Rain Gardening Ideas
Recently, an impressive amount of rain has fallen in South Carolina. With excess rainfall, also comes an increased potential for stormwater runoff. A landscape feature that can help mediate...
Category: In the Garden
Pruning Hydrangeas
Many people get confused about when to prune hydrangeas. It is essential to know which species or cultivar you have to determine when to prune. Bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) set flower...
Just Say ‘No’ to Pre-Emergent Herbicide and Fertilizer Combination Products!
As winter gives way to spring, gardeners get that familiar itch to get outside and begin preparing for the coming growing season. With so many tasks to do, it is easy for well-intentioned gardeners...
Dealing With Spring Drainage
Winter is the perfect time to install a drainage solution to remove standing water in the yard by adding surface drains, French drains, or both. Removing excess standing water helps with disease...
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...
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...
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...