Though the entire Georgia garden community and industry as a whole is grief-stricken over the death of Walter Reeves, hearing memories, stories, and the knowledge he passed along to so many through his work has been extremely heart-warming. And at times those memories have made us laugh, just when we needed it most!

Whether long-time listeners remember “up, down, all around” from when Walter was explaining fertilizer, or cautions against committing “crape murder”, Walter-isms will carry generations through gardening successfully. Even those who don’t consider themselves to have a green thumb tuned into WSB Radio on Saturday mornings for Walter’s calming presence, expertise, wit, and Southern charm, delivered in such a way that was so unique to him.

Early in my days at WSB, managers were looking to place someone on the schedule to screen phones for the Lawn & Garden Show. My mom loved listening to Walter Reeves, so I was familiar. Plus, my husband and I had just purchased our first home which had an established landscape, so I thought “I could get up early on Saturday mornings and perhaps get some advice on caring for this great yard!”

Little did I know then, Walter would become an amazing mentor and friend to me for the next 8 years. We’d chat in almost every commercial break during the show, about life, love, and a garden scenario here or there. I never sought to host a show on this station, but when Walter came forward in 2019 saying he was ready to step away, he and my managers thought, ‘who better to take over the show’ while I thought, “are they crazy?!? There’s anyone better than me!”

The minute I opened the mic on Green and Growing for the first time in February of 2020, I was better prepared than I thought, thanks to Walter’s constant support, encouragement, and advice. He made everyone he mentored feel that way.

I was proud that for the first year of the show, he was featured in the benchmark “Walter’s Wondering” segment each Saturday. There, I asked him seasonal questions pertaining to everything from critters and birds, to trees and vegetables. He answered as he always had for 26 years – with clarity, patience, and humor!

Serving as his social coordinator of sorts for the last couple of years was truly a bright spot for me. As the disease became more aggressive in the last 2 years, Walter lost his ability to walk and speak clearly. He’d gather up a list of friends who’d reached out to him and ask me to coordinate a date for a small group to gather and visit him at his Decatur home. We’d share stories, laughs, and on a good day, a stroll in his neighborhood. In his spiffy motorized wheelchair, he’d happily buzz up the street, often ahead of us, and make it to a particular mailbox to then return back towards home.

Our final visit was on March 24. Ahead of it, he’d texted me. “As you know, my voice is gone, but my brain still works fine. I enjoy listening to stories people tell. Last time i think we enjoyed learning about each other. Let’s be intentional about our visit Tuesday. To that end, think about what you would have done if you hadn’t found your career. Here is mine: I would have been a sad school teacher of organic chemistry. Or a poor mime and dancer.”

Lucky for us, Walter ended up as a beloved radio host here in Atlanta for 30 years! After his respected career as an agricultural agent for UGA Extension, radios were graced by his intelligence, curiosity, wit, and sincerity each and every Saturday morning for 26 years on WSB. And Walter was a numbers guy, so he’d proudly boast that that was approximately 1,352 shows, give or take. I wish we could have just one more, so that he’d know what a difference he made to thousands of Georgia gardeners, and even those who didn’t. Their weekend routines began when they tuned in for the reassurance they were looking for - “dig a hole, plant a plant, and see what happens!”

Go tend to that heavenly garden, friend.

A public celebration of life has been arranged to take place at Atlanta Botanical Garden on Monday, April 27th. The service is at 10am, and they will begin letting folks in at 9am.

A large crowd is anticipated, so for parking and seating, plan to arrive early.

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