Do Deer Eat Geraniums? Find Out!

Convincing children to eat their veggies may sound like an impossible task, but a research study conducted by Parmer, et al. found that “second graders who participated in school gardening as part of a nutrition education class increased their selection and consumption of vegetables at school, compared to second graders who did not participate in gardening”.[1]

I recently had a call from a South Carolina resident who lost power for more than 24 hours and wanted to know whether the foods in her freezer would be safe to eat. This is a very common problem in South Carolina winters and could easily affect you in the coming months.

The Upstate is one of the few places in South Carolina with the right climate and soil conditions to grow productive apples trees. While the actual trees can be grown in most any part of the state, higher temperatures and humidity in the midlands and coastal plains make disease pressure hard to manage.

Garden Sprouts is a program I run at the South Carolina Botanical Garden that is designed for preschoolers and caregivers. This class takes place once a week for three months every spring and fall. The goal is to share age-appropriate nature-based activities with children, who are mostly three to five years old, but sometimes younger or older. Over time I have learned the caregivers also learn things they never knew, enjoy the activities immensely, and are able to connect more deeply to the natural world through this program. The structure of this hour-long program is three-fold, we begin inside with a book related to the theme of the day, a walk or outdoor activity, and finally a craft. In this blog, I would like to share some of the books, outdoor activities, and crafts we have done in this class.

Our South Carolina water resources help producers grow the crops we eat, supply drinking water when we turn on the tap, and support industry and our outdoor lifestyle. It is important to recognize how we use water in our community so that we can each do our part to help conserve this important resource. Do you know who is the biggest user of water in South Carolina? It may not be who you think.

The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB; Anoplophora glabripennis) is not easy to miss – adults of this large, black beetle with white spots, black and white striped antennae, and blueish feet are between 1 and 1 ½” long (Fig. 1). ALB larvae are equally striking as the large, white segmented larvae can be nearly 2” in length (Fig. 2). Established populations in the U.S. are found in Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio, and a new infestation was recently found in Charleston County, South Carolina.

The spring migration of ruby-throated hummingbirds from their tropical winter homes to South Carolina gardens is a highly anticipated event. These jeweled visitors usually arrive in mid-March; therefore, it is important to put up hummingbird feeders by around March 15. Nothing is more exciting than spotting the first arrivals.

So, I am just enjoying my time in my yard, throwing a ball for my dogs, Penny and Ruby, who may or may not bring it back when I spot a small clump of weedy plants in my lawn. Instead of heading straight for my herbicide cabinet. I always ask myself a few questions: 1) is this weedy area problematic enough to warrant treatment, 2) what is the best option to treat the area, and 3) are the conditions right to treat. Question one is entirely up to the individual homeowner based on their desires and preferences for their landscape. Question two can easily be answered by research and/or by asking a local Extension agent. Question three, though, is an often-over-looked thought, as the other two questions always seem to be the leading topics for many homeowners. The timing and conditions must be right for herbicides to produce the desired effect. For information on timing your weed control, please see HGIC 2334, Lawn Weed Control Timing Chart.

Spring has officially sprung here in South Carolina. While we are all familiar with the term “spring cleaning” when it comes to our homes, there is another aspect of our lives that could use some decluttering: our eating habits. By implementing these simple nutrition tips, we not only improve our health but also improve the environment and our communities.

Down the road apiece, all the flat, wide-open fields of my farmer neighbors revealed themselves the last few days, but not here. Not yet.Yesterday my beloved old friends from Windy Hill Farm in Great Barrington, MA, came anyway to prune the beloved century-plus-old apple trees, despite having to trudge through all the white stuff. We just couldn’t wait any longe

The back story: In my increasingly obsessed pursuit of moths the last couple of summers, I’ve gone out into the darkness more than I used to, camera and flashlight in hand. In another podcast and blog post, I’ll tell you about some of the 180 moth species I’ve photographed and ID’d so far–yes, 180, and counting, fueled simply by curiosity–but this story is about another group of creatures I’ve encountered on my after-dark adventures and likewise become fascinated with: spiders. The spider in the photo above, a female Larinioides sericatus, spent the summer making a web above my back door, and was just one who caught my eye in the darkness.The more spider species I saw those evenings (some of which like the one above, a male Agelenopsis, were also looking for moths), the more I started reading, looking to answer my growing list of questions. Pretty quickly I came upon a series of articles debunking common myt

Understanding the concept of planting zones is crucial for a successful gardening. Each region has its own unique climate conditions that affect plant growth and survival. In this comprehensive guide we will understand – What Planting Zone is Indiana.