Category: In the Garden

The Monarch Highway

Oct 10, 2022 | In the Garden

The Monarch Highway is busy this time of year. So, keep an eye out while you are driving or outdoors. First, you may only see one, but keep watching, and eventually, you will see them fluttering by...

Natural Enemies: Parasitic Wasp

Oct 6, 2022 | In the Garden

I recently came across this caterpillar in the garden. The bright green body first attracted my attention, and then I saw the white additions to its body. This caterpillar is beautiful but doomed;...

What Is It? Wednesday – Squash Beetle Trenching

Oct 5, 2022 | In the Garden

The light-colored tissue we see here is the result of squash beetle behavior known as “trenching.” Trenching cuts off (at least temporarily) the translocation of cucurbitacin defense compounds to...

SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report- October 3, 2022

Oct 4, 2022 | In the Garden

Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “What a wild week we had with the hurricane, rain, and storm prep. Overall, the Lowcountry dodged most of the wind and water.  While we still had wind gusts...

This Month in Your Garden – October 2022

Oct 3, 2022 | In the Garden

Coastal Region – Laura Lee Rose October is a wonderful gardening month in the Lowcountry. As the days get shorter and cooler, the garden centers begin to fill with favorite annuals,...

Pansies, Violas, and Panolas—Oh My!

Sep 29, 2022 | In the Garden

One of my favorite fall gardening joys (I call them joys instead of chores) is planting pansies and violas. This is a yearly rite of passage for me that I have been enjoying since childhood. One of...

What Is It? Wednesday – Large Leaf Spot

Sep 28, 2022 | In the Garden

This leaf is showing symptoms of a fungal disease called large leaf spot (Monochaetia sp.) that affects oaks and chestnuts. The appropriately named spots may reach 2 inches wide and stretch across...

SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report – September 26, 2022

Sep 27, 2022 | In the Garden

Coastal Region Rob Last reports, “Sweet potatoes in the area are coming to harvest along with fall watermelons, squash, and zucchini. Diseases are present in the cucurbits, particularly downy mildew...

K.I.S.S Garden Pests – The Lazy Gardener’s Garden Pests

Sep 26, 2022 | In the Garden

When I started this series of K.I.S.S. gardening advice, I hoped to inspire those who didn’t know where to begin gardening and those who may have lost joy in their gardening pursuits. After...

SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report- September 19, 2022

Sep 22, 2022 | In the Garden

Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “We finally got some relief from all the rain. Fields were allowed to dry out a bit, and we should be able to get into the fields to plant brassica and work...

What Is It? Wednesday – Bee Fly

Sep 21, 2022 | In the Garden

This little critter looks a lot like a bee (it’s yellow, fuzzy, and foraging flowers), but if you look closely, you’ll see it has only one pair of wings (bees have two). This feature distinguishes...

South Carolina Botanical Garden Plant Sale – Fall 2022

Sep 19, 2022 | In the Garden

As summer fades and fall’s cool temperatures and moist days arrive, this is a fantastic time for planting perennials, shrubs, and trees. Under these conditions, plants get time to establish roots...