Category: In the Garden

Small But Mighty Golden Alexanders

Apr 28, 2022 | In the Garden

Several years ago, upon taking a deeper dive into native plants, I kept hearing about a plant named Zizia. Everyone raved about its prowess as a pollinator workhorse in the garden. I decided I must...

Leaf Drop in Evergreens

Apr 26, 2022 | In the Garden

You may have noticed your evergreen shrubs and trees shedding yellow and brown leaves this spring. It seems unusual, but it could be a normal leaf and needle drop. While some may believe that...

Why Does Soil Health Matter? Starting with Soil Organisms

Apr 25, 2022 | In the Garden

By now, everyone involved with gardening or growing plants has heard the term “soil health” thrown around. What is soil health, and why is it important? Soil Health refers to multiple soil...

SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report – April 18, 2022

Apr 21, 2022 | In the Garden

Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “It has been a very windy spring. The winds are drying out our soils and beating up plants.  I have looked at some tomatoes, and the ones that aren’t tied are...

Weed of the Month – Dichondra

Apr 19, 2022 | In the Garden

Dichondra (Dichondra repens) is a semi-evergreen, mat-forming perennial. It is a member of the morning glory family and is native to New Zealand. Dichondra grows well in moist soils, tolerates...

April Fruits and Flowers

Apr 18, 2022 | In the Garden

April is such a great time of year to garden in South Carolina. It’s hard to have favorite flowers or shrubs because there are so many from which to choose. This month, flowering shrubs really take...

Benefits of Riparian Buffers Along Waterways

Apr 14, 2022 | In the Garden, Ponds, Water

Approximately 6% of South Carolina is covered by water, with 30,000 miles of rivers and streams carving through the state’s rolling hillside, pastoral farmland, historic cities, and saltmarsh-laced...

SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report – April 13, 2022

Apr 13, 2022 | In the Garden

Coastal Region Rob Last reports, “Crops are generally looking good in the area. Strawberries are coming to harvest with good volumes. Keep scouting for spider mites and thrips. Thrips were found...

Tomatoes in Containers

Apr 12, 2022 | In the Garden

Gardeners across the U.S. are in varying stages of preparing their vegetable gardens. Most will choose to include tomatoes in their plans. According to garden.org, tomatoes are the number one...

Two Little-known Native Irises

Apr 11, 2022 | In the Garden

Dwarf Crested Iris, Iris cristata, is a beautiful native iris that grows in the woods all over the Piedmont. The eight-inch, sword-shaped leaves arch towards the outside of the spreading clump....

An Ecology of Spring Wildflowers

Apr 7, 2022 | In the Garden

Spring wildflowers are garden stars in the wooded area of South Carolina Botanical Garden’s Natural Heritage Trail from February to May. The spring herbaceous layer is exceptionally diverse in...

SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report – April 4, 20222

Apr 6, 2022 | In the Garden

Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “It finally feels like spring in the fields. The strawberry crop is really behind schedule this year. Most farms have plants with 3-4 crowns on them.  In most...