Native Pollinators
Around 40% of the flowering plants in North America require insect pollination for reproduction, though at the mention of the word “pollinator”, most people probably picture the European honey bee...
Category: Landscaping
Mixed Screens
In the landscape, trees and shrubs are often used to create buffers and screens. On occasion, both may be used to frame a desirable view as well. Many plant species used are reliable performers,...
Treated Wood in the Landscape
Wood has been a mainstay in landscapes for years. It is often used to outline a border, to trim various types of beds that contain flowers or shrubs, in the construction of compost bins, and for...
Soil Building for Watershed Health
Many people think of soil as they are washing red stains out of jeans, digging in the garden, or seeing the long rows carved into the earth and sprouting a favorite summer vegetable. In all of this...
Rain Garden Plants: Callicarpa americana
Rain gardens are small-scale stormwater best management practices that protect water quality while also adding beauty to the landscape and providing wildlife habitat. Callicarpa americana, from the...
Butterflies in the Garden
Flying Flowers and Jewels of the Sky are just a couple of phrases that describe the beauty and fascination people have for butterflies. Though only one group of pollinators among many, they are...
Salt Tolerant Plants for the South Carolina Coast
Salt exposure is just one of the many environmental factors that makes coastal landscaping challenging. Selecting plants that are tolerant to salt exposure will increase the rate of success. Salt...
Rain Garden Plants: Iris versicolor and Iris virginica
A rain garden is a shallow (6 – 12 inch deep) vegetated depression designed to capture stormwater runoff and allow the water to soak into the soil. These gardens can function as natural filters...
Plants that Tolerate Drought
These plants are drought tolerant once established. All plants need water while establishing their root system and during periods of extended drought. Root establishment can take from one to several...
Conserving Water in Your Landscape
Water is a precious natural resource that should be conserved in all endeavors concerning landscape management. In urban areas as much as 60% of all water usage goes to maintaining landscapes. Much...
Mulch
Mulching is one of the most important ways to maintain healthy landscape plants. A mulch is any material applied to the soil surface for protection or improvement of the area covered. Mulching is...
Stabilized Construction Site Entrances
Introduction Polluted stormwater is currently the greatest threat to our nation’s water quality. The activities of construction sites, and the responsible actions taken to minimize sediment loss...