Category: In the Garden

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...

Do your flowering shrubs need a makeover? Perhaps it’s the overgrown shrub that craves your contact whenever you use the front door or carport. Maybe it’s an old shrub that lost its vitality and...

Coastal Region Rob Last reports, “Starting with strawberries, the plant development is taking off with little in the way of disease pressure currently. Flower formation and fruit set are beginning....

There is an old saying, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” We can apply this saying to gardening as just about every insect pest that plagues our gardens has one or more natural enemies that prey...

Every walk in the woods is a treasure hunt as spring ephemerals begin to break through the soil surface. I am almost positive that this trout lily was not up yesterday, but today it is in full...

As I’ve transitioned my garden into a more age-friendly space, I am always on the search for interesting perennials to add to my planting beds. Gone are the days of planting large swaths of annuals...

Coastal Region Tom Bilbo, Extension Vegetable & Strawberry Entomologist, reports, “As temperatures warm up in some areas, make sure to scout for spider mites in strawberries. Spider mite feeding...

When I was a child, my Mama would often say, I feel like a broken record! after reminding my brother and me several times of tasks we did not complete. As a parent, I now know firsthand the...

Common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris ) is an annual winter weed in the aster family. Luckily, it rarely becomes a problem in the lawn since it does not survive mowing. It can, however, quickly become...

Midlands Region Justin Ballew reports, “Last week we saw a few nice, warm afternoons and about a half-inch of rain Thursday night. In strawberries, the warm weather will soon have plants pushing out...