Category: In the Garden

This year, the newest shrub addition to my garden is a Burgundy Spice sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus var purpureus ‘Burgundy Spice’). When I spotted it across the nursery, it was as if a big neon...

Coastal Region Rob Last reports, “The first of this season’s strawberries are coming to market with good quality. Growers still need to be very mindful of spider mites. Populations are around in the...

I read a recent article in Forbes magazine introducing a new book, Wild: The Naturalistic Garden by Noel Kingsbury. It nudged me to share a gardening concept that I have grown more passionate about...

Shearing hedges into cubes, globes, and squares is a form of architectural pruning that balances appearance with shrub health. This balancing act is most evident in the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden in...

Do you want to start farming but don’t know where to start? Would you like to grow vegetable crops to sell at a local farmer’s market? Would you like to develop a farming side hustle?...

Coastal Region Rob Last reports, “Starting with strawberries, spider mites are increasing in the area with eggs and adults warranting treatment. Strawberry crops are very susceptible to mite damage...

Turfgrass is the largest or one of the largest crops in America, and you can’t eat it or wear it.  In addition, it requires water, fertilizer, and a tremendous amount of energy to maintain.  Given...

Anemone coronaria is not your stereotypical spring-blooming face that you see around here. It originated in the Mediterranean regions, and its Greek-origin name is a reference to the wind – hence...

What leads to a healthy (or unhealthy) pond? Look upstream to find out. Many of the pollution sources that can lead to algae issues, low dissolved oxygen, muddy water, and poor fish habitat in ponds...

Statewide Dr. Matt Cutulle reports, “I saw my first nutsedge plants this year pop up in the plastic mulch of a fellow researcher’s trial last week in Charleston. Soil temperatures in plastic mulch...

I remember the first time I saw a calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica). I was watching an old Katherine Hepburn movie, “Stage Door.” She swept into the room with an armload of calla lilies and, in...

Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) is sometimes referred to as Goldenstar. It is a native groundcover that grows to four inches tall and does well in dappled shade or morning sun and afternoon...