Category: In the Garden

Growing Luffa

Jan 4, 2019 | In the Garden

Luffas have magical appeal to kids, so growing luffa can be an exciting family or classroom project for your summer garden. Also known as dishcloth gourds or vegetable sponges, luffa are actually...

Select Trees & Shrubs for Winter Interest

Dec 17, 2018 | In the Garden, Landscape

When deciding upon which trees and shrubs to plant in the landscape, I always suggest that gardeners consider plants that offer more than one season of interest. This aspect of consideration is...

Poinsettia Care

Dec 12, 2018 | In the Garden

Poinsettias are a classic holiday plant used to decorate homes from November to December. When South Carolinian Joel Poinsett, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, introduced the poinsettia to the...

Plant A Tree

Dec 10, 2018 | In the Garden

December is the month we celebrate Arbor Day. So, consider planting a tree in honor of this day. Start by selecting the right plant for the site. First, analyze the chosen site by checking the soil...

Holiday Houseplants

Dec 3, 2018 | In the Garden

What better way to enjoy this time of year than use it as an excuse to buy more plants! Poinsettias, amaryllis, paper whites, cyclamen, Norfolk Island pines, Christmas cactus, kalanchoe, rosemary...

Forcing Amaryllis

Nov 26, 2018 | In the Garden, Indoor Plants

It isn’t necessary to be a botanist to choose a good amaryllis bulb. A little botanical knowledge about amaryllis, however, ensures gardeners buy productive bulbs for a beautiful floral display....

Growing Microgreens

Nov 21, 2018 | In the Garden

Gardening is a great family activity but with today’s hectic schedules it’s hard to find time for a garden. Growing microgreens is a fast and tasty way to grow veggies with the entire family. The...

Common Chickweed (Stellaria media)

Nov 19, 2018 | In the Garden

Common chickweed is a low, spreading, winter annual weed that germinates when we receive lots of cool, wet weather. Its leaves are opposite each other, smooth and elliptical in shape. It is tolerant...

Cottony Plants Abound

Nov 15, 2018 | In the Garden

My daily commute to Sumter is a joy. Although I’m wary of logging trucks during the daytime and deer and wild hogs at dusk, mostly I am free to enjoy the fields and woodlands I pass. Calhoun County,...

Fothergilla – The Best of the Natives

Nov 12, 2018 | In the Garden

No other plant native to South Carolina has such fragrant and beautiful spring blooms and stunning fall color as the witch-alders. Fothergilla was named after Dr. John Fothergill, an English...

Fall Leaves: To Leave or Not to Leave

Nov 7, 2018 | In the Garden

Fall brings that time of year when leaf color can be its most vibrant! However, as time marches on towards the winter season, leaves quickly begin to fall to the ground and create a blanket of...

Mikania scandens, Climbing Hemp

Nov 5, 2018 | In the Garden

I really need to keep waterproof boots and a long-handled hard rake in my car as I often find myself negotiating (unsuccessfully) roadside ditches to get specimens or take pictures of plants growing...