Halloween Means Bat Week!
Of the animals we associate with Halloween, bats are arguably the most popular and terrifying. Since the days of Cortez and the Spanish Conquistadors, bats have been widely misunderstood animals in...
Category: In the Garden
Composting Tips
Autumn is not only time to rake leaves but also time to start a compost pile. Fallen leaves provide the ‘brown’ carbon-rich ingredients to the compost pile, while grass clippings from the last lawn...
Weed of the Month – Florida Betony
Florida betony is a cool season perennial weed that is beginning to come out of dormancy now. Another common name for this weed is rattlesnake weed, because of the thick white tubers that form...
Pickens, Oconee, Anderson (POA) Master Gardener Program
Join Master Gardener Coordinator LayLa Burgess for her spring 2019 Master Gardener class. The class will meet each Monday, January 28 through May 20, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at SC...
South Carolina Farmer Kevin Yon Named 2018 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year
News Release For Release Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018 after 1:30 p.m. South Carolina Farmer Kevin Yon Named 2018 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year (Moultrie, Ga.)—Kevin Yon, a highly successful purebred Angus beef cattle producer and a leader in beef cattle and Angus breed organizations, has been selected as the overall winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern...
Fruit Garden Sanitation and Preparation
With the arrival of October, there comes the end of hopefully a productive growing season. Gardeners should focus on practicing good sanitary practices to reduce the incidence of pest problems next...
Fall Colors Are Coming!
Every year people flock to the mountains or the local countryside to see the wondrous colors of fall. Personally, my favorites are the rarer, bright reds of maples and the golden yellows of...
Prepare Houseplants to Move Back Inside
There are several tropical plant species that are susceptible to chill injury at temperatures at or below 50°F. So, make plans now to start moving them back indoors. It is best to move plants...
Floods, Termites & Termite Treatments
In the last few years, the United States has experienced massive flooding events from storms and hurricanes including Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and in the Carolina’s, Matthew and Florence. We...
Salvias: Beautiful Additions to Garden Landscapes
One of my favorite groups of perennials is salvia, sometimes called garden sage. A favorite of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, salvias shine in the garden throughout the warmer months, but...
Plant a Cover Crop
Do not let your garden soil go fallow through the winter. Plant a cover crop or a mix of cover crops for their multiple benefits to your soil. Cover crops are an important part of any rotational...
NICH: An Organization that helps Consumer Horticulture find its niche
If you’re a member of one of the 84 million households in the U.S. who’s actively engaged in gardening and landscaping activities, I encourage you to become a member of NICH (rhymes with pitch): the National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture. The term Consumer Horticulture may appear foreign to you, but it encompasses the wide range of “gardening” activities that occur indoors and out,...