Home & Garden Information Center Ideas, Tips & Guides

The Atlanta Botanical Garden opened in 1976 adjacent to Piedmont Park at 1345 Piedmont Avenue NE in Midtown Atlanta. It now covers 30 beautifully landscaped areas with plans to add an additional 8 acres in the near future.

Do you have childhood memories of catching lizards in the backyard? Maybe you or your kids kept a few as temporary pets.

Including carbohydrates or carbs in meals can be confusing. What foods contain carbs? Which carbs are good for me? Which ones should I avoid?

What is this critter found on a rose of Sharon leaf?

The weather has turned dry over much of the state. Muscadines are coming to harvest as planting begins for some fall crops. Strawberry growers are still scrambling to make arrangements for the rapidly approaching planting season. See details below.

The HGIC staff recently toured the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Alice’s Wonderland Returns topiaries are on display until September 15th. The exhibit features 38 larger-than-life topiaries, including a 27-foot-tall rabbit! Plan a visit soon.

Strawberry growers are scrambling to find disease-free plants. Late-season disease and insect pressure is picking up, and muscadines and other fall crops are nearing harvest. See details below.

What is causing this lawn to turn brown even though it has received over 5 inches of rain so far this month?

Add more color to your shade garden and containers with the wishbone flower (Torenia). The unique flowers resemble a single snapdragon bloom and have stamens that meet in the center, resembling a wishbone, giving the plant its common name. There are two types of wishbone flowers: one that trails and one that is upright and compact.

Meet the Pets of the HGIC Staff!

Gone are the carefree days of summer. School is officially back in session! Simple habits like creating a daily routine, prioritizing healthy eating and supporting their mental wellbeing can help your child succeed this school year.

When walking through my woods this time of year, I’m looking for cranefly orchids (Tipularia discolor) in bloom. It is a delicate perennial, terrestrial orchid that grows in deciduous woods. Cranefly orchids are found growing in decaying organic matter, and they grow best in moist, well-drained soil. It is the only Tipularia species that is native to the southeastern US and grows in USDA planting zones 6A to 9B.

This time of year, many caterpillars are actively feeding on trees throughout the state. These spikey little caterpillars will turn into the IO moth, a species common throughout South Carolina.

The Coastal and Pee Dee regions have been drying out from Tropical Storm Debby. Fall crops are being planted in many areas. Peach harvest is coming to a close and muscadine harvest will begin soon. Disease pressure has really kicked up. See details below.

“The long, languorous days of August have cast their spell over the earth. Little by little, nature yields to the seductive influence and sinks into her summer sleep. Lazily-languid like southern beauties, the hours follow each other in slow succession.”

Fall armyworms are being reported in lawns and pastures across South Carolina. If you notice caterpillars feeding or moving in large numbers during the early morning or late evening hours, you may have an infestation.

What caused the oval-shaped holes in this young pecan tree?

The coastal region and Pee Dee saw lots of rain and flooding in places from Tropical Storm Debby last week. As field conditions improve this week, please document any crop or infrastructure impacts from the storm by using the ESF-17 form. The information collected will be used to estimate the statewide agricultural impact of TS Debby. Please note this form is for agricultural impacts only. Extension agents will also be helping to collect this information this week.

Enjoy taking a virtual walk around the August garden scenes at Crooked Trail Farm.

MyPlate, a visual nutritional tool from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, supports incorporating positive dietary practices by encouraging the consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein, and dairy in schools, governmental programs, and homes. MyPlate recommends 2 cups of whole fruit per day for an individual 14 years of age or older on a 2,000-calorie diet. A great choice of fruit to incorporate on your plate for August would be a melon. Melons can be a summertime favorite or a simple sweet treat!

Meal prepping is a great way to prioritize time, boost your monthly budget, and accomplish your health goals. However, if you’re not used to it, meal-prepping can be a difficult habit to begin implementing. To learn how to “master your meal prep”, consider these 5 simple steps:

Fortunately, Hurricane Debby blew through South Carolina, but she left behind standing water, damaged trees, and other landscape issues. After the storm, homeowners can be left with a real mess to clean up in their yards. The Clemson Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) has compiled some answers to the most commonly asked questions we receive regarding saltwater intrusion and storm damage to landscapes affected.

What kind of fruit is this?

We’re forecast to get lots of rain this week from Tropical Storm Debby. This comes as growers are finishing up summer crops and are making preparations for fall crops. See details below.

Correctly identifying grasses is no easy task, but it is crucial when it comes to maintaining a lawn. Incorrect identification can lead to improper management practices, resulting in a poor quality stand or even plant death. Two warm-season turfgrasses commonly used in South Carolina lawns but often misidentified are centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) and St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum). Both types of grass produce stolons, commonly called runners, and inflorescence (seedheads or flowers) that, at first glance, can appear similar.

Did you know that there’s a whole day dedicated to celebrating the mighty oyster? That’s right, National Oyster Day is on August 5th, and it’s the perfect excuse to dive into some maritime merriment with your loved ones. Here’s how you can make a splash and ensure this day is a pearl of a time for everyone!

Caladiums and Elephant Ears add a tropical flair with colorful foliage to a shade garden. They will tolerate some morning sun, but need to be shaded in the hot afternoon.

All Natives!

What are these insects on pole butterbeans?

Foot care is crucial in managing diabetes and greatly affects our overall health and well-being. Almost 50 percent of people living with diabetes do not have any symptoms of neuropathy in their feet. This means that they are living with neuropathy and the effects of it without even noticing. Although different types of diabetic neuropathy can affect people who have diabetes, research suggests that up to one-half of people with diabetes have peripheral neuropathy. More than 30 percent of people with diabetes have autonomic neuropathy.

Beautiful Summer Bulbs “Bulbs need so little and give back so much.”

Recently, the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) has been receiving photos of coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) that are malformed and green. The plants are infected with aster yellows, a bacterial phytoplasma (a type of bacterium that does not have cell walls). Aster leafhoppers (Macrosteles quadrillineatus) carry the pathogen and infect the plant tissue when they feed on it. They are small olive-green to tan insects with wedge-shaped bodies. Adults are 1/8 in length and have three pairs of spots on their heads.

What left the fluffy, white deposit on this zinnia stem?

Scattered rain fell over the weekend. Peppers and okra are coming as the watermelon harvest finishes up. Disease and insect pressure remains high, and planning for strawberry planting is beginning. See details below.

An increase in development and urban sprawl has created a need to develop more wildlife-friendly landscapes. All wildlife need food, shelter (cover), water, and space to survive. A rain garden can fulfill some of those needs by providing habitat typically lacking in an urban or backyard environment. A rain garden is a landscaped depression designed to capture stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces such as roofs and roads and runoff from compacted turfgrass. See HGIC Factsheet 1864:Rain Garden Plants: Introduction for additional information on rain gardens.

“Then followed that beautiful season…Summer…Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light.”