule for children and adults, and help determine which vaccines get covered by health insurance and the Vaccines for Children Program.
ACIP will convene its next meeting on June 25 at CDC headquarters.
13 Annual Flowers that Bloom All Summer
Unlike perennials, annual flowering plants bloom once and then fade away—but that shouldn’t stop you from adding them to your garden.
In fact, their short but stunning life cycle is what makes them so special. They burst into color quickly and give it their all during the growing season.
Annual flowers are perfect for filling in leftover spots, lining borders, or bringing containers to life. They’re like the finishing touches that pull your garden together, adding personality and color exactly where you need it. Plus, they’re easy to switch up year to year if you like trying new looks.
Many annuals are known for blooming all summer long, especially if you give them the care they need—sunshine, regular watering, and a bit of deadheading here and there. Keep them happy, and they’ll keep blooming their hearts out right up until the first frost.
When the season ends, annuals will wrap up their show, but you can always collect seeds or pick out new favorites next spring. With so many colors, shapes, and styles to choose from, there’s always a reason to welcome them back.
13 Annual Flowers that Bloom all Summer
To enjoy blooms all summer, plant in early to mid-spring after the last frost, using a mix of early, mid, and late-blooming flowers like petunias, marigolds, zinnias, and coneflowers.
Choose full-sun spots, keep soil moist and fed, and deadhead regularly to encourage continuous blooming from June through August.
1. Cornflower
With its blue colored blooms, Cornflower can withstand drought and tolerate poor soil.
This low-maintenance annual flowering plant flowers from June to September.
Cornflowers thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, preferring cooler temperatures, which makes them ideal for spring or early fall planting in warmer climates. They grow best in moderately fertile soil and don’t require heavy feeding—too much fertilizer can reduce blooming.
Sow seeds directly outdoors after the last frost, spacing them about 6–8 inches apart. Water regularly but avoid soggy conditions, and deadhead spent blooms to encourage continuous flowering.
Also Read: 19 Best Lavender Companion Plants to Grow
2. Zinnia
Zinnias are vibrant, daisy-like flowers that attract pollinators and bring bold color to any garden. These easy-to-grow annuals bloom profusely from late spring to the first frost.
Zinnias thrive in full sun and well-drained, fertile soil. They prefer warm temperatures and benefit from good air circulation to prevent mildew.
Direct sow seeds outdoors after the last frost, spacing them 6–12 inches apart. Water regularly at the base and deadhead faded blooms to prolong flowering.
3. Firecracker Plant
Known for its tubular, fiery-red flowers, the Firecracker Plant is a hummingbird magnet with a tropical flair.
This tender perennial blooms from spring through fall in warmer climates.
It grows best in full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil. Firecracker Plants appreciate consistent moisture but dislike soggy roots.
Plant after the danger of frost has passed, space 12–18 inches apart, and prune lightly to maintain shape and encourage more blooms.
Check this: 23 Best Flowers to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden
4. Garden Cosmos
With its airy foliage and daisy-like flowers, Garden Cosmos adds charm and movement to garden beds.
This annual blooms generously from mid-summer to fall with minimal care.
Cosmos prefer full sun and well-drained, average soil. They are drought-tolerant and thrive in low-fertility conditions, making them ideal for relaxed gardens.
Direct sow after the last frost, spacing plants 12–18 inches apart. Water sparingly and deadhead to extend blooming.
5. Border Dahlia
Compact and colorful, Border Dahlias bring rich hues and full blooms to borders and containers. These perennials (often grown as annuals) flower from midsummer to the first frost.
Dahlias need full sun, fertile soil, and good drainage. They enjoy consistent moisture and benefit from mulch to retain soil coolness.
Plant tubers after the soil has warmed, spacing them 12–15 inches apart. Stake if necessary and remove spent blooms to encourage continuous flowering.
6. Paris Daisy
Paris Daisies, or marguerite daisies, feature cheerful white or pink blooms with sunny centers.
They bloom from spring into fall, especially in cooler climates or with deadheading.
These perennials thrive in full sun and fertile, well-drained soil. Regular watering helps them bloom well, but they are relatively drought-tolerant once established.
Plant after the last frost, space about 12 inches apart, and trim lightly to maintain shape and promote blooming.
7. Celosia
Celosia flaunts unique, flame-like blooms in vivid shades that stand out in any summer garden.
This heat-loving annual blooms from early summer to frost.
It prefers full sun and fertile, well-drained soil. Celosia is drought-tolerant once established but appreciates regular watering during dry spells.
Sow seeds after frost or transplant seedlings, spacing 8–12 inches apart. Deadhead to encourage fresh blooms throughout the season.
Also Read: 23 Best Winter Blooming Flowers
8. Globe Amaranth
Globe Amaranth produces round, clover-like blooms that dry beautifully and retain color long after cutting.
This annual blooms from mid-summer into fall, even in intense heat.
It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, tolerating drought and poor soil once established.
Direct sow or transplant after frost, spacing 10–12 inches apart. Water deeply but infrequently, and deadhead for continuous flowers.
9. Narrowleaf Angelon
Narrowleaf Angelon, also known as summer snapdragon, produces spiky blooms in vivid colors ideal for hot climates.
It blooms steadily from late spring through fall.
Angelon thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, handling heat and humidity with ease. Fertile soil promotes the best flowering.
Plant after the last frost, spacing 12 inches apart. Water consistently and remove faded blooms to encourage new ones.
10. Tuberous Begonias
Tuberous Begonias boast large, rose-like flowers that brighten shady spots with vivid color.
They bloom from late spring until frost, especially in cooler summer climates.
These plants prefer partial shade and rich, well-drained soil. Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy, and avoid wetting the leaves.
Start tubers indoors and transplant after frost, spacing 10–12 inches apart. Deadhead regularly and provide airflow to prevent mildew.
Also Read: How to Change Hydrangea Colours – Pink, Blue & Purple Flowers
11. Mandevilla
Mandevilla is a tropical vine with large, trumpet-shaped blooms that climb and trail beautifully.
It flowers from late spring until fall in warm climates.
This plant thrives in full sun to partial shade and rich, well-drained soil. Mandevilla prefers consistent moisture and a sheltered spot protected from strong winds.
Plant outdoors after frost has passed, give it a trellis or support, and prune lightly to shape and boost flowering.
12. Petunia
Petunias offer a burst of vibrant color in endless varieties, perfect for baskets, beds, or borders.
They bloom continuously from spring through fall with proper care.
Petunias love full sun and well-drained soil, and they perform best with regular feeding. Overwatering or soggy soil can lead to root rot.
Plant after the last frost, space 10–12 inches apart, and deadhead to encourage non-stop blooming.
13. Lantana
Lantana is a tough, sun-loving plant with clusters of multicolored blooms that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
It blooms from late spring until the first frost with minimal care.
Lantana thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, tolerating heat, drought, and poor conditions. Avoid overwatering, especially in humid climates.
Plant after frost danger has passed, spacing 12–18 inches apart. Trim lightly to shape and encourage fresh growth and blooms.
Check this: Best Manure for Flowers
Conclusion
Annual flowers that bloom all summer are the perfect way to keep your garden lively and colorful for months on end. With their fast growth and continuous blooms, these plants—like Zinnias, Petunias, and Lantanas—offer nonstop visual interest from late spring to fall.
By selecting varieties suited to your growing conditions and providing consistent care, you’ll enjoy a flourishing, ever-changing display that brightens up your outdoor space all season long.
Khaja Moinuddin, a computer science graduate, finds joy in gardening and homesteading. Join him on this blog as he shares his experiences in homesteading, gardening, and composting
How to Grow and Care for Colorado Blue Spruce
Cultivars to Select
Visit just about any nursery and you’re likely to find several blue spruce cultivars available as well as the species plant.
On that note, if you want to grow the species, you can find plants available at Fast Growing Trees.
Here are a few standout cultivars to consider:
Baby Blue
‘Baby Blue’ has everything you love about a Colorado blue spruce in a petite, semi-dwarf package. It tops out at just 15 to 25 feet tall and up to 15 feet wide.
This cultivar maintains the classic pyramidal shape and features extremely vivid needles that are even bluer than those of the species.
You can find ‘Baby Blue’ plants available from Fast Growing Trees.
Blue Wonder
If your main interest is the distinctive color of a Colorado blue spruce, then ‘Blue Wonder’ should be at the top of your list.
It shares all the typical characteristics of the species, though it tends to stay a bit smaller.
This cultivar has bright gray-blue needles that are especially vibrant and guaranteed to stand out in the landscape.
You can find ‘Blue Wonder’ available at Fast Growing Trees.
Baker’s
Baker’s blue spruce (P. pungens var. glauca ‘Bakeri’) has more of a columnar shape than your typical spruce and it’s also far more petite.
Perfect for a smaller landscape, this one will mature to a perfectly manageable 30 feet tall and just 15 feet wide.
Grower R. Ellery Baker of Hiti Nurseries in Pomfret, Connecticut discovered this seedling in Massachusetts in the late 1920s and developed it for commercial release in 1933.
Want one? Nature Hills Nursery has this beauty in #5 containers.
Fastigiata
‘Fastigiata’ is a semi-dwarf cultivar with an upright, columnar growth habit that gradually tapers through the top third of the tree, giving it a somewhat pyramidal silhouette.
It typically grows up to 15 feet tall and about five feet wide, making it a smart choice for narrow spaces in the garden. Just be sure to give it enough room to reach its mature size.
The needles tend to retain their blue color more reliably than many other cultivars, and certainly more consistently than the species. It’s also hardier than most, withstanding conditions as cold as USDA Zone 2.
While the exact origin is unclear, ‘Fastigiata’ has been available in Canada since 1989 and the U.S. since 1993.
Fat Albert
The well-respected Iseli Nursery in Boring, Oregon – renowned for breeding unique and interesting conifers – is credited with introducing ‘Fat Albert’ in the 1970s.
Founder Jean Iseli said that he found the natural hybrid in a field of seedlings, and he was clearly onto something!
Despite the name, ‘Fat Albert’ isn’t particularly wide. It reaches up to 45 feet tall and 20 feet wide at most. The name is a nod to the popular cartoon character, not its shape.
This cultivar features that perfect pyramidal shape and striking silver foliage.
It’s particularly slow growing and long lived, so it can be a highlight in your garden for decades (even centuries) to come.
If you want a tried-and-true option with the perfect shape, bring home ‘Fat Albert’ from Fast Growing Trees.
Globe
For a truly dwarf option, there’s nothing better than the glorious Globe (Picea pungens var. glauca ‘Globosa’).
This compact cultivar reaches just five feet tall and six feet wide at maturity, with a naturally rounded shape that requires no pruning to maintain.
It’s one of those set-it-and-forget-it plants you can enjoy for years without lifting a finger.
Bred by Luis’ Nursery in Boskoop, Holland, in 1937, it was later refined and introduced by Le Feber & Company in 1955.
Clearly, they were onto a hit as this cultivar has become the go-to choice for gardeners wanting a dwarf blue spruce, especially one with a bushy, compact habit.
If that sounds like you, visit Fast Growing Trees where you can find plants available in five-gallon pots.
Slenderina
So far, we’ve talked about upright spruce and one cute little shrub. But I’m a total sucker for a weeping tree, so I’d be remiss to skip the lovely ‘Slenderina.’
I have grown this gorgeous weeper in several of my gardens and it is always the one that draws stares and comments.
‘Slenderina’ grows to about 15 feet tall and about half as wide, with pendulous, weeping branches that can also twist and turn as they emerge from the central trunk.
You can even train the main trunk itself to curve and twist, too. I once saw one trained into a half arch as the entrance to a wisteria tunnel and it was magnificent!
You can find ‘Slenderina’ available at Nature Hills Nursery.
Maintenance
You don’t need to prune a Colorado blue spruce regularly.
The only time you’ll need to bring out the pruners is if a branch dies, is damaged by pests, or doesn’t fit the overall shape you’re aiming for.
The best time to prune is in late winter while the tree is still dormant – just avoid doing so when temperatures are below freezing.
Use loppers, a saw, or hand pruners to remove unwanted branches. Cut as close as possible to the adjoining branch or trunk.
There’s no need to seal the wound, the tree will do that on its own with the sticky resin common to spruces, pines, and firs.
Learn more about pruning conifers here.
Fertilizing is typically unnecessary unless your young tree appears stunted or unhealthy.
Under Georgia’s fetal ‘personhood’ law, a pregnant woman remains on life support : Shots
Adriana Smith is a patient at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta. Emergency complications early in her pregnancy led to brain death, but she remains on life support as the pregnancy continues, according to her family. Her case has become a symbol of the medical and ethical issues stemming from a Georgia law that bans most abortions and confers fetal “personhood” rights.
Brynn Anderson/AP
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Brynn Anderson/AP
By the time she ended up at a Georgia hospital with emergency complications, 30-year-old Atlanta nurse Adriana Smith was almost nine weeks pregnant.
Her condition, which included multiple blood clots, deteriorated as doctors tried to save her life, Smith’s mother April Newkirk told Atlanta TV station WXIA.
“They did a CT scan and she had blood clots all in her head. So they had asked me if they could do a procedure to relieve them, and I said yes,” Newkirk said. “And then they called me back and said that they couldn’t do it.”
She said doctors declared Smith ‘brain dead’ and put her on life support without consulting her.
“It’s torture for me,” Newkirk said. “I come here and I see my daughter breathing by the ventilator, but she’s not there.”
That was more than three months ago. Smith is still pregnant.
“And I’m not saying that we would have chose to terminate her pregnancy,” Newkirk said, “but what I’m saying is we should have had a choice.”
Except for an emailed statement, Emory Healthcare isn’t commenting on the case.
“Emory Healthcare uses consensus from clinical experts, medical literature, and legal guidance to support our providers as they make individualized treatment recommendations in compliance with Georgia’s abortion laws and all other applicable laws,” the statement said. “Our top priorities continue to be the safety and wellbeing of the patients we serve.”
Georgia’s law H.B. 481, also known as the LIFE Act, passed in 2019. It went into effect shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with its Dobbs ruling on June 24, 2022.
The law bans abortion after the point at which an ultrasound can detect cardiac activity in an embryo. Typically this is about six weeks into pregnancy.
It also gives Smith’s fetus the same rights as a person. The law says “unborn children are a class of living, distinct persons” and explains that the state of Georgia recognizes “the benefits of providing full legal recognition to an unborn child.”
Did fetal ‘personhood’ mean life support was required?
Twenty states now ban abortion at or before 18 weeks’ gestation; 13 of those have a near-total ban on all abortions with very limited exceptions, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a nonpartisan research group that supports abortion rights.
Like Georgia, some of these states built their abortion restrictions around the legal concept of ‘personhood,’ thus conferring legal rights and protections on an embryo or fetus during pregnancy.
Smith’s case represents a major test of how this type of law will be applied in certain medical situations. Despite being unified in their opposition to abortion, conservatives and politicians do not always agree on the scope of the law in cases like Smith’s.
For example, Georgia’s Republican Attorney General Chris Carr doesn’t think the law restricts the options in Smith’s care, so removing her from life support wouldn’t be equivalent to aborting the fetus.
“There is nothing in the LIFE Act that requires medical professionals to keep a woman on life support after brain death. Removing life support is not an action ‘with the purpose to terminate a pregnancy,'” Carr said in a statement.
But Republican Georgia state Sen. Ed Setzler, who authored the LIFE Act, disagrees. Emory’s doctors acted appropriately when they put Smith on life support, he told the Associated Press.
“I think it is completely appropriate that the hospital do what they can to save the life of the child,” Setzler told the AP. “I think this is an unusual circumstance, but I think it highlights the value of innocent human life. I think the hospital is acting appropriately.”
Personhood energizes anti-abortion movement
“The problem is that Georgia’s law isn’t just an abortion ban, it’s a ‘personhood’ law declaring that a fetus or embryo is a person, that an ‘unborn child,’ as the law puts it, is a person,” said Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California-Davis and author of “Personhood: The New Civil War over Reproduction.”
The legal concept of “personhood” has implications beyond abortion care, such as the regulation of fertility treatment, or the potential criminalization of pregnancy complications like stillbirth and miscarriage.
In Georgia’s law, extending rights of personhood to a fetus changes how child support is calculated. It also allows an embryo or fetus to be claimed as a dependent on state taxes.
But the idea of personhood is not new, Ziegler said.
“It has been the goal for virtually everyone in the anti-abortion movement since the 1960s. That doesn’t mean Republicans like that. It doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s what’s going to happen. But there is no daylight between the anti-abortion movement and the personhood movement. They’re the same,” she said.
The personhood movement has gained more traction since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling in 2022.
In Alabama, after the state’s Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are people, the state legislature had to step in to allow fertility clinics to continue their work.
“This is sort of the future we’re looking at if we move further in the direction of fetal personhood,” Ziegler said. “Any state Supreme Court, as we just saw in Alabama, can give them new life.”
Georgia’s law and pregnancy outcomes
In Georgia, dozens of OB-GYNs have warned the state law interferes with patient care — a problem in a state with one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the U.S., and where Black women are more than twice as likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women.
Former members of Georgia’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee have linked the state’s abortion ban to delayed emergency care, and the deaths of at least two women in the state, as ProPublica recently reported.
The personhood provision is having a profound effect on medical care, said Atlanta OB-GYN Dr. Zoe Lucier-Julian.
“These laws create an environment of fear and attempt to coerce us as providers to align with the state, as opposed to aligning with our patients that we work so hard to serve,” said Lucier-Julian.
Lucier-Julian said that’s what happened to Emory Healthcare in the case of Adriana Smith.
But Cole Muzio, president of the conservative Christian Frontline Policy Council, says the state’s abortion law shouldn’t affect how Emory handles Smith’s care.
“This is a pretty clear-cut case, in terms of how it’s defined in the language of H.B. 481. What this bans is an abortion after a heartbeat is detected. That is the scope of our law,” he said.
“Taking a woman off life support is not an abortion. It just isn’t,” he added. “Now, I am incredibly grateful that this child will be born even in the midst of tragic circumstances. That is a whole human life that will be able to be lived because of this beautiful mother’s sacrifice.”
A lawsuit challenging Georgia’s law and its impact on public health is still working its way through the courts. It was filed by a coalition of physicians, the ACLU of Georgia, Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and other groups.
Smith’s mother April Newkirk said her daughter had initially gone to a different Atlanta-area hospital for help with severe headaches and was sent home, where her symptoms quickly worsened.
“She was gasping for air in her sleep, gargling,” she told the station. “More than likely it was blood.”
Now, Newkirk said the family is not sure the fetus will even survive the stress involved in months of life support — or escape the risks of severe disability.
“My grandson may be blind, may not be able to walk, wheelchair-bound, we don’t know if he’ll live once she has him,” she said.
But she added that the family will love him no matter what.
This story comes from NPR’s health reporting partnership with WABE and KFF Health News.
Spring Flowering Shrubs in Diana’s Washington Garden
Hi GPODers!
Spring is alive in the Pacific Northwest and submissions from Washington gardeners have flooded the GPOD inbox. Yesterday we got an update from Lila Johnson in Mill Creek, and today we’re staying on the western side of the state to see Diana Mears’s garden revitalization.
I am Diana Mears, and I garden in Western Washington. We moved into this house in 2016. The garden had been neglected, with all the shrubs being terribly pruned. There was gravel everywhere, placed over plastic and landscape fabric, three layers in many places. I have added many plants, to have different textures and bloom times than the rhododendrons and camellias that were there. I am including a picture from the property listing to show what I started with. The pictures are not all from the same year.
The picture from the property listing to show the “before” gardens. While a couple of benches are placed at the front of this bed, the hacked-back shrubs in misshapen mounds aren’t providing much shade to enjoy this spot.
Now, Diana has allowed the garden to fill in more, and the azaleas are rewarding her with an incredible floral display. One of Western Washington’s iconic mountain peaks is a stunning backdrop to this scene.
Just look at that color! With the layers of plastic and landscape fabric stripped away, these azaleas are absolutely thriving.
Layers upon layers of bright blooms! Diana has also added some reliable perennials, like this lovely clump of hellebores, to give all her beautiful shrubs some supporting players.
Gravel, once spread throughout the garden, is relegated to a curving path that allows easier access to Diana’s plantings. Those plantings are also much more diverse and interesting, as allowing these shrubs to recover from poor pruning gave her opportunities for new shade-lovers.
Thank you so much for this introduction to your garden, Diana! The resilience of our landscapes is endlessly inspiring, and seeing you transform a poorly maintained garden into a lush space with layers of interest shows that no garden is beyond rehabilitation.
We all know that gardens are forever a work in progress, but that doesn’t take away from the amazement in seeing a spectacular before and after. Whether you’ve recently completed a spring project or a total garden overhaul, consider sharing your progress photos with Garden Photo of the Day! Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!
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