Virginia Sweetspire
This colorful deciduous shrub, Virginia sweetspire or Virginia-willow (Itea virginica), combines beauty with functionality and durability. Fragrant, white flowers adorn this shrub in late spring,...
Author: Karen Russ
Holiday Decorating With Fresh Greenery
One of the oldest winter holiday traditions is decorating the house with fresh greenery. Evergreens are used to represent everlasting life and hope for the return of spring. Southerners have been...
Carolina Jessamine
Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) is one of the most beautiful vines of the South. It covers fences and trees in open woodlands and along roadsides throughout the Southeast with its...
Pumpkins & Winter Squash
Pumpkins and squash have been grown in North America for thousands of years. Native Americans ate pumpkins roasted, boiled and stewed, and they roasted the seeds for food as well. Most pumpkins now...
Sweet Corn
Planting Sweet corn (Zea mays var. rugosa) is a warm-season crop that grows best at temperatures between 60 and 80 °F. The optimum soil temperature for seed germination is 60 to 95 °F. Sweet corn...
Onion, Leek, Shallot, & Garlic
Onions and the related shallots, leeks and garlic all grow best during cool weather and are usually planted in the fall in South Carolina for late spring harvest. Onion plants can also be planted in...
Caladium
Caladiums (Caladium species) are in the arum (Araceae) family and native to Central and South America. They are hardy only to USDA zone 9 or 10; therefore, caladiums should be used as annuals in...
Living Christmas Trees
Living Christmas trees are container-grown or balled and burlapped Christmas trees that can be planted as landscape trees after the holiday season. This way of enjoying a Christmas tree is practical...
Less Toxic Insecticides
While a good pest management plan will start with preventative, cultural, and other non-chemical methods, these are sometimes not completely effective on their own. In this case, a pesticide may be...
Nutsedge
Nutsedges are very aggressive and persistent weeds that commonly infest lawns, vegetable and flower gardens, and home landscapes. They can be very difficult to eradicate, and their control is likely...
Springs and Seeps are More Important Than You Think
Springs and seeps are more than just a nuisance wet spot in the landscape; they’re considered types of wetlands and are an expression of groundwater flowing upward and surfacing on land. Sometimes...
Fatsia
Fatsia (Fatsia japonica) is also known as Japanese fatsia, indicating its origin. It is a highly popular shrub in the Southeast due to its adaptability and tropical appearance along with good cold...