Narration: Making It Grow is brought to you in part by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture certified South Carolina grown helps consumers identify, find and buy South Carolina products.

McLeod farms in McBee, South Carolina.

This family farm offers seasonal produce, including over 22 varieties of peaches.

Additional funding provided by International Paper and the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation and Farm Bureau Insurance.

♪ Amanda: Well, good evening and welcome to Making It Grow.

We're so glad you can join us tonight.

I'm Amanda McNulty, a Clemson and Hort agent.

And I get to come over and be with super smart people and learn from them every week is just the best job in the world.

And later today, we're going to take you on the most glorious, glorious trip to Columbia College.

We're John Long, honestly to Pete, you just don't complete that beautiful it is out there.

But stay tuned.

And then Terasa Lott is the Master Gardener coordinator.

And she comes knows all kinds of things for us, and puts all kinds of pictures on Facebook.

And we really appreciate it.

Terasa: Oh, thank you, Amanda.

It's a great opportunity to be part of the Making It Grow family and I have a lot of help.

So just I'm gonna say though, I think we all agree that because my name might be associated with the Facebook page, there are other people Vicky Bertagnolli, especially is very helpful.

And then all the time we receive questions that I don't know the answer to so I'll ask somebody I might ask Carrie or Mallory or someone to help me out.

I'm gonna say though, I think we all agree that you have an honorary Hort degree now.

Well deserved.

well deserved.

Carrie roach.

Thanks so much for making the trip down from gosh way up there.

Carrie: Yeah, I'm excited to be here today.

So yeah, and you're the host agent in a Hort Agent.

I cover Oconee, Pickens and Anderson counties in the upstate.

Ah,Goodness gracious, that's a lot of going up and down the roads and up and down the mountain when you get to Walhalla.

Best part of the state.

Especially in the middle of summer.

Carrie: Yes.

Yes.

A Little bit cooler.

Okay.

Amanda: And Mallory, Mahr, you're a four, agent 4 H Agent up that way.

And I guess you're excited to get be having programs this summer.

Have you lined up a good many of them?

Mallory: Oh, yeah, we have a lot of programs lined up.

But I'm glad that I have a good hort.

agent like Carrie that she can work with me and we partner on a lot of things.

Amanda: So what kind of things to do done together in the past Mallory: all kinds of stuff.

I feel like Apple programs very popular in the fall, love doing getting kids out there and trying all the varieties that are grown in Oconee County, so that's a great thing.

They learn the parts of the plant and they get the try.

And then also they're eating healthy too.

So we love that.

But a lot of our Junior Master Gardener camps or anything of pollinators we love pollinators and honey bees and everything along those lines.

Amanda: And that's really important for Apple so I believe, isn't it?

Carrie: Oh, yeah, we get to we teach the kids how they how they know when to pick an apple what they need to have to make an apple all those parts and pieces so it's a lot of fun.

Amanda: that wonderful.

And and you get them to try different ones because an apples apples are not apples.

Mallory: I agree that's very true.

My favorite Golden Delicious.

Amanda: Oh, and But Sue is mine.

Carrie: Is isn't that amazing that everybody has a different variety.

If you ask most kids, like a much more tart Apple.

So which is.

Amanda: that's surprising, I would say a sweeter apple.

Yeah.

Carrie: Most all the kids that we that we you know survey when we do our apple tasting.

They like a much tarter variety.

Amanda: Well, maybe it's because they like sweet tarts or something.

My favorite trend their turns?

Casey Cooper, thank you so much for making the trip down from Columbia.

Where y'all have a large nursery and how long have y'all had a nursery?

Casey Cooper: over 60 years?

So we've been there a long time and pollinators like she just mentioned, lots of those lots of natives.

Really, anything, anything you need.

Amanda: Okay.

And I think you all do design if people want to contract for that.

But that but also you just are busy watering and getting great beautiful plants in and and um, so you know, you've you're being a good example, because you don't have the Asian invasive Wisteria anymore.

You encourage people to use the native one.

Yeah, yeah.

Is there anything more worse than seeing, you know, 400 acres of trees that had been completely taken over by kudzu?

Casey Cooper: Yeah.

And it just almost impossible to get rid of.

Amanda: it really?

Yes.

Yes.

Thanks.

I sure appreciate it.

Okay.

Well, Terasa, usually you start us off with gardens of the week.

Do we have one for this week are some because then everybody sends like one picture.

Sometimes people submit multiple photographs.

And please know that these are just picked at random.

So it doesn't mean that any are better than any other ones.

But we're going to take our virtual field trip across the state and see what you're doing in your yard garden.

Or perhaps you snapped a photo at a wonderful place in the state of South Carolina.

We begin with Cody Allen, who shared a close up of a single rose flower, and keeping with the rose theme and Annisa Martin shared the Peggy Martin rose.

From Kathy Clark, we have a container combining begonia diamond, frost, Euphorbia and verbena.

Ooh, from Dennis Johnson.

He I think he said this is his new favorite Baptisia australis, also known as blue Wild Indigo or blue False Indigo.

And then we finish up with Allison Hirsch, who sent gorgeous we might call them hippie Astra or we might call them amaryllis, but they are technically Hippie Asterum.

Flowers.

Herbert, the botanist who named that genus called it night Star Lily.

And at one time, apparently, they were called amaryllis, but it's actually, you know, not that that geneus is in the same family and I think your husband might grow them as well, he does.

And Terasa: you better pick them for your hats.

Amanda: and they're easy and It's an interesting bulb to plant because, you know, usually when you plant a bulb, you want as much soil on top of the bulb as the bulb is.

But amaryllis, actually have a little bit out of the ground.

And they're perfectly Hardy.

Now he got one for Christmas.

You shouldn't go put it outside in February.

Terasa: But it might be a little Shocking.

Shocking if you Amanda: wait, and so they they do fine out in the garden.

Yeah.

All right.

Well, Terasa, have you got a question that we might be able to help somebody with?

Always questions.

This one comes from Jenny in Fairplay, who says I've heard a lot about having a pollinator friendly landscape.

Can you help me figure out what that means?

Well, Carrie, um, you know, a lot of people just think of the honeybee as pollinators, but I think there is like a zillion kind of pollinators.

And so let's talk about that.

Carrie: Yeah, there are tons of colonies out there.

And specifically in South Carolina, we have so many pollinators.

That's one of the really fun activities that Mallory and I actually do with kids.

We have the name different types of pollinators from insects to birds or even bats.

And, you know, a dog could be an accidental pollinator, I mean, any kind of, you know, sometimes pollination is not on purpose.

Sometimes it's an happy accident.

Amanda: And sometimes people actually pollinate things.

There are certain plants that are kind of hard to get to pollinate know people get paintbrushes sometimes there's definitely, Carrie: yeah, paint brushes or toothbrushes.

Squash sometimes the flowers aren't always open at the same time.

So you'll take a little paintbrush or toothbrush in there.

And Amanda: well, if you go to try to start having a pollinator friendly gardener garden, what are some ways that you would make that for those first steps.

Carrie: So some of the first things to think about our food number one to providing pollen and nectar sources for those pollinators and then a water source you know, think about just just like we need food, water, and then shelter is another one.

So food, the pollen source or the nectar source, different plant material.

Water, you can do shallow dishes of water, with little rocks for like butterflies to land on or different insects to get water from.

And then shelter is actually a neat one and I'll let Mallory talk a little bit about that.

Mallory: Yeah, so shelter for like, all wildlife.

They need the food, shelter, wildlife, but shelter when think of pollinators is one that I think people tend to forget.

So when it comes to honey bee, that's easy.

You have their hive, but there are tons and tons of our native bees, they need to be a little bit different.

So that's when it's good.

You want to pollinator garden to look messy.

I know people want to go in there to start kind of taking the stems especially like black, blackeyed season.

For example, after they're done blooming, they kind of turn brown and they have that stem left.

You want to just go over there and I'm just gonna burn this off and that's good but no, don't do that.

Because our all of our native bees, a lot of them they'll use that cavity and they'll make nests in there and that's what they need to survive and sifting of like dead leaves in our yard.

People want to kind of scrape up all those leaves but if you leave them there, there's tons of insects underneath that are having laying eggs and they're developing So it's really important to leave that part there.

Amanda: And a lot of times people will go out and they'll have an area where they're just all these bees coming up out of the ground and they really freak out.

And are those mostly solitary bees?

And that's just the right spot the right conditions for them to use for their nests.

Mallory: Yeah, so a lot of our native bees are solitary nesters.

So either they might nest in like a tube like structure, like when you have a stem, or sometimes they're ground nesters.

And so they find that nice soft dirt and they'll kind of tend to go into there we actually our office the other day, we had someone come in and they brought us they were able to capture them, and then we go, yeah, they were really tame.

They didn't bother anything.

And we go yeah, they're not gonna bother you.

They're not protecting a hive.

Uh huh.

Right.

And so they wanted to know what they could do about them and what kind they were.

So it was interesting to see them up pan.

But yeah, they just usually just a little hole in the ground.

And you can start kind of figuring out what species they are depending on what nest type they actually ended up using.

Amanda: And then they're even flies that are pollinators.

I mean, things that we just think, you know, nobody likes to fly.

But I mean, they aren't there.

And then flower flowers are so funny, because they look like a bee.

But they're they first asked you if you get near them when they're on a plant.

I mean, I'm like, I know what you are, you're not gonna do that.

So the kids are or a lot of them afraid because of being stung, or how do you how do you get them to just relax about all that?

Mallory: I think a lot of times that fear is almost sometimes taught to have you have one person that really starts making a big deal about and moving their hands all around.

And that's when the bee starts kind of a bit like really when they realize that those especially Oh, those native bees, they want no part of you.

They might like your brightly colored shirt because they think they're a flower and then they really quickly realize that now you're not a flower.

Let me go buy my food and you're a lot better.

But really, they very calming but it's amazing how interested they are and honey bees get all of it and everyone's honeybees are really cool.

There's a lot of partnerships that we have throughout the state that are about honeybees.

But then when you start talking about other types of bees that are out there, then that really starts interesting them as well.

Yeah, Amanda: especially, I mean, because not everybody's going to be a beekeeper.

But then you have an example here of a plant we might want to include in a garden that I think that's a native and apparently good for pollinaters Casey Cooper: it is so this is your beard tongue.

It's going to be blooming here soon.

Nice pretty foliage.

It's pretty maroon and green.

Evergreen in certain parts of South Carolina.

Other places is comes back as a perennial, butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, they all love it.

And a lot of people are looking for stuff hummingbirds like because it can be a little tricky to find but they they love the Amanda: they do.

Okay.

Okay.

So, um, so does it have a tubular kind of flower?

Casey Cooper: Yes, I kind of have a little tubular type little flower and comes in different varieties.

Also, some of them are, you know, darker foliage.

Some of them are greener foliage.

Amanda: This one has the back of a leaf.

It's so pretty.

Yeah, kind of a purple.

Now, does this one like full sun?

Casey Cooper: full Sun Dark falls on Part sun, just not heavy shade.

Amanda: Okay.

And most of these, when they're established don't have to be watered.

They're Casey Cooper: really just one of those.

I Amanda: mean, it's a native plant Casey Cooper: is one of the toughest things so that like she was talking about with the, you know, insects and stuff, even stuff like Little Bluestem grass, which is what grass people use.

You know, a lot of people cut it back every winter, but it's a nesting area.

Amanda: Oh, that's another one that so?

Yeah.

You Casey Cooper: don't always have to cut your grasses back every year.

Amanda: It's just too much trouble.

I mean, there's so much going on.

And they're not even ugly.

I mean, they're pretty.

Casey Cooper: Yeah.

You're pretty pretty foliage.

Yeah, Amanda: sure.

Okay.

Well, thank you so much for sharing that with us.

We really appreciate it.

Okay, Terasa, where are we now?

Terasa: Well, this is pretty timely or topic related.

Since we were talking about pollinators Edward in Powdersville sent us a photograph and said what are these caterpillars all over my plants?

Amanda: Okay, well, Mallory, Does this look familiar to you?

Oh, yes, Mallory: this is actually one of my personal favorites.

That is a caterpillar for a monarch butterfly.

And they are the classic he recognizes as the bright colored yellow and black.

But that's also a warning to other species that's basically tells me tells them Don't eat me poisonous and that milkweed that they eat makes them poisonous as adults too.

So monarch butterflies, they need milkweed such as a great native plant.

We have a lot of species down here that do grow well, but they need to have that milkweed to survive.

Amanda: So sometimes to other insects imitate things like that, and kind of get a free pass.

Mallory: Yes, a lot of species if you can get that free pass.

They definitely take advantage of that one.

I think the classic example is not really an insect, but if you don't go back to snakes, you think about the coral snake that is venomous.

And then you have the scarlet king snake that is also as non venomous, but they share color common nation that's like classic rhyme that people think about.

But that's a classic one for any animals they loved.

If they can do it, then they might as well take advantage of it.

Amanda: She mentioned the ryhme Go ahead.

Mallory: Put me on the spot.

Friend, friend of the extra red on yellow kill a fellow, red on black friend of Jack.

Good, Amanda: thank you so much.

I've been my whole life.

Yeah, that's a good ryhme to know you.

Okay, all right.

All right.

Terasa: So let's see, this one's going to be not happy that we want caterpillars, but this one is more of a pest from Janet in Charlotte.

She has hellebores, which we've talked about on the show my normal bulletproof Hellebores have been stricken with some kind of insect.

The leaves are sticky and covered with what looks like aphids.

We've tried spraying with neem oil with little success to you or any of your making it grow.

Experts have advice to help us rid our lovely plants of unwanted visitors?

Well Carrie what what advice do you have?

Carrie: So she's right.

These are actually aphids on the hellebore.

And she was along the right track.

But actually treating them is probably as easy as a heavy stream of water.

Usually knocking them off is enough.

They're real soft bodied Amanda: and they don't fly during I mean, a lot of them don't have wings during part of the cycle.

I mean, Carrie: yeah, so just knocking them off with water Amanda: Often they can't crawl back.

Carrie: That's right, so they can't crawl back up.

The problem is is that they reproduce very quickly.

So you need to make sure you do it.

You know, every few days scouting, scouting, scan, keeping an eye out making sure you're on top of things.

And if you get to get to a point where the water isn't quite enough, a simple insecticidal soap, we'll take care of them fairly quickly.

Amanda: There's just been, I mean, it used to be that hellebores leaned over and you had to squat down and look at him.

But I think that's been people have been having a lot of fun with bringing that new hellebores Oh yeah, Casey Cooper: there's all kinds of new ones now there's like ones called Black Diamond.

That's almost a black color.

multicolor ones there always seems like every year we're getting new ones and they don't and they don't flop.

Amanda: hang their head down.

They at least hold it up brought forward right.

Exactly.

Yeah, yeah.

And aren't they just so easy for certain situations?

Casey Cooper: yeah, so really easy plant to grow.

You know, great shade plant blooms at a time of year a lot of other things aren't blooming.

Amanda: And dry shade.

Yeah, Casey Cooper: tough.

Deer won't eat them.

Amanda: Boy that's a plus.

Well, we've got a plant that is a little bit fancier than I mean a little more particular.

A hellebore in front were out front and I was looking at it up close and like beautiful texture.

Tell us what we've got.

Casey Cooper: got.

So that's a sharps pygmy Japanese maple.

Say it again.

Sharps pygmy Japanese maple.

Okay, one of the smallest growing Japanese maples.

So it's not like it's gonna max out by five foot and then to get like a five foot pad on it.

Good for tight tight areas where you can't have a large tree you know Japanese style gardens some light and roses down below it would look good.

If you got it in the shady area.

Part sun is what they're going to prefer.

They can take full sun but they prefer part sun so.

Amanda: I don't think any I mean some things want full corn and okra.

Well, that is just a beautiful and as the leaf is even toothed beautiful.

Oh yeah.

Beautiful, beautiful beautiful.

Because it keep that pretty chartreuse color?

Casey Cooper: It does in fall it turns a bright yellow before it drops us leaves really good one to use in containers also, if you want to small container tree.

Amanda: because you wouldn't have to be repotting get so busy, I gotta get on what happened?

Right?

Okay.

All right.

Well, that was really fun.

And then um, goodness, I think some Terasa's got a nice companion over there.

Casey Cooper: A fire glow Japanese maple which is basically an improved blood good.

Oh, really, it's gonna be a brighter red, a little more heat tolerant.

So pretty much an improved blood Good.

Amanda: Well, that is just beautiful now is going to get a little bit larger that is Casey Cooper: gonna get you know in that 15 foot range.

So give it some space.

Same thing prefers part sun if possible.

Amanda: So gosh, well that is truly beautiful right now I declare.

Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

Okay, Terasa, I think you've got some garden spotlights for us.

Oh, we do this garden spotlight come from Blythewood, South Carolina from the home of Dawn Staley, Dawn shared and assortment of flowers from his yard that he says are adding to the wonders of springtime, eloquently put.

You'll see pirate cantha Pink dogwood, Rebecca clematis with its vibrant red flowers, a double quince, a purple flowered clematis, and wrapping it all up a snowball viburnum.

Thanks, Dawn, for sharing just a little piece of your yard with all of us.

And what fun colors that were there.

Those clematis are fun.

And we were talking to somebody recently about clematis, and you're supposed to remember which one you have.

Right?

And I don't think anybody ever does Casey Cooper: that, just try to explain the color.

And yeah, I'm like, save the tag.

Amanda: Well, I was, again, Ansley, rest Turnblad at at Longview farms.

They have berries and things like that, but she's starting to grow some flowers.

And um, she's right near me.

And I'm in a great friend works for the Ag department.

So I went out there and she had some flocks and some snapdragons and some Dusty Miller and so I had a good time.

wiring it all together.

This was a fun hat to make.

Colors are just so much fun.

And especially when I don't have to find something in my own.

Because I have a very, my yard is not as full of things to cut, perhaps but we can always find something can't we Terasa?

Oh, I love the color combination kind of tropical sunrise or sunset.

Yes, she just has some was really, really fun out there, we had a good time.

And you know, now there are a lot of people who are flower farmers.

And so I would encourage you to find people in your areas.

Because it's just so much fun to go and get garden flowers and be able to bring them home.

They may I mean, you know, roses from the florist last forever, but you know, but they're not very exciting.

And these garden flowers are just so joyful, and to put them on the table.

And um, you don't have to arrange too much just you know, get get, you know, a small container and then have a huge neck and just pop them in there and just enjoy and enjoy and enjoy.

Well Terasa, I think you got one more question for us.

Terasa: We do this one comes in from DJ in Clemson.

Looks like he's looking for things for his kids to do.

He said my child loves honey bees.

Are there opportunities for them to learn more through Clemson Extension?

Amanda: Okay.

Well, Mallory, is this something that happens sometimes?

Mallory: Yes.

So we have the South Carolina forage honey bee project that's happening right now.

So that's an annual project that will happen every year.

Registration usually starts in December.

And then we really get that we're really kind of starting to kick it off.

A lot of kids just got their Bees.

And it goes basically until August, but another opportunity.

Honeybees are huge.

We mentioned a lot of pollinators.

But we actually are very lucky.

In South Carolina, we received a grant from Corteva.

And to start a pollinator four-H pollinator habitat ambassador program.

So this Ambassador Program is for teens that are interested in pollinators, and they want to promote their habitat and protect their habitat.

So they're going to learn all about pollinators.

We have some fun workshops planned, but we're still looking for more pollinator ambassadors out there.

But they're really going to start promoting their habitat.

So that means installing pollinator gardens, small little batches go a long way.

So even if they're how little, it could be a little area that you could do a container garden that works great.

So they're gonna learn all about that, and all the shelter and water and food the pollinators may need.

Amanda: And this is a what age group, we're looking for teens, Mallory: but basically 13 all the way up to 18.

And they kind of start now and we have some workshops playing in the summer.

And then we'll also have some planting opportunities for them as well.

And so we're really looking for some pollinator plants.

So if anyone out there wants to start splitting plants or give them to some teens out there.

Yeah, it'd be great.

But we it's really exciting and looking forward to kind of promote pollinators in their habitat.

Okay.

Amanda: And you know, it's interesting, in downtown Charleston, where the gardens have mostly boxwoods in green and things like that, but the window boxes are so vibrant.

And I've got a cousin who has bees down there in town, and he just gets masses of honey, because they're just all these window boxes full of flowering, flowering plants.

It's kind of fun.

But what else have you got that's fun for us?

Casey Cooper: Speaking of flowering and so this is gonna be a pretty one.

I'll say pick from and you know, bring into the house.

A Peruvian Lily, Lily, called Color Rita.

And it's actually Hardy down to zone eight.

So, a good cut flower too, because these last a long time.

Amanda: Were you lucky at all?

Get my hat made nice um, how long did they bloom?

Casey Cooper: Bloom pretty much April on through October No, come on and off on and off.

And then in the winter they're just kind of green in Columbia they stay green you know if you got a little colder upstate they Amanda: would they just kind of clean themselves Casey Cooper: they just kind of clean themselves that they're not as you know messy as like an azalea when those blooms are old.

Usually they fall off pretty easy.

Amanda: I don't think azaleas are messy?

Well, is this the predominant color that we Casey Cooper: They come in red, orange purple.

So just make sure you're always looking at the hardiness on which one you're getting because the purple and orange seem to be the more cold tolerant ones.

Amanda: Oh, okay.

Well, how big does this get?

Casey Cooper: I didn't get about two by two.

So really, that's pretty that's handy and ground you can use them I got them in a container on my back porch.

The back porch pick off of so but it can be used as an inground plant also.

Amanda: So y'all do go out and it's so vigorous that you can cut it and bring it to your Casey Cooper: room since they fill back in and quick.

So, Amanda: golly, Pete and say again, tell us again what it is.

So I saw Casey Cooper: a Peruvian Lily and it's called Colorita, Amanda: Colorita boy and comes in a wide palette of colors.

That is just exquisite and can take that hot.

Casey Cooper: Yeah, more sun the better.

So I got mine in for all day.

blazing sun on the back porch Amanda: is don't forget don't forget.

Well that is truly beautiful.

Thank you so so much.

That's really fun.

You know that's another example where common names can be so confusing because we call it Peruvian Lily but it's not even in the lily family.

Alstroemeria I believe is the genus and some people call it lily of the Incas or something like that.

But um, so just know you're really a lily Well, it's sure, I think we can know that.

It really is pretty.

Always gorgeous.

Really fabulous looking can't we.

The flowers are just remarkable.

Fun, fun, fun.

Terasa have we got another question we can try to we sure do.

For Yeah, we've got one from Nancy and Easley.

Now.

This is a little bit long before we get to the actual question.

She had two blueberry bushes, a story and a story.

Two blueberry bushes, but she doesn't know what species they were what kind of blueberry but one died.

Went to a nursery.

The nursery recommended a jelly bean blueberry bush as a replacement Jelly Bean blueberry.

I keep imagining the Easter Bunny showing up for this story.

But no Easter bunnies here.

Purchased the Jelly Bean and put it in a container and the she says the container is not right next to that older bush that's in the ground.

She wants to know how far apart they can be and still have cross pollination.

Goodness Carrie: carry, whew.

There's a lot to unpack here.

Well, and Amanda: it's a chance for you to talk about pH possibly, too.

Carrie: Yeah, so one of the first things to talk about is I believe that Jelly Bean blueberry is a northern high Bush variety.

We don't live there.

Yeah, so it's really not the best option for this area.

So that's kind of the first part.

The second part of that is if you put it in a container, blueberries like acidic soil, most of our garden soil that you would purchase is going to be somewhere close to neutral.

So not very acidic, so it's probably not going to thrive in that container without some extra help.

And then secondly, when we move on to pollination, not knowing what that that original blueberry bush the it could have been a rabid i It could have been a southern high bush there's a lot of questions there.

So that northern high bush is typically self fertile.

I believe that Jelly Bean not gonna go here.

So let's we're gonna grow here and it's not going to cross pollinate.

So we really got to figure out what type of blueberry that at least whether it's a rabbi or southern high bush first.

Amanda: You know what, first I think it this person wants to have blueberries.

They need to know that the easiest and best ones for us to choose are the rabbit eyes.

Yes, sure.

Aren't they divided as to like early mid season and late?

Yes.

And then for good pollination.

You want to have like if you had a A mid season one, you don't want three of the same ones you want different mid season.

Because they're not good at self pollination.

Carrie: That's correct.

Yeah, yeah, you might get a few to produce without a cross pollination, but you're gonna get much better fruit set with cross pollination.

So having a couple of different varieties.

And I believe we have a fact sheet that lists lots of different varieties.

And it actually lists their compatibilities with how well they will cross pollinate certain other varieties.

So lots of good suggestions.

Amanda: Yeah, blueberry is just not something you pick up off the side of the room.

I mean, it's, um, I mean, you you need to go to someplace where they know what they've got, and make some good choices, I would think, Carrie: yes, blueberries are are definitely one of my top five as far as easiest to grow here in South Carolina.

But you have to go to a knowledgeable nursery in order to get you know, that background to be able to choose.

Amanda: Well, thank you.

Let's they can have some blueberry pancakes one day.

Okay, see, you got some other things over here that look pretty interesting.

Let's Casey Cooper: talk about news.

So this is a newer plant that we started carrying, as called a angel wing.

It is a water wise plant.

So it's not going to want a lot of water, good drainage.

So you can use it, you know, works well along with like succulents.

Containers, you know, make sure they're draining obviously.

Kind of looks like a lamb's ear.

Even got that kind of same tech.

Boy, it's beautiful.

It's evergreen in this area.

Amanda: Or ever gray and can take full sun.

Gosh, that's pretty now.

Is it going to expand a little bit Casey Cooper: is about double one size.

So yeah, it's about the size of a basketball.

Amanda: Okay.

And is it going to last through the winter it is Casey Cooper: at least and you know, lower half estate?

Yeah rated for about 10 to 15 degrees.

Amanda: How to do it?

Casey Cooper: Most of soccer is pretty okay.

Amanda: Yeah, if you got another one that's fun to talk about.

Casey Cooper: This one's gonna be a shade plant.

If you are familiar with the regular leopard plant or farfugium?

Well, this is a spotted variety.

It's got all the yellow spots on it and especially as it gets bigger, and you know, more and more spots on it.

Just something different.

Oh, it's gonna be a real eye catcher tell you and it doesn't get as big as the giant farfugium.

Amanda: And does it have the Astra like flower?

It does?

It does.

Now what can with this much variation can it take sun Casey Cooper: it's gonna want morning sun only or shade okay.

Oh, hot afternoon.

But yeah, when it when it does have the little blooms on it, you know, your pollinators.

They sit on it.

So Amanda: sometimes called tractor seat plant.

These are Fujian these, these leads are too little to serve as your seat.

Pollinator.

Okay, thank you so much.

They are having a good time.

hybridizing these Oh, Casey Cooper: they they're always Amanda: we really enjoyed getting to know John long when we went out to Columbia College.

We went a couple of days because it was warm.

And um, we there was just so much to see that we had to go back and see even more, and I think you're gonna enjoy every moment of our visit out there.

♪ I'm at Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina.

Speaking of John Long, who's the horticulturist here.

John, how did you start your association with Columbia College?

John: Well, about 12 years or so ago.

They called the company I was with to do a major landscape Designed to re beautify the campus, which they kept calling me back every six months.

One thing led to another.

And they hired me full time.

And I've been here working No My ninth year, be 10 years in February.

Amanda: I know that as a designer, you always have a vision for what you want even a half acre garden to be or a city block, which this is what was your vision for Columbia College?

John: Exactly.

It's kind of overwhelming when you look at 33 acres.

So my my vision was to create a series of gardens throughout the campus that would make an enjoyable walk and more of an intimate setting, then then through, you don't feel like you're in a middle of a of a campus.

Yes.

Amanda: Because let's take that to him.

We're going to start with the one as you pull in and park at the front of the campus.

I believe that's the one that's in memory in honor of Georgia O'Keeffe, who was here for a while, and how in the world do you take her abstract strange kind of pictures and make try to relate that into a garden, John: I've had to do research, which was rewarding in itself.

Once I learned all her techniques, the most fundamental aspect was the use of line.

And so I used a repetition of plant material to create that, that line effect by using drift roses in one area loropetalum in another and a series of perennials, various cone flowers with Tropicana Canna lilies, which also brought out the southwestern influence and the use of color that you used.

Amanda: There's a massive grass like plant that anchors it John: right that punctuates the end of that aspect of the of that garden and that's lomandra katrinus which is the giant version of that grass gets about four feet tall and four feet wide.

It's evergreen evergreen, so it's a thrive on neglect, very drought tolerant evergreen, Amanda: I was interested in the Asiatic Jasmine there that can really take over and this is a color bar that is slightly less aggressive.

John: Yeah, still the vines but it is not as aggressive as the regular Asiatics called Snow in summer which the new growth comes out and turns to a white blush pink to a white as it matures only on the new growth because it will revert back to green but when it is that new growth comes out, it's literally as the name implies for about two months it's like a blanket of snow and this is in late summer and it coincides with the blooms of the mini no Yuki double white flowering sasanqua is which will be blooming certainly right after that in October Amanda: now we're gonna go behind the library and that's a very compressed area Tell me a little bit about the the structure of it yes, John: it's congestion is the right word because we have little niches where the benches are and these recessed areas were had Indian Hawthorn at the time that would you if you sat on those benches your you know your got your swallowed by the hawthorn you you couldn't even be seen.

So I ripped all those out fortified the soil planted some Japanese maple called by who which is a yellow stem Japanese maple grouping of three yellow green leaf Japanese maple and on the other side to minimize maintenance I've used farfugium with for planning of this Makia Outback sunset, which has yellow clusters of yellow flowers blooming right now.

And a yellow, yellow green variegated foliage which is evergreen so that's ever I don't have to mess with that area anymore takes care of takes care of itself which is sustainability is what I'm looking at.

Amanda: And then you explain to me that you use some tea olives there that are a little more shade tolerant.

John: Yeah, the holly leaf tea Olive is more shade tolerant than the fragrance and will take take them quite a bit of deep shade because we're in in between two buildings.

So it only gets about two hours of direct sun.

Amanda: and then a Wax Myrtle that just thrilled me to see.

John: Yeah, it's that through time this this tree fell over.

And it's arching it's got a very bones kind of feel to it.

And what that when it did that it left room for some sun to peek in.

And we've got a perennial Morning Glory and a common heliotrope blooming together.

So I'll let nature take credit for that aspect of it Amanda: as we come to the end of that area.

immediately in front of us is a large lawn area where the students can go out and throw Frisbees and have fun and all that kind of stuff.

And at the corner, there is a very unusual red bud.

John: Yes, it's you don't see the those very often around.

And it is called Texas white.

And it almost has a weeping growth habit.

But it's got the glossiest green leaves that you've ever seen, I've never Amanda: seen that before.

And in that area, we really have a lot of hardscape.

And we begin to have a slope.

And so you didn't want to have just mountains of water washing down there and you created I thought a very attractive way to control that.

John: Take advantage of the fact that water is going to go there and to again, minimize maintenance and that make it aesthetically pleasing.

If you use large Creekstone as a border and as a dry creek bed to to be able to take care of this run off off the off the sidewalk.

And I have planted their blue Yucca Pennisetum prints, which is a deep purple foliage comes back year after year after year.

And coral drift roses as one area where the irrigation system is minimal.

So it's it'll take this hot, dry area.

And right across from that.

I have a drift of pink Vinca with purple salvia amistad that has a deep electric electric blue, deep purple.

And it gets it'll get some shade late afternoon from the overhanging live oaks that are in the background.

So it works well.

Amanda: And again that salvia people think that red red is for hummingbirds.

But the hummingbird is a door that salvia.

John: exactly the same as the hummingbird magnet really is.

Yeah.

Amanda: And then the next area we've got a good many raised beds.

So let's talk about how they begin.

One of them which has some shade, I believe has a plant that I think is going to be everybody's new favorite because it's there's so many cultivars.

Carex is really coming into its own.

John: Yes, there's so many varieties of it.

But the Carex that one is called ever rillo the chartreuse yellow green Carex in naturally likes it a little on the wet side anyway, it thrives when it's in a moist area.

But anytime you can bring in that chartreuse yellow, to any shaded area, it brings out the the other colors around it.

And this Carex only gets about 18 inches tall.

And you don't have to cut it back every year.

But every three to five years, probably you do.

And behind it, I have a red heuchera called Sweet tea.

And behind that I've got Soft Caress Mahonia.

So we have a layered effect there because we're transitioning to brutal sun to dappled shade to shade.

Amanda: And so within those raised beds, what are some of the plants that you have grouped together?

John: As we as we first get started with the abelia, we trend we get into some there's a loropetalum called Purple pixie, that it loves to be elevated, it does not have any really good drainage for it to thrive.

So it cascades over the brick wall.

And that serves another purpose because it's in the background, we have the greens, and you see how there's the varieties of loropetalum from this low cascading variety to the Zhu Xiao variety, which is the gargantuan one that it gets 20 feet by 20 feet.

So I prune those into to simulate Japanese maples because you don't really go that far.

You see it from a distance.

So you see the contrast in growth habit, but with the same burgundy color, Amanda: and we ought to take a moment to speak about the beautiful live oak that's there.

Well, we before we go back to John: the I don't know how I missed that because there's this I think it's the oldest tree on campus and it's close to 200 years old, at least 150 feet across.

reason I'm talking so intimate about it.

I was pruning a limb five years ago and fell off the ladder and broke my heel.

So always use an arborist don't do it yourself even though you know what you're doing.

Amanda: Use it certified arborist Yeah, and then But then back to the beds, we just have such a wonderful kaleidoscope of colors.

And yet you like to find a color and then find other plants where that may be as a secondary color and start playing off of them.

Let's talk a little bit about that.

John: Yeah, there is a as we transition to the next garden, there's a long linear raised garden.

But to make it your I flow through it, I've used three different plants that virtually have the same color or a slightly different hue of, of the one color from the Vinca to the hybrid, super Petunia, called fuchsia to another super Petunia, which is fuchsia and white mixed, but they're repetitive but they're 15 feet apart so it doesn't look so boring of all one thing, but you're off flows from one to the other.

The Super Petunias do well, they stay compact, they don't get leggy.

They spread but they don't need a whole lot of water which is another reason that the drain is is really really good there being a raised bed also have provonts a lavender which at least in this area has done better than any other variety plus it's raised drains well.

Hardly, I don't believe I've had the water in six years using that to pick up the blue gray from cat mint, which is a little bit further down.

And these blue spikes yes are picked up with the the salvia that's right adjacent to it.

Which we also have the Denver Daisy that picks up the little yellow in the GOP Karina firework, yes, globe, amaranth that's intermixed all into that.

So it's kind of controlled chaos.

But all these colors lead to a really pleasing transition.

Amanda: And then at the end, you've got a wonderful cascading prospect rosemary.

John: Yeah, rosemary, I always, it may be a signature aspect of what I do.

But as we transition from one garden to another, I have something unique to punctuate the end of that.

So I have a creeping Rosemary that's draping over the end of that wall.

And to let you know who the designer was and where he went to school.

I've got orange, and orange and red lantana with purple, Angelo onea.

So there's orange, use quite a bit out here Amanda: For a Clemson graduate.

But also we have a lot of purple and white.

colors here for Columbia College Exactly.

John: We spoke about the Texas white red, bud underneath that is the purple asters so that I try to use purple and white too.

And then purple, white and orange.

So I get the best of both worlds.

Amanda: And occasionally in a tree, we see a koala bear, because I believe that perhaps John: is the mascot.

Yep, the actual have eucalyptus that the koalas like to eat.

So there's about eight or 10 of them around here.

Amanda: That's pretty thoughtful.

It is.

John, the administration building was a tremendous challenge because of the vast amount of concrete and reflected surfaces there.

And right now, it's truly lovely.

You found a beautiful little blue flower, which is always fun.

John: Yeah, that's all called Blue daze D A Z E evolvus.

And then on a one on one foot area there.

It just thrives.

Blooms now till till January.

Amanda: And behind it you had a very narrow raise bed.

How did you help reduce the scale and bring that down into proportion?

John: That was kind of a no brainer, because there's only there's only a few plants that can take that restricted soil space, and Italian Cypress fit the bill.

Amanda: So much of the campus and the places we've talked about a very open.

And then right now you and I are in a completely different aspect.

A garden that I believe you designed to honor a former staff member.

John: Yeah, this we're right in the middle of Mitzie's Garden.

Mitzi Wineset was a student here.

And she worked here for many, many years.

Her office overlooks this, this beautiful meditative garden.

I designed this six years ago, seven years ago.

There was the only thing that they how they maintain this was with a bush hog.

These these large oaks and the Evergreen background of holly oz Mantis and camellias are the are the were the only things that were here.

Each year, it was a very steep area here brought in about 100 tons of topsoil.

To be very sensitive to these trees, we stayed pretty much where this gravel walkway is.

And I use this gravel walkway that serve as a protective areas.

So these trees could really absorb the water and not be impeded by even six inches of soil.

So Amanda: the topsoil was placed all out in front of it exactly create an area where you could grow grass and other things.

Interesting plant location, location and you you are a master of microbe environments, I think and this tax is in many places in Colombia would not survive.

But in this area, this Texas is doing beautifully.

John: Yes, I got it, I want to bet.

Somebody said this isn't gonna make it.

But I knew how the sun oriented itself and this is Texas Dukes garden.

So double row.

Seven years now I planted seven gallon plants I have yet to touch this plant.

And it only gets about two hours of direct sun and it's all shade which taxes must have.

Amanda: And then in here to allow the students a quiet space, you have a very soft sounding fountain.

John: Yep.

It's amazing all the birds.

Water is a natural attractant for sure, but I've got a series of benches where it's a nice, nice meditative area for that to fountains, which really makes this a nice place to decompress, or our study.

It's the best kept secret on campus.

Amanda: I think some of the faculty and administrators know about it to income, and they don't want to have to answer the telephone.

And then John, you have tried over the years and found certain inoculants that you add to all the beds, and it works for you.

And perhaps some of our viewers might enjoy wanting to try it in their home guard, if you'll tell me what those two products are.

John: Yellow one is, is called Great White.

And it is a it's a mixture of about 25 different fungi that you just mixed with water when you plant.

And then I follow up with a food for the fungi, which is a kelp extract, and molasses.

And I do that about on a monthly basis.

And it the results speak for themselves.

Amanda: And then as we said earlier, when Columbia College was built, this was farmland.

And so in reference to that to the history, um, you have a small vegetable garden here.

And I must say your idea of improving soil certainly shows its prowess there because I think it's about a month old and that is one heck of a good look at vegetable garden.

Thank you.

I'm very proud of it.

And the tomatoes I think particularly so many people have trouble.

But I think one of the things that you've been able to do here is because Columbia College is almost a micro environment in not being in where you can where your vegetable garden is great air circulation.

And so fungal problems are less of an issue for you than they are for others.

Yeah, John: that that space is almost in the center of the campus too, by the way, and it's very noticeable.

But I'm protected from a lot of the winds.

It does get good air circulation and I get good heat, good sunlight on one side and and then I get late afternoon shade.

So it's I'm really fortunate that it is where it is.

Amanda: And you're now adding plants, herbs and pollinator plants to attract those important pollinators that we John: often forget.

Exactly.

It is the most underused aspect of a garden is you gotta have pollinators are you're not going to have much success.

Amanda: John as we begin to get out and visit more and outdoor spaces are of course so important.

If someone wants to see some of the work here, could they get in touch with you and perhaps have a tour?

John: Sure, they could email me at jlong@columbiasc.edu Amanda: Well, thank you for letting us share the beauty of the campus with our viewers.

Thank you ♪ If I were in the Columbia area, I would certainly want to go out there and take a walk and see the beauty of that campus and give a call and be sure that that's that that's that that's allowed but ah, it will just be one of the prettiest things you've ever seen in your life.

Teresa, thank you.

Carrie Thank you Mallory.

Thank you, Casey.

Thank you and um, thanks to everybody who tuned in and joined us and we will see you all next time here on Making It Grow.

♪ Narration: Making it grow is brought to you in part by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture.

Certified South Carolina grown helps consumers identify, find and buy South Carolina products.

McLeod farms in McBee, South Carolina.

This family farm offers seasonal produce, including over 22 varieties of peaches.

Additional funding provided by International Paper and the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation and Farm Bureau Insurance