These days, it's not quite as much fun to be a Georgia Bulldog. Our beloved Bulldogs are off to a 1-3 start and the season is stacking up to be the toughest of coach Mark Richt's tenure.

However, for Dawg fans who also happen to be gardeners, I've got a suggestion for a fun escape that blooms red and black. Pick up a copy of legendary coach Vince Dooley's latest book, "Dooley's Garden: the Horticultural Journey of a Football Coach."

Georgia fans know of Dooley's football prowess, including more than 200 victories at the University of Georgia, six Southeastern Conference titles and a national championship in 1980. So how did Georgia's longtime top dog find his way into gardening?

According to UGA horticulture professor Michael Dirr, it all started in the mid 1990s. From the foreword of Dooley's latest book, Dirr describes how the coach began auditing his woody plant classes. "Lectures, laboratories, field trips ... he seldom missed."

Dirr also speaks of Dooley's desire to have the newest plants for his garden. Dirr writes, "There were numerous throwaway plants from my plant breeding and evaluation program. Coach was always very receptive to the extras, and his garden is now rich with unnamed seedlings that, on occasion, matured to magnificent plants."

Avid gardeners likely already know of Dooley's love of all things horticulture. He even has two plants that carry his name, Hydrangea macrophylla Dooley and the Vince Dooley camellia, a hybridrized cross between a Camellia reticulata and Camellia japonica.

The Dooley hydrangea is described as having extremely large blue or pink mophead flowers. It sets flower buds at each node, often allowing it to bloom in summers when harsh winter temperatures have killed the flower buds of other common varieties.

The coach describes his namesake camellia as "three-fourths japonica and one-fourth reticulata. The japonica gives it the cold hardiness, and the reticulata gives it the big flower and big leaves."

Dooley says the camellia is "Georgia red and has a bloom that is bigger than my hand."

In his book, Dooley describes his garden journey and many of the interesting people and places he encountered along the way. It also features many photographs of his garden in Athens and some of the unique plants he has acquired over the years.

Beautifully illustrated by Steve Penley, gardeners and Georgia football fans alike will thoroughly enjoy "Vince Dooley's Garden: the Horticultural Journey of a Football Coach."

Dooley will be at Full Bloom Nursery in Clermont from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday to visit with gardeners and sign copies of his latest work. In addition to the book sale and signing, artist prints and other UGA memorabilia will be available as well.

Stop by and visit with Georgia's legendary coach and now gardening guru.

Billy Skaggs is an agricultural agent and Hall County extension coordinator. Phone: 770-531-6988. Fax: 770-531-3994.