The Buzz About Pollinators
Red maples, lavender henbit, and yellow dandelions are blooming, all early signs that spring’s explosion of color is merely one month away. Why is spring so colorful? What mysterious force drives...
Category: In the Garden
Is It Time To Prune My Trees And Shrubs?
Many early spring flowering trees and shrubs begin to break out of dormancy in late February. However, gardeners often miss the beautiful tree or shrub flower show because they pruned too early....
General Care for Phalaenopsis Orchids
Orchids are becoming increasingly popular with many home plant hobbyists because of their beauty, long-lasting blooms, and affordability. A favorite among many is the moth orchid (Phalaenopsis...
Early Spring Vegetables
February is the time for planting early vegetable crops. Garden peas (Pisum sativum L), and spinach (Spinacia oleracea) can be planted in the Piedmont region from mid to late February and will...
Sharing Nature with Children: Junior Naturalist Program
“Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels along grass-stained sleeves to the heart. If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must...
Irrigating During Winter Months: Trees & Shrubs
During February, tree and shrub irrigation requirements often get overlooked. Many gardeners tend to think these types of plants do not need water during winter or early spring, because of lack of...
Callery Pear
Every spring, all over in South Carolina, we see yards, abandoned lots, natural areas, roadsides, and, in some cases, forests filled with white flowers. These first white flowers of the year are...
3 Cool Tools to Add to your Garden Toolbox for Weed Management This Year
A writer for a popular gardening magazine reached out to me recently and asked what my favorite garden tools for homeowners and small hobby farmers were. Of course, this is an impossible question to...
Winter Tool Care
Winter can be a dreary time for a gardener. What better to do than look forward to sunshine and prepare for spring? During the growing season, our garden tools are typically an afterthought left...
White Mold Attacks Winter Annuals
Gardeners may think of white mold mainly as a disease on snap bean, cabbage, and other spring vegetables. In mild, rainy winters like 2019-2020, however, white mold is already active. The fungus can...
Clubmoss
My wife and I always enjoy hiking in the upper Piedmont of South Carolina because of the wide genetic diversity of plant life that we have in our state. It’s so fascinating to find a native plant in...
Orchids for the New Year
January is a special month as it is the start of a new year filled with the hope of great things to come. After holiday decorations come down, with the lights, sparkles, and glitter of the holiday...