Gardenig in state South Carolina. Tips & Guides

What is wrong with these blueberries?

Meet Addison Sapp, also known as DesignsByAdds: a biology major with a serious passion for dorm design, who transformed her Wofford College dorm room into an adorable space inspired by her South Carolina surroundings and the French Riviera, drenched in bright blue hues.

What is this flower that was found growing on a rock in the middle of a river?

If you’re looking for a beautiful native plant that attracts a variety of pollinators, Stokes’ Aster (Stokesia laevis) is a good choice. I spent an hour in the Perennial border in the South Carolina Botanical Garden on the last Thursday in May observing this plant.

Watching birds sip and splash around in your bird bath is enjoyable, and it’s also a great way to support a healthy bird population year-round. “During hot summer months and drought, there aren’t many water sources, and a bird bath can become quite popular amongst the local birds,” says Jennifer McCarthy Tyrrell, engagement manager, Audubon South Carolina. “During the winter when water is locked up in the form of ice, providing fresh water with a bird bath heater can bring in many birds for a drink.”

Planting annuals in your garden provides continuous blooms throughout the season. Grow them directly in the ground, in raised beds, in pots, or even in hanging baskets to use vertical space. Annuals, unlike perennials, need to be planted each year. Growing annuals allows plenty of opportunity to experiment with what flowers you like and thrive in your geographical area and which blooms you want to have in your landscape year after year.

The South Carolina Association of County Agricultural Agents (SCACAA) recently held its annual meeting in the beautiful town of Beaufort, SC.

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I do not know about you all, but I look forward to spring and summer to have more options for fruits and vegetables after a cold, dead winter! During the spring, most farmers markets and local stands open back up and offer fresher options for us to eat and enjoy through the summer!

How to Plant and Grow Parris Island Cos Lettuce Lactuca sativa ‘Parris Island Cos’

What is this red-eyed creature found crawling up a pine tree?

Rachel Marek. Prop Styling: Addelyn Evans

Cicada Brood XIX has arrived in Greenwood County. Enjoy the amazing photos taken by HGIC Agent, Ginger Long. Brood XIX is one of the largest broods in the country, covering the greatest geographic area. In South Carolina, the emergence is projected to be in many upstate counties and counties along the Savannah River basin down to Aiken County. The adults live only for a few weeks, and after about a month, they will disappear as mysteriously as their arrival.

Bluestars are in the genus Amsonia. There are at least twenty-two known species, and most are native to the Eastern United States. All are in the Apocynaceae (Dogbane) family, so named because the milky sap is slightly toxic to dogs. Due to the unpleasant taste of the sap, Bluestars are deer- and rabbit-resistant. There are no known serious insect or disease problems.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds: “Glittering fragments of a rainbow” John J. Audubon

Ambrosia beetles are common, tiny (only about 1/16” long), and can infest hundreds of different woody plant species. In South Carolina, these little beetles typically infest stressed trees, vines, or shrubs. Females will bore into stems and branches, creating a gallery. Beetles carry fungi on their bodies, and this fungus then grows inside the galleries, often appearing as white, gray, or black. The beetles feed on the fungus that grows inside the galleries.

This Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia) was found on my grill cover as I went to cook some dinner one night last week. This is by far my favorite moth due to its striking appearance. These moths are common across South Carolina and have at least two generations per year. The larval form of this moth is commonly referred to as the giant wooly bear due to its black wooly appearance. They feed on a wide range of plants and should not be considered a pest for a grower or homeowner.

South Carolina is blessed with year-round fresh green vegetables, and winter is for collard greens. They grow best in cool weather, and a brisk cold freeze makes them sweet. Collard greens are rich in vitamins and minerals, especially calcium. Just last week, I was fortunate to find a large bag with three healthy just-picked heads for just $3.00 at the farmer’s market and started planning my first-ever attempt at canning greens.

Many children in my programs at the South Carolina Botanical Garden know an enormous amount about non-native honeybees. However, they are astonished to discover the vast diversity of native bees and their immense importance and efficiency as pollinators. In the United States, there are over 4000 native bee species. They range in size from the tiniest fairy bees (Perdita spp.) (found out west) to the giant carpenter bees (Xylocopa spp.). Here are some suggestions to increase children’s (and your) knowledge about our local native bees.

This is Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens). This native, evergreen vine is just starting to bloom.

Every spring, all over South Carolina, we see yards, abandoned lots, natural areas, roadsides, and, in some cases, forests fill with white flowers. These first white flowers of the year are nearly all from the Callery pear tree (Pyrus calleryana). This tree is native to China, and while they may look the same, many of the trees planted in yards, around businesses, and in other managed landscapes across South Carolina are cultivars of P. calleryana. One of the most common cultivars is the Bradford pear (more information on Bradford pears can be found on this Clemson HGIC fact sheet HGIC 1006, Bradford Pear). Bradford pears, by themselves, cannot produce viable seed. But, if pollen from a different flowering pear cultivar (or a wild Callery pear) pollinates a Bradford pear flower, then viable seed can be produced. The fruit is often eaten by birds, and birds doing what birds do (hint: they fly and poop), spread the seeds across the land. When these new plants grow, they’re now Callery pears, the wild relative of Bradford and other cultivated varieties of Pyrus calleryana.

This crop growing on John’s Island in Charleston are fava beans or broad beans. They are grown in small acreages in South Carolina.

Keep yourself healthy this winter by staying up to date with a flu vaccination. Flu vaccines are your best line of defense against the current flu strains. These vaccines are safe and effective. However, it is still possible to contract the flu even after receiving the vaccine. Here’s why: The CDC partners with state public health departments and healthcare providers across the country each year to track flu strains. Flu vaccines must be formulated periodically to be effective against the most current flu strains. This means two things. First, a yearly flu vaccine is needed for up-to-date protection against the most currently prevalent strains. Second, there are always less prevalent flu strains circulating, and it is possible for you to become ill from a less prevalent strain despite being up to date with a current vaccine. But for most people, even if they do happen to become ill despite receiving the flu vaccine, studies show their symptoms are substantially reduced with fewer hospitalizations and deaths.1 Flu vaccination is especially important for the elderly and those with chronic health conditions who are at risk for more serious flu illness. Since 70-85% of flu deaths occur in people ages 65 and older, several new flu vaccine options are now preferentially recommended for this age group.1 Talk with your healthcare provider about which flu vaccine is best for you.

“As Barbara has injured her ankle and can’t get out to photograph, please enjoy a review of some of her favorite photo blogs. ~ Part 4 ~ ”

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Fire destroys, but it also purifies and enriches. For thousands of years, indigenous people used fire to manipulate the landscape. Burning was used to clear land for farming and settlement, maintain grasslands for forage and to aid in both hunting and gathering. We use it here at the South Carolina Botanical Garden to manage some of our habitats in the Natural Heritage Garden. In the Prairie Exhibit, fire is used to clear out woody plants that would ultimately shade out grasses. The ashes reinvigorate the soil with a nutrient dump. In the past, the resultant fresh new grasses would attract bison and other herbivores, which would then be hunted for meat and other materials. The Longleaf Pine Savannah Exhibit is also an example of a fire-maintained habitat. Burning consumes the leaf litter, enabling the longleaf pine seedlings to sprout; then, at most stages, they are fire-adapted and resistant. The suppression of fire throughout the United States rendered these habitats extremely rare.

Brighten up a shady area in the garden with the colorful flowers and silvery foliage of lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.). It pairs well with hellebores, hostas, ferns, bleeding hearts, and other shade perennials. The patterned leaves have a silvery hue that contrasts well with the green foliage of other perennials. Plant it under deciduous trees or along woodland pathways for edging.

Beautiful South Carolina Sunrises, Winter Skies, and Sunsets

January is a time for starting anew and planning for spring. Take notes and plan what you will do once spring weather arrives. Will you plan to add more flowering plants to attract pollinators? Or will you plan to grow a summer vegetable garden? The possibilities are endless, but no matter what you hope to achieve in 2024, pull out your garden journal and make notes on how to make your plans a reality.

Learning How to Grow a Big Venus Fly Trap Plant is an art – from selecting the right soil mix to understanding its unique feeding requirements, we’ll tell you everything to make this carnivorous plant a living giant!

Ornamental grasses are known for the foliage and texture they bring to the sunny garden. Grass-like plants called Japanese sedges can replicate that texture in the shade garden. Both Carex oshimensis andCarex morrowii share the common name, Japanese Sedge. These plants are evergreen in South Carolina, adding year-round interest to the landscape.

Have you ever been walking through the woods and noticed small, brown stems sticking through the leaf litter (somewhat reminiscent of the handles of tiny witch’s brooms)? These are beechdrops (Epif agus virginiana), and if you look around, you will notice mature beech trees (Fargus grandifolia) with their smooth grayish bark.

Christmas and Poinsettias: History of the Christmas Flower

You have received your soil test results and found that you have high phosphorus in your soil. Excessive phosphorus in the soil may be due to where you live, especially in the coastal areas of South Carolina, where there are natural phosphorus deposits present in the soil. If that’s the case, ensuring you don’t add any additional phosphorus products to your soil is important.

How to Encourage a Venus Flytrap to Close

Pink Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii) is a native fall-blooming perennial that grows best in organically rich soil in the sun to part shade. In its natural habitat, pink turtlehead is found in wet wooded areas near streams in the Appalachian Mountains. It adapts easily to being planted in home perennial plantings as long as the soil stays moist, a perfect choice for a wet area in the landscape in USDA planting Zones 3 through 8. Due to South Carolina’s hot summer temperatures, plant it in an area that gives some shade protection from the afternoon sun.