Blues Ideas, Tips & Guides

As the summer eases its way into August and September, zinnias unleash a tremendous number of blooms for cutting with ever increasing stem lengths as we move into October.

Blue and Yellow Flowers offer a soothing combination and also match really well with the other plants in the garden. We have the best ones for you!

Seeds that are sown in summer can either be planted out in winter as seasonal bedding (pansies), or stored over winter in a greenhouse, ready to plant out the following spring.  From annuals to biennials and perennials, sowing seeds is one of the cheapest ways to grow your favourite seasonal blooms and plants. Here are just a few examples of flower seeds to sow in summer.  Cornflowers — Cornflowers are attractive wildflowers that are easy to grow and even easier on the eye. They can be sown indoors over winter, ready to plant out in spring — or sown directly outdoors in early summer for a bout of blooms.

If you want to learn How to Grow Rudraksha Tree in your garden, this guide will help you with all the necessary information!

The Barbie Dreamhouse has stood as an aspirational symbol of the ideal home ever since Mattel debuted it in 1964. With its cheerful pink hues and bounty of furniture accessories, it evokes feelings of comfort, happiness, and pure reverie among the youngest members of each generation. If you want to channel a bit of that light-hearted fun and nostalgia into your everyday life, here are 20 of our favorite Barbie-themed home goods that should do the trick.

A few years ago a friend, who was a native Alaskan, gave us a seed packet of alpine forget-me-nots (Myosotis alpestris) that she purchased on a visit back to her home state. We really didn’t think that a plant that flourishes in such a northerly region of the US would tolerate the heat and drought of South Carolina. However, we were pleasantly surprised!

Tired of planting the same old marigolds, petunias, and begonias? Try some different annuals in your garden this year. Many provide pollen and nectar for pollinating insects and attract hummingbirds. Here are a few of my favorites that I always incorporate into my landscape. They will perform well in South Carolina’s hot, humid summers, and with proper care, these annuals will continually bloom until frost.

Who would have thought that a little green beetle – not even an inch long – would cause billions of dollars in damage and lead to the death of millions of trees? The emerald ash borer (EAB for short, Fig. 1) was first discovered in 2002 (but probably arrived in the late 1990s) near Detroit, MI, and is now present in most of eastern North America (current distribution map from APHIS:  https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/emerald-ash-borer The larvae (young) of this beetle feed on the phloem of ash trees (genus Fraxinus), and their feeding nearly always results in tree death. Oh, and not just one type of ash tree – all of them: white, green, blue, pumpkin…if it’s a Fraxinus species, it’s susceptible to EAB.

Virginia creeper is a native North American, deciduous vine, which can easily climb 30 feet or higher. Its tendrils end in oval shaped disks that adhere to surfaces and can damage stucco, the mortar between bricks, and painted surfaces. This highly adaptable plant grows in full sun to full shade. Grown as a groundcover, it can provide erosion control on slopes. Virginia creeper is very drought tolerant and a vigorous grower. To control the spread of this somewhat aggressive vine, prune, mow, or weed whack in the spring.

Are you frustrated because your French or mophead (Hydrangea macrophylla) hydrangeas only bloom once? Then the Endless Summer® Hydrangea series is the answer to adding repeat blooming hydrangeas to your landscape. With proper care, they will bloom from early summer to fall. The first flush of flowers in the early summer usually bloom on old wood; therefore, any necessary pruning should be done immediately after blooming. Flower buds will then form on new wood. As these blooms fade, deadheading is recommended to encourage more flower bud production. Flower color is determined by the availability of aluminum in the soil. If the soil is more acid, the flowers will be blue in color, but in alkaline soils, they will turn pink. If the soil pH is neutral (7.0), then the flowers will be purple.

Are you looking for a medium-sized, landscape shade tree that will have amazing fall color of fiery yellows, oranges, and reds? Then, the Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis) is an excellent choice, and these trees are suitable for planting throughout South Carolina.

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 haphazardly leaning where the work ended, thrown into the wheelbarrow, or if they make it back to the storage shed, they certainly never make it to the correct place. Over the next few weeks, take the time to put those garden tools away and spend a few extra minutes providing some TLC.

Are you looking for an early-season, shade-loving perennial that has blue flowers and is also a native perennial wildflower? Then Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) are an excellent choice to add to your landscape.

If you are fortunate enough to live near the southern Appalachian Mountains, you may see ghosts this time of year. If you are really lucky, you may see hundreds of ghosts, for at the edge and up into the Blue Ridge Escarpment lives a unique insect known as the blue ghost firefly, Phausis reticulata.

Japanese anemones or windflowers (Anemone x hybrida) are especially attractive additions to a partially shaded landscape. These beautiful perennials bloom in fall starting the second year, i.e., after becoming well established in the soil. Many shades of pinks and white are available, but the intense pink flowers against the dark blue-green foliage of ‘Lucky Charm’ Japanese anemone is outstanding!

Springtime color in the residential landscape is never lacking with the multitude of flowers of many species of annuals, perennials, and shrubs. However, autumn colors may be a bit more lacking in the average home garden. This is why I have included deciduous viburnums in our landscape design. Not only do many species have outstanding fall color, but most have beautiful clusters of red, blue, pink, or glossy black fruit. Additionally, for the native plant enthusiasts, there are many species of native deciduous viburnums from which to choose. Of approximately 18 deciduous species that grow well in South Carolina, six are natives.

I don’t know about you, but I love a product that can be used in a variety of ways and has staying power, especially in the home and kitchen. I recently discovered fall/winter squash and the varieties and versatility that they provide. I knew about the typical winter squash that you see in the grocery store like Acorn, Butternut, Spaghetti, Pumpkins, and decorative gourds, but have been introduced to other varieties like Honey Nut, Kabocha, Carnival, Turban, Banana, Red Kuri, Sweet Dumpling, and Buttercup.

Have you ever been working in your garden and been interrupted? This has happened to me many times. I left my tools, thinking I would come back to finish the job but get sidetracked. Hours or days later, I start looking for the shovel, rake, or pruners and cannot find them. One way to alleviate the problem is as easy as purchasing a can of brightly colored spray paint.

If sibling rivalry were found among plants, it probably would be among the salvias in the large mint family (the Lamiaceae). In my opinion, ‘Mystic Spires’ wins the competition, hands down.

Wild or false indigo (Baptisia species) is the perfect Mother’s Day gift, whether your Mom is a newbie, seasoned green-thumber, or someone who simply enjoys flowers that come back year after year around Mother’s Day. These gorgeous herbaceous perennials are native to the eastern U.S. and comprise 20 species and naturally occurring hybrids that produce spikes of pealike flowers that come in blue, white, yellow, purple, and pink.

Summer is a time of a lot of insect activity. Some of the best insect theater is fireflies at night and wasps during the day. For example, like an ant dragging another creature three times bigger than itself, spider wasps in the insect family Pompilidae can put on a show. And perhaps the best Pompilid showstopper due to its sheer determination and beauty is the rusty spider wasp, Tachypompilus furrugineus.

We look forward to eating bright colors, sweet and tangy flavors, and cool refreshments. One flavor, in particular, blue raspberry, is prevalent. You can find sweet confections using this flavor at festivals, malls, convenience stores, fairs, and the list goes on. This flavor (or color) has been around since the late 1950s and is as popular now as ever.

I just love this plant! I think it’s the color and texture that I find so attractive. The silvery-grey, spiky foliage contrasts with rounded bright blue flower heads. Wherever it is in the garden, it stands out and makes a definite statement. This native perennial grows to about 30″ high with multiple branching stems. In nature, it is found in swampy wetlands, and it grows beautifully in our Carnivorous Plant Exhibit at the South Carolina Botanical Garden (SCBG).  But this plant is versatile. It is also at home in soils with average moisture; it is planted near the SCBG Visitor Center on top of a well-drained hill. This variety is rare and increasingly threatened by development in its natural range. It is, however, now available in the nursery trade.

While most deciduous trees are bare and seem lifeless, red maple (Acer rubrum) illuminates the gray January landscape. Glimmering hazy red to yellow-orange flowers appear to float amid the bare and twiggy branches. Upon closer inspection, their flowers are truly exquisite and a remarkable sight to behold.

Even boxwoods get the winter blues, bronzing blues, that is.

It’s now late April, and I am enjoying these breath-taking vistas of Lyreleaf sage (Salvia lyrate) in the Arboretum of the South Carolina Botanical Garden (SCBG). This native perennial has put on an excellent show for the past week. Since sources claim this is a long-flowering plant, we should get even more pleasure from them for up to a month or more. Lyreleaf sage has light blue to dark purple tubular flowers arranged in whorls around a central stem. The square stem and two-lipped flowers reveal this as a member of the mint family. Still, unlike many mints, it is not particularly fragrant or tasty. Each plant has a basal rosette of leaves; each leaf is deeply lobed and can be deep green or tinged with purple.

If your summer vacation plans include a trip to the beach, you’ll have the chance to see our coastal blue carbon resources up close and personal. What is blue carbon, you may wonder? It’s the carbon that is stored in the plants and sediments of our coastal and marine ecosystems. For South Carolina, most of this carbon is stored in our coastal tidal marshes. Similar to the carbon that accumulates in forests and even in your garden, coastal blue carbon is the carbon locked up in the tissues of coastal plants such as Spartina alterniflora, and the carbon that builds up in the sediment, or “pluff mud,” of our marshes as plants die back in the winter and slowly decompose.

Dwarf Crested Iris, Iris cristata, is a beautiful native iris that grows in the woods all over the Piedmont. The eight-inch, sword-shaped leaves arch towards the outside of the spreading clump. Small blue flowers with yellow and white signals occur for a few weeks in April, and the leaves die back to the rhizomes in the winter.

Kale has come to the forefront in the last decade or two as the ultimate leafy-green health food, which is both nutritious and high in fiber. Maybe it is because there are so many varieties of kale. And many of these are associated with different Asian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and European cultures.

Oktoberfest season is upon us! It’s a time for sausage, pretzels, lederhosen, dirndls, Bavarian flags, and most famously, beer. It is not uncommon to see your local downtown German restaurant or brewery covered in blue and white checkered flags and have large picnic tables surrounded by revelers. The steady thump of a tuba sets the pace for the Oom-pah band (named after the characteristic sound of traditional Bavarian music) as people clad in lederhosen and dirndls (traditional Bavarian attire) hoist steins or glass boots filled with amber-hue beer in celebration.

The Monarch Highway is busy this time of year. So, keep an eye out while you are driving or outdoors. First, you may only see one, but keep watching, and eventually, you will see them fluttering by in masses. Monarch butterflies are probably the most recognizable and beloved butterflies in the world. Monarchs are currently making one of the most magnificent migrations of any animal in the world. Some travel close to 3,000 miles to their wintering grounds in Mexico. The Upstate of South Carolina along the Blue Ridge Mountains is one of their prime migration corridors and fueling stops on their journey south. This migration is unique because, unlike whales or other large mammals, who have previous generations to learn from and guide them, the monarchs making this migration have no help and are making this trip for the very first time. They are making the same journey that their great-great-grandparents made the previous fall. This ‘super generation’ of monarchs will make this journey south only once in their life. Next fall, it will be their great-great grandchildren’s turn.

Soil fertility is a confounding topic for new and experienced gardeners alike. Anyone asking an Extension agent what fertilizer to use has likely heard, “Get your soil tested to find out the right fertilizer for your garden.”

A frequent question to the Home & Garden Information Center: “I canned my green beans in a water bath canner. Are they safe?” Often this question is prefaced by “My mother and grandmother taught me to can green beans in a water bath, and they survived. Why should I use a different method?”

By far the greater number of bluebells in my garden are the Spanish interlopers and I suspect it is a life’s work to rid the garden of their presence, so I try to restrict them to the woodland area of the garden where they look vaguely appropriate.  I don’t like them in the borders though, so now that there has been some good rain, I am taking advantage of the soft soil to dig up as many as I can, well before they can set seed and spread still further.  I haven’t managed to get every bulb out, so some will return, but I have found that this is the best time of year to tackle them. This post will help you identify your bluebells. The leaves c