Making It Grow is brought to you in part by Certified South Carolina is a cooperative effort among farmers retailers and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture to help consumers identify foods and agricultural products that are grown harvested or raised right here in the Palmetto State.

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This family farm offers seasonal produce, including over 40 varieties of peaches.

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♪ opening music ♪ ♪ <Amanda> Well, good evening, and welcome to Making It Grow.

We're so glad that you can join us tonight.

I'm Amanda McNulty.

And I'm the Clemson Extension agent.

And I get to come over and be around people who remind me of all the stuff that I learned 40 years ago, and all the new stuff that they've learned, too.

It's just a wonderful experience.

And tonight, we've got some fun things for you.

We've got the Purple Tuteur Cut Flower Farm, and you are going to have so much fun seeing these exquisitely beautiful flowers that are grown outside in South Carolina.

Terasa Lott is in charge of the Master Gardener Program.

And that's a lot of things to keep up with.

<Terasa> It is, but the master gardeners are a wonderful service to Cooperative Extension.

I think we have almost 900 that reported volunteer service hours.

So, that's a tremendous help to us being able to reach more people.

<Amanda> Well, and as we've often said, you might just be in line getting something or talking about something and if that's a master gardener standing by you, they might say, oh, you know, because you know, of course, I talk to anybody.

But I think most master gardeners are friendly, and engage in conversations and I think even in informal situations, they help people make good judgments and decisions.

<Terasa> That word of, passing things word of mouth.

<Amanda> Yeah, I think that's great.

Cory Tanner is in charge of the horticulture team.

How many people do we have on our team, I wonder?

<Cory> We have 23 agents right now and a couple of positions that hopefully will fill soon.

<Amanda> And then you got specialists that come and join us sometimes, as well.

<That's correct> Yeah, yeah.

Horticulture is a big deal.

<Cory> It is.

I mean, we get a lot of questions in the extension offices about plants and gardens and lawns.

So yeah, we have one of the larger teams and extension, which we're grateful for that kind of support.

<Amanda> And I think the people at H.G.I.C.

fall under that umbrella too.

<That's correct> Why don't you remind people what H.G.I.C.

is just in case.

<Cory> The Home and Garden Information Center, we shortened it to the H.G.I.C.

is our website and call center based at the University.

We have several agents there that they answer the phone <Amanda> And they are friendly.

<Cory> every day.

Friendly and helpful and they are a huge benefit.

Agents out in the counties are often out in the field or they're doing programs.

And so it really helps extension as a whole in the state of South Carolina to have that staff there at the H.G.I.C.

that can take a lot of those calls and help people with their gardening problems.

<Amanda> I think sometimes they kind of the frontline to hear about things because they get so many calls that from all over the state, that they go, what's going on?

And so they, and then of course, Terasa, I know you and I both are always just looking things up at H.G.I.C.

'cause you can look up something and there's, they're wonderful facts.

<Terasa> Oh yes.

Thousands of fact sheets and can't remember all that information, but you can always pull it up.

I think we're the most, the H.G.I.C.

is the most visited Clemson website surpassing even football recently, I believe.

<Cory> That is correct.

In 2021, the H.G.I.C.

website had 7 million page views which exceeded any other website at Clemson University.

<Amanda> That's something.

And Jackie Jordan who's an extension agent in several counties, in Fairfield, Richland and Kershaw I believe, and I think you write a good many blogs?

<Jackie> Weed of the Month and usually some turf stuff.

<Amanda> So the Weed of the Month.

<Yep> Yeah.

And so that comes out once a month, at the H.G.I.C.

website.

<Jackie> Right.

And basically it started as an approach because most people just go straight to herbicides.

And I wanted to show people that there are lots of other options when controlling weeds.

Sometimes you just have to mow them down, or sometimes you can hand pull them or sometimes just using a good three inch layer of mulch is enough to suppress them.

<Amanda> You said that can help with chamberbitter?

Three inches of good mulch or did I get that wrong?

<Jackie> Not chamberbitter as much but a lot of other weeds like spurge and some other ones.

A lot of them just need that light to germinate and so, keep that three inch layer.

And it's really going to be like a medium to coarse because the medium to coarse dries out enough so it stops at germination process.

<Amanda> Okay.

Well thank you.

And thank you for joining us.

And Bill Guess you are at B.B.

Barns, which has been a nursery well known in North Carolina, I believe <Asheville> and now y'all have a wonderful presence in Columbia.

<Bill> Yes, it's been a great transition for us.

So we have a lot of new plant sources.

And upgrading, everything has been great.

<Amanda> And you are at which location?

<Bill> I'm at the Two Notch location.

And we then we have another store out in Irmo.

<Amanda>: Okay, and I think it's fun in talking with you, I've learned that you have a background in art.

Your mother was an art teacher.

And I think that's why you're so good at making arrangements of things like, this would be so good in a pot with this 'cause there is an artform involved in doing all that.

<Bill> Yeah.

Sometimes you see things and you just know they're gonna go together well and think about it from a color perspective, not just from how they're gonna grow.

<Amanda> Yeah.

Well, thank you so much for joining us and bringing some wonderful plants that we can talk about.

Well, Terasa, we have usually Gardens of the Week, which someone, people send in and it's randomly chosen, so don't get your nose out of joint.

And we have a pretty, pretty views of people's gardens.

<Terasa> Um-hum You are correct.

It's sort of like our virtual field trip when we get to go across the state and see what you're doing in your yards, gardens sometimes photos of beautiful places that you visited.

Today we begin with a sort of an unusual looking critter sent in by Teresa Kidd.

This is the hickory horned devil the caterpillar of the regal moth that looks quite frightening but is actually harmless.

From Lisa Fitzherbert.

We have lots of color with a sunflower front and center in a view of her front porch.

Christine Mango shared a large bright magenta Dahlia flower.

From Janis Krauss we have a view of her back patio where you can see a rain barrel, so thanks Janis for harvesting rainwater.

She also has a raised herb planter back there.

And last but not least, we finished with Samuel Beavon who shared the large leaves of elephant ears.

Don't be shy if you see us make our call for Gardens of the Week.

Please post your photos in the comments or you're also welcome to email me if you don't happen to be on Facebook or if you just prefer <Amanda> Alright, well thank you so very, very much.

And do we, oh, Bill I think, I'm gonna let, these are so pretty.

I just got to go to you right now and ask what they are.

<Bill> Euphorbias.

So, <Amanda> They are kind of different looking euphorbias.

<Bill> They are different looking.

And they are coming in variety of colors.

<Whoa> And they're very cold hardy.

So we like to use these sort of this time of year and they're great companions with your kales, cabbages, your pansies, all those sorts of fall container plants.

They're going to, they like bright light.

So full sun to part sun, and they are perennial, so you can get a couple years out of them.

They're not gonna go forever, but you'll get a couple years out of them.

<Amanda> And you know, some people even, if the only place they have a lot of sun is the front yard have small little vegetable gardens there.

And if you pop these in amongst it, it would keep it from looking quite so much like you would just, you know growing, <Bill> It'll definitely go through the winter.

No problem.

Several years ago, when we had such a cold spell, all the plants in the nursery had frozen solid and many of them were wilting 'cause they couldn't use the water 'cause it was frozen.

These stood up straight and didn't even blink.

<Amanda> How about that?

Well, and so, do well in containers.

Can take that exposure fine.

<Bill> Absolutely.

<Amanda> Okay, okay.

Well, they're not, they're not spillers.

I guess they could be thrillers, <laughs> <Bill> Thrillers and we, <Amanda> and fillers.

<Bill> And there's about nine different colors that are readily available.

Going from a, you know, these two that are varigated.

More of a green.

This will turn sort of scarlet <Gosh> when the cold weather starts to comes to come and then there's another one that's purple, dark purple.

<Amanda> Ooh!

Well isn't that fun?

Well, thank you so much for giving us some ideas about fall containers.

<Absolutely> I appreciate it.

Terasa.

<Terasa> Well, you know, sometimes we get questions.

We get lots of questions from the general public, but we also serve those in the commercial realm.

And I believe Cory was recently contacted by a cut flower grower about an insect issue.

<Amanda> Okay.

And what was the issue?

<Cory> Well, so I visited a cut flower grower, and that's, I mean, just a really fast growing segment <Yeah> of the horticulture industry, and certainly in South Carolina.

We have a lot of great, <Amanda> We can grow stuff all year long.

<Cory> That's right and there's a great market, people want local food and they want local flowers.

And so it's a great market.

So one of our upstate cut flower growers in Pickens County, they called me and had an issue with an insect on their eucalyptus, of course, they grow eucalyptus, cut it back every year and let it flush out so they can have that nice, <Amanda> So they don't get that mature leaf.

Yeah, yeah.

<Cory> And Eucalyptus is generally fairly pest free.

But a number of years ago, I believe Vicky Bertagnolli was involved in detecting the first of this particular pest that they were having trouble with in Pickens County, which is the eucalyptus leaf beetle, or sometimes called eucalyptus turtle, tortoise beetle, which is a voracious eater of eucalyptus.

<Yeah> So unfortunately, they had a very extensive infestation on their eucalyptus crop.

So probably most of that crop was lost, and may be able to get another flush.

But me and Mary Vargo, a horticulture agent in Greenville now, went out and visited, and were able to make some recommendations on how they could manage and prevent that pest in the future on their eucalyptus.

<Amanda> Well, you saying that these people cut their eucalyptus back every year, so that they have first of all they can get to it, they don't stand on the ladder.

And also they can continue to have that immature foliage which they want.

So if, so if someone at home has this and wants to treat their eucalyptus that way, is there a spray that's safe for homeowners to use?

<Cory> It's going to be very difficult, especially on the larger growing trees.

Now in the Upstate, most of the time eucalyptus, every, when we have a really cold winter, will get killed back to the ground.

<Amanda> That's what I was asking you.

If you had a smaller one could, is there something that you could use?

<Cory> So there's an organic product called Spinosad <Yeah> which is very effective against beetles <Okay>.

And so it's, it's a good choice for the homeowner, and sold under various different trade names, but, but I also have a picture here of the adult beetle, but also the larva, because they look quite a bit different.

<Amanda> does the larva do most of the damage?

<Cory> The larva do the majority of the feeding.

I think it feeds in both stages but the larva do the majority of the feeding.

<Amanda> They always have a big appetite, don't they?

<Cory> And it's pretty interesting because the larvae are basically the same color as the eucalyptus leaf.

They're really hard to kind of spot.

It took us a little while to start finding the larvae and then kind of once you develop an eye for it, they start to pop, you noticed a lot more of them.

So, but yeah, it's, it's a little bit of a problem.

But fortunately, it appears to be exclusive to eucalyptus, so it's not gonna leave the leaf eucalyptus and go to other garden plants or cut flower plants in this case.

<Amanda> Well good.

And Terasa, I think a lot of people are getting more interested in insects and all that.

I mean, I think the interest in gardening that we had, when things were so bad people outside and, you know, if you're growing things, you're gonna see the insects that are on 'em.

And Austin Jenkins does a lot of the Master Naturalist programs.

And we've got a program that's being offered through the Master Naturalist category, but you don't have to be a Master Naturalist to do it.

Anyone can take it.

And Austin Jenkins is doing the presentations, and they're 30 video lectures and you get to take it when you want to.

So you don't have to, you know, be there Tuesday morning, you know, and sit there for an hour or 30 minutes.

But you wouldn't mind sitting there for an hour because Austin is such a marvelous teacher.

But, I just think that a lot of people would like to know more about the natural world that surround them.

And this would be a very interesting way to do it.

And so if you want to do that, you could just go to the Master Naturalist webpage, I guess and find it there.

We'll probably put up a link to and I'm gonna do it because I've forgotten a lot of stuff.

And there's a lot of new stuff to learn.

<Terasa> And it's been offered through Clemson online.

And like you said, one of the advantages is that it's an asynchronous class.

So that means you can take it at your own pace.

I think you have 120 days, if I'm not mistaken.

So from the time, time you start, so gives you you know, kind of a lot of time to, to learn.

And you're right, there is increased interest in insects.

I think we tend to think of them as being bad, but there are many, most are probably beneficial, or at least benign.

And even those that feed on leaves, you know, a lot of the caterpillars and things aren't going to do major damage.

You know, or the plants can be able to tolerate it because there's that that relationship.

<Amanda> So like an oak tree can have like 500 different caterpillars that you don't well, I've never had any trouble with any of my oak trees, and the caterpillars don't fall for me.

So it's just not anything usually to get to work.

<Terasa> A lot of times it's aesthetics, right.

People want things to be perfect.

And we're like, oh, no, there's holes in the leaves.

But is that is that a bad thing?

<Amanda> Yeah.

Okay.

All right.

Oh, goodness, I've lost my place.

So, Terasa, I think you've got another question for us.

<Terasa> We do and funny the person who sent in the question is named Jackie from Columbia.

< laughs > Her question is short and sweet.

And I bet a lot of other people have the same question.

It can be a real pain in the foot.

How can I get rid of sand spurs?

<Sand spurs> Has blue ever got a sand spur?

<Amanda> Oh, they're horrible.

I mean, God!

They're awful.

<Um-hum> Jackie, nobody needs those.

<Jackie> No, no.

So with sand spurs unfortunately, it's really hard to control them with preemergent herbicides.

Yeah, it's fairly ineffective, you can try and use some preemergence <Amanda> That's usually, that's usually the lightest touch for us to use.

<Jackie> Right and pendimethalin is okay, it's recommended, but it's not going to be highly effective.

So it would give some control.

It would need to be put out in early spring.

So I would say probably around March.

<Amanda> What's the best thing to do?

<Jackie> The best thing to do is actually mowing.

So a lot of times if you can mow and keep that because it is a summer annual weed.

So if you can keep it from producing seed, just by keeping it short, and mowing it, that is the best way.

And if you do have a lot of it.

This is the one time where I would say definitely put a bag on your lawn mower and just collect as much as possible to prevent those seeds from getting into the soil.

But you know, sometimes with some weeds, we want to raise our mowing height to shade them out.

And sometimes with some weeds, we want to lower our mowing height so we can keep them from preventing seeds.

<Amanda> So is that what you would do with this?

<Jackie> With this one, I would lower my mowing hay.

I would try to be active and I would just try to scout it looks, you can tell the difference, but it's a grass like looking plant.

So just try to learn how to identify it.

Especially if it's in your landscaping beds.

But most the time it's you'll notice it's hard to see because it's in with the grass.

And a lot of people don't pay enough attention to the difference with the grasses, but just regular mowing.

<Amanda> Well, does certain soil types, <Jackie> They like poor sandy soil.

I do.

Okay, yeah.

Okay, so you know, increasing the fertility of your soil definitely could help but mowing is the best thing.

<Amanda> Okay, well, thank you because they are something no one ever wants to have on them or their dog.

<No> Okay.

Well, Bill, I think we've got something else fun to talk about.

It's certainly colorful.

<Bill> It's an ornamental pepper.

This one is called Calico.

That's really great color for the fall.

This one has pink but we have so many different ornamental peppers.

And we have orange peppers and bright red, purple like this one.

And they're just really in those fall colors that everybody likes.

<Amanda> It really is wonderfully colorful.

How do you think so, 'cause it's not going to look really great till the peppers are on.

How do you think it's best used and displayed?

<Bill> Most of the time they come with peppers on them.

<Oh> so they're already ready.

This is ready to go home and then, <Amanda> Don't shake it around.

We won't be able to get a good picture.

<laughs> And then this can, this can come inside if you have a bright window, you can bring this in and it will last through the winter in a nice bright window.

Maybe a little less water keep it kind of dry but it will do well inside.

<Amanda> Okay.

Now, do you cook with them?

<Bill> So the peppers are edible, but they don't taste very good.

So we're breeding these to have those beautiful peppers on there.

Not for their tastes.

<Amanda> Now did you shine those up befor you brought them?

<Bill> This is right off the bench.

Right of the bench, this is how they look.

So, you know, you can take this and go back with, again, some of those fall plantings where you can put your violas and your pansies around this and get some contrasting color.

<Amanda> Yeah.

And the people who didn't want to put up a Christmas tree, if they could keep it going inside the house, maybe they could just have a little teeny, tiny Christmas tree.

<Bill> It already has ornaments on it.

I know it does.

Put some tips on you ready to go.

<Terasa> But even though we think about it as a fall plant, you really could could grow it for a much longer period of time, if I'm not mistaken.

<Bill> Absolutely.

We typically get these in in the fall, but they are available in the spring.

And if you get them in the spring, you may get them without the peppers on them.

But some of the foliage is amazing.

There's another one that is almost dark, dark purple, all the leaves.

<Amanda> So it's not hard to get them to get the peppers on them.

I mean, sometimes peppers are hard to grow.

<Bill> No, these little peppers are profuse bloomers, and and bearers.

<Amanda> Okay.

And insects don't come and eat 'em.

They don't really taste great.

I don't have any problems with these with insects.

They tend to just not have problems.

<Cory> Jackie was saying that some of the ornamental peppers are good for attracting beneficial insects.

<Jackie> Yeah, it'll attract big eyed bugs, which are ones that go after some of the thrips.

So, definitely something it's great to have in your around your vegetable garden or if your flower garden because natural, you know, it's not going to eliminate them, but it is a way to keep them in the garden.

<Amanda> Well, that's fun.

Okay, well, shoot, I was gonna eat one, but I'm not gonna do it.

<laughs> <Bill> be good television.

<Amanda> Okay.

Jackie, you have a lot of flower farmers that you work with.

And now we are so excited because one of them came to see us the other day.

And we just had a wonderful time with Linda Bradley from the Purple Tuteur Cut Flower Farm.

♪ I am so excited today to be talking to Linda Bradley.

And she is a flower farmer.

Linda, thanks for coming down and tell everybody the name of your farm and how you got such a fascinating title.

<Linda> Okay, sure.

The name of the farm is Purple Tuteur.

And I got the name because when I grew vegetables first and when I was considering growing flowers, I had Jenks Farmer out to the farm.

And he put it in a couple of beds for me.

And he said you need some kind of art object out there.

So he designed these tuteurs that are made out of rebar and they have little tools on the top.

<Amanda> Because he's so artistic he has to make everything fun.

<Linda> Yes.

And when he got them installed, he wasn't happy with them, because he couldn't see them.

So he sent his assistant down to the hardware store to buy a purple paint because I had a purple shirt on and he knew I liked purple, <Amanda> And therefore the name of the farm.

But it's really, really fun.

And it's fun, because that is such a bright color.

And you have a wonderful way of doing things with your flowers.

How do y'all make your flowers available to people?

<Linda> We have subscriptions that we deliver to homes and businesses.

We have those over three seasons.

So early, spring and then summer and then we'll do another one late summer and fall.

<Amanda> And so you said that, really, you have a hoop past now, you can start things early.

<Linda> Yes, we actually grow year round.

But in the colder months things go dormant.

So we just tend them until it's ready for them to bloom again.

<Amanda> And then.

And then you also now have a nice air conditioned building where you and the ladies who work with you can make the arrangements.

<Yes> And then you've got a cooler.

<Linda> Yes, to store the flowers.

The first year that we grew, we just had the field and we didn't have a cooler and it's very inefficient.

It's like cooking without a refrigerator.

<Amanda> And you deliver how many days a week?

<Linda> Twice a week.

<Alright> Tuesdays and Fridays.

<Amanda> Linda, you have brought an example of what someone who has a subscription might get and I must say that the way it's packaged, starts off but it's very attractively packaged, so show up.

So show that off first, if you don't mind.

<Linda> We use craft paper sleeves to protect the bouquet while we're in transit.

<Amanda> So that's how it's delivered.

<Linda> So that's how it's delivered so they can slip the sleeve off.

It's rubber banded.

We have the flower food attached to every bouquet and when they get them they just remove the rubber band.

Put the flower food in the water.

♪ <Amanda> So you encourage your subscribers to cut the stems as well.

<Linda> Yes.

So after they receive it, give them a fresh cut.

<Amanda> It helps so much with absorption of water.

<Linda> And you can cut them at an angle or you can kind of flat.

That's a personal preference.

And so if you're, all you want to do is take them and put them in a vase.

There you go.

<Amanda> That's pretty fun.

And very attractive.

Yes, yes.

And brightens your house.

Yes.

Yeah.

<Linda> And if you want to take them, some people, take them and work with them and make arrangements and they send me photos of them.

<Amanda> That's kind of fun.

♪ And then you have because you were in software for many, many years, you have an analytical, linear mind.

And so you have, you can describe the ways that you like to select the flowers to put into each one of these bouquets.

<Linda> Yeah, well, you know, sometimes when you look at all the flowers, it can be overwhelming.

And so it's just a little structure to help, you know, get it started so you can make a bouquet that you don't feel overwhelmed by.

<Amanda> Alright.

Well, I think we're gonna have you make one for us, if you don't mind.

<Linda> We have focal flowers, like lilies.

The focal flowers are the main flower that people really notice.

They're usually larger, and they're the ones people noticing the arrangements.

But for them to be noticed there's a whole lot that goes behind it.

We like to use spikes.

This is tuberose.

This is used in perfumes, we also have salvia.

Then we have the disc type flowers, which of course, this is a classic disc, but also the Rudbeckia is a good one.

And we also have Dora which is sometimes called Chocolate Queen Anne's lace.

<Amanda> I haven't seen that before.

That's cool.

<Linda> Yeah, it's a fun one.

<Amanda> Lots of Zinnias, too.

<Linda> Oh yes.

These are a good disc right here.

<Amanda> And so many colors.

<Linda> And there's we grow three different sizes though.

A lot of people are only accustomed to seeing this larger one, <Yes> but we also have a medium size, which is this.

It comes in this.

This is called Queen Lime Blotch.

So it's a bi color.

Zinnia.

And then this, these smaller ones are called Oklahoma, <Amanda> Oklahoma.

Funny name for a big state.

<laughs> <Linda> You never know why.

Some of the stories behind the names of the flowers are interesting.

The fillers or the supporting flowers are, can be the discs.

These are, this is Lisianthus.

<Amanda> What a great color, too.

<Linda> I love this.

So many people love this.

<Amanda> And perfect for your Purple Tuteur Farm.

<Linda> Of course I love it.

It lasts a long time.

It comes in a lot of different colors.

But I like the purple.

For the airy, you know you want a little movement in the.

So this time of year.

This is a good one to use.

It's called Rudbeckia triloba.

And it grows in the sprays.

It is very hearty in the heat.

The other kind of filler that we use is greenery.

Like Eucalyptus.

<Yes> We use a lot of Eucalyptus.

Since it grows so well here.

And this one is another pollinator lover, which is called Mountain Mint.

<Amanda> Pycnanthemum and it is just the biggest pollinator magnet in the world.

<Linda> Yeah.

The dahlias that are just coming out support is well.

We'd like to start with the taller spikier flowers.

And so put them straight up because they're going to be in the middle in the middle.

And then we want to slowly add the flowers.

So it forms a shape.

Yes, you know, it's sort of a dome shape and we gradually add them down.

So and during the process we're turning the bouquet so that it gets filled out evenly <Symmetrically> Yes.

♪ <Amanda> Alright.

Well, I think this is just exclusive.

Let's clean up and get a really nice picture of this.

♪ What a beautiful array of flowers Linda grows out there at the Purple Tuteur Cut Flower Farm.

And we so appreciate her coming in and sharing all that beauty with us.

So this is a grocery store hat.

I was having some people over and I got and I said, Well, if I've got to buy some flowers, because I want everything in my yard right now, I might as well get some that are last till I have to make a hat.

So I got this wonderful, Sea Holly, I think that's what you call that beautiful blue thing?

And I have no idea what the yellow thing is.

But then, of course, my dear friend Ann gave me some purple because she thought that would look good with it.

I was out there.

I'm at her house.

And then she gave me another bit of this new you said this is kind of new.

<Bill> Fairly new.

We're seeing it widely available now.

It's a great trailer.

The ones we planted in the spring are now two, two and a half feet long.

I believe that one is Nanuk.

There's another one that's just white variegated, but the pink is is really fabulous.

<Amanda> Gosh, you think it's going to be as cold hardy as the old one that people used to put out?

<Bill> I don't think it's going to be cold hardy at all.

Really?

<Amanda> Oh, so bring it in?

Well, I'm gonna root this one.

<Bill> Absolutely.

Just put it in a glass of water.

It'll go through the winter.

No problem.

<Amanda> We'll, I like to put it in a certain place in our house.

<laugh> We don't have central heat.

Okay, well, Bill, you've got something that looks like my hair.

If I got mixed in with the color wheel at the fair.

<Bill> This is a loropetalum.

This is called Jazz Hands.

<Jazz, like> Jazz Hands and it's varigated loropetalum.

You've probably seen loropetalum all over.

It's normally a red, burgundy color, fuchsia blooms.

This is varigated.

It's still has the fuchsia blooms.

And but this, we've found it needs a little bit more shade.

So not full sun.

A little bit of protection from the afternoon sun would help it out a lot.

<Amanda> I mean, talk about a variegated leaf <Bill> Extremely varigated, they're coming out with more varieties of those two where it's a little darker, not quite so pink.

Not quite so white.

There's maybe four varieties of Jazz Hands right now.

And this one will stop at about two and a half or three feet.

So as far as a foundation planting, it's very useful.

And you should not have to be out there, trimming it all the time.

If you prune it once a year, that should be perfectly fine.

<Amanda>: And what exposure did you think this one preferred?

<Bill> So six hours or so just, it's that afternoon sun that can burn some of these tips that are a little <light color> Yeah, but the, some sun to maintain the variation in the color to get those pinks, but a little protection from the afternoon.

<Amanda> So when loropetalum first came out, it was, <Bill> They were all 20 feet.

they were huge.

And they were 20 feet and people were using them as foundation plants and I was in the maintenance business at that point.

And you would have to trim somebody's foundation shrubs, two and three times during the summer.

But they have bred so many of them now that we carry about 11 or 12 different varieties and you can get one that will stop at a foot and a half.

One that'll stop at two feet stop at three feet all the way up to we still have the large varieties.

<Okay> But much more useful as a foundation plant now that you don't have to prune it every 10 minutes.

<Amanda>.

And I think you need to remind people that if they have brick house, I kind of need to think about how that purple is going to look against the brick.

<Bill> The colors, yeah.

<Amanda> I've seen some that kind of made me go... <Bill> Works as a good accent.

Or now with some of these smaller varieties, you can put a larger green shrub behind it, and then tuck in a smaller variety, so that has a green background.

<Amanda> That would be lovely.

That's a good suggestion.

Thank you.

So you can get some that will stay extremely manageable if that's what you need.

<Bill> There's one that's almost a ground cover.

<Amanda> Cool.

Well, that one is vibrant.

Okay, well, thank you for sharing it with us.

Okay, Terasa, what have we got coming up next?

<Terasa> We received a question through our Facebook page from Luther in Pelion and he sent some photographs of some caterpillars that ended up on the antenna of his vehicle.

He said they're the smallest caterpillars he'd ever seen only about a quarter inch long and maybe a 16th of an inch wide and wanted to know if we know what they are.

<Amanda> I've never heard of a car antenna being a larva food source.

<Terasa> I think they ended up there accidentally.

<Amanda> Okay.

I mean, Cory, do you have an idea about this?

<Cory> Well, there are a lot of pecan trees in Pelion in that area.

<Amanda> There are a lot of pecan trees in my house.

<Cory> And so I think these are probably early stage fall webworm.

And how they ended up on the antenna, I don't know.

Maybe they were dislodged from a tree or confused.

But I think you know, caterpillar start tiny.

They hatch from itty bitty little eggs about the size of a pinhead.

And then they grow from there.

And obviously, we don't notice caterpillars a lot of times until they're larger.

But of course, fall webworms are the ones that do the big ol web on the ends of branches.

They really like pecans.

You'll see them all over the roadsides during the fall of the year.

Really on a mature tree, they're not harmful.

<Amanda> You know, pecans, their leafs kind of start going in, getting ready to fall off kind of early that they leave out late and they seem to lose.

So I've known people who would put ladders up and go up there.

And I just think that's way too dangerous.

<Cory>I've heard of all kinds of risky ways of managing the webworm tent caterpillars, that would not be recommended.

In most cases, you can just leave them alone.

Some people say if you can reach them with a stick, stir up the web and then birds can get in there and eat the eat the little larva, but most of the time they're not gonna be terribly harmful.

<Amanda> So it's not anything that's going to be damaging, under except, <Cory> If it's got a really young tree, you know, they could strip all the foliage off.

<Amanda> If you got a really young tree, you could probably reach 'em.

<Cory> If you got a really young tree.

That's right.

<Amanda> But I think you got to stop on them or put them in a bucket of water.

They'll just walk right back up the tree I believe.

Yeah, so.

Okay, well, Terasa, whom else is puzzled or needs help?

<Terasa> Vanessa in Hopkins, South Carolina said the bark of my crape myrtle is peeling.

It seems excessive.

Does this mean my tree is dying?

<Amanda> Goodness gracious.

I mean, that's the most beautiful thing about crape myrtles, isn't it?

<Jackie> Yeah, that's one of their ornamental features.

So although it can be a little intimidating and you know, little frightening to see if you're not accustomed, if you're not accustomed to it, but yes, that bark does peel and it can peel off in some sheets.

So, no, not harmful for crape myrtles.

But I will say in the winter months that you can get squirrel damage to other trees like your hardwoods, your oaks and stuff from the squirrels peeling off the bark, and that can cause some severe damage.

So, but that peeling bark on the crape myrtles where it's just sloughing off, natural.

<Amanda> I have never had maybe because we have some kitty cats that have all been fixed but still are outdoors.

Maybe they keep the squirrel numbers down.

<Jackie> It's crazy when you see one of the trees where the squirrels have done that to it.

<Amanda> I've never seen it.

Yeah, <Cory> They love Japanese maple.

<Amanda> Oh, they do.

Oh, and they're so special to people.

Now why in the world with the dang squirrel decided to pick on a Japanese maple?

Because squirrels are just tree rats.

Right.

I think that's what we call 'em.

Well, Bill, I think we're going from one kind of extreme to another, although we still we have gorgeous color.

<Bill> This is a croton.

For a lot of people this is definitely a sign of fall.

<Yes> It's got those great fall colors beautiful.

And this will take full sun so again, it's a great companion plant for some of your pansies and violas and your fall plantings, but he's a tropical, he's not going to go through the winter.

So, a lot of times, what I will tell folks to do is to go ahead and put it in the container with its container.

Just slip it in there.

And then when you know that the cold weather is coming, you go ahead and pull it out.

And you can bring it inside and makes a great house plant.

<Amanda>: Yeah, it really it brightens its corner so beautifully.

<Bill> And then you can put it out in the spring.

And it will take full sun took a trip down to Florida, and one of the McDonald's down in Florida had these all the way around it.

So one of the fast food restaurants in Florida just this was what they were using as a foundation plan.

<Amanda> Well, so if the sign didn't catch your eye.

This would <Bill> It's intimidating when it's 100 or 200 of these.

<Amanda> It's kind of funny that something that had me you feel like this might be, would easily be sun damaged with so much variation.

But you said it just full sun is perfectly fine, <Bill> It's fine.

If you get it from the greenhouse, you may want to acclimate it a little bit, but it definitely will take the full sun.

<Amanda> And I don't see any, I've never seen any insect damage on any.

<Bill> They're not tasty.

They've never had a deer or anything get to it.

It's just one of those plants and probably be in a tropical it doesn't have any real natural insects that want to eat it.

<Amanda>: Okay, okay, well, it's just I love your idea of just popping it in and then popping it out.

And you can put it in a giant red mustard or something <Bill> Exactly you can get and get more use out of your plant.

<Amanda> Okay, well, thank you so very much.

I really appreciate it.

Terasa, how about some people who have just worked and worked and worked and have all parts of their garden perfectly lovely.

<Terasa>: The spotlight garden Yes.

And this one has a sort of an interesting story behind it.

Clay and Cindy Williams are in Florence and they are avid viewers of Making It Grow, have shared photos.

But today they're sending pictures from Morven, North Carolina.

This is the home of Betty Canipe and Betty is Cindy's mother and she is also a faithful viewer of Making It Grow.

So we start out with the developing fruit on a plant commonly called Pumpkin on a Stick which is not actually a pumpkin.

It's actually one of the solanaceous plants Solanum integrifolium.

We see a pretty color combination in the next photo with mixture of zinnias and Mexican Petunia, You know Zinnias are quite popular with the pollinators as we see here with the sulfur butterfly in the second Zinnia photo.

Speaking of sulfur butterflies, we also see one here on a red flowered rose.

And then finally we end with a zebra swallowtail on lantana.

And it's really easy to see where swallowtails get their name.

In this photo, you can see the long projections on the hind wings that looks similar to the elongated tail feathers on the birds known as the swallows.

So thanks to Clay and Cindy for sharing photos from Ms. Betty's yard.

We appreciate all of you for watching Making It Grow.

<Amanda>: It's fun how many people are sending us pictures of butterflies and things.

<Yes> I think that's really cool.

<Terasa> People love to see butterflies enjoying their yard.

<Amanda> Well, Bill, y'all have a big big nursery out there.

And apparently this is full of plants.

<Bill> Oh yeah.

always full.

This is a heuchera.

This is called Fire Alarm.

It's a perennial shade.

This this color, they've been working on reds.

And there was a lot of them that were dark purple, but to give a nice bright red.

It's been a while.

This is this is one of the best reds is the heucheras that I've seen <Amanda> Now.

Did they persist as long as the regular just species or do you sometimes have to replace these after a couple of years?

<Bill> Couple years?

You're probably gonna get that three to five years.

You get a lot of bonus out of them.

Their downtime would be mid summer.

They kind of wilt, kind of fade away a little bit.

But spring and fall they're just the new growth comes out it's even brighter than what it is right now.

<Amanda> That's very vibrant.

<Bill> And so this is, this is Artemisia This is Palace Castle.

And what I like about this is it's evergreen.

It's almost like a shrub.

We call it a perennial but it's it's very close to a shrub.

It's going to have the silver on there year round.

And when we start to combine the silver with the red, the silver makes your red more red, the silver will make your blues more blue, your yellow, more yellow.

It makes a great backdrop for all the colors you're trying to use in your garden.

And this is one of the toughest plants around.

I always, somebody asked me about their mailbox planning, it's going to be in full sun with no rain, and no real help.

I usually will to tell them to do some lantana, some of this Artemesia and they'll get along just fine and won't need a whole lot of care.

<Amanda> So you refer to this as a seasoning.

Was it Tabasco sauce or something?

<Bill> Salt.

It's not that spicy.

That's just like adding a little salt to whatever combination you're doing.

It's gonna make everything taste a little bit better.

It's gonna make it more visually appealing when you can get that silvery backdrop on there.

<Amanda> Well, I think that your artistic mama and your artistic college degree do you well in this business because it's about putting things together?

<Bill> I do like it.

Yes.

Okay, that's lots and lots of fun.

Thank you so much.

<Thank you.> Okay, Terasa, what's up?

<Terasa>: Catherine sent a photograph to our Facebook page and would like us to help her identify a little oak seedling and I can say that I sometimes have a difficult time identifying oaks we've have quite a few species that grow in South Carolina and her question was, Is this a Black Jack Oak?

or .

.

.

?

<Amanda> <laughs> Well, there're a lot of oaks.

Cory, do you think you can help us on this one?

<Cory> I think it's probably a Black Jack Oak.

Particularly these like juvenile plant seedlings.

The leaf shape on juvenile Oaks can be a little bit variable.

So it's hard to be 100 percent sure, but I think she's probably on the right track.

It's definitely that kind of Black Oak- Red Oak, group.

<Amanda> Okay.

Okay.

So what is it going to develop into?

<Cory> I mean, all the, pretty much all of our oaks grow into very large trees and Black Jack Oak can be a very durable Oak in the right conditions.

<Okay> But like any Oak, they can be a little bit weedy if they're in spots that you don't want them.

So it's just all depends on what you want.

But it is a nice tree.

I do like.

<Amanda> Terasa remind people that they say that Oak trees are just the most wonderful things for how many larval foods, how many?

<Terasa> I think it's over 300 but the most diversity of caterpillar species is offered by Oak trees.

<Amanda> So a good reason to have an Oak tree around.

<Terasa> Definitely.

Doug Tallamy has several books out there about, you know, nature in your backyard and he has one specifically on Oaks.

<Amanda> Yeah.

And as I said, my yard is full of Oak trees, and I've never had, I've heard people say, I'm not going to plant something that's it's going to have caterpillars dropping all over me and I go, it doesn't work that way.

They want to eat the leaf and they have pretty good little prolegs is that what they have prolegs anyway, so they're not going to fall off on you.

Okay, so what's next?

We have another question.

<Terasa> We do have a question.

We've got one from Mrs. Todd in Columbia who's having a centipede problem.

She said my centipede lawn looks terrible.

Is it a disease and what can I do?

<Amanda> Well, Jackie, what do you think Mrs. Todd in Columbia needs to change in her regime?

<Jackie> Well, the first thing you want to do is definitely verify the problem.

I would suggest going out there and searching because we have a lot of insects that show up.

<Amanda> My hat is falling apart.

<Jackie> <laughs> They show up in the heat of summer.

But another one to check for is chinch bugs.

Chinch bugs can also attack centipedes.

<Amanda> Oh, I thought they were worse on St. Augustine.

<Jackie> They are worse in St. Augustine.

They're typically problematic on St. Augustine but they can go after Zoysia and centipede as well.

<How do they check for them?> You get, typically a cylinder that you can put in the ground, like an old metal coffee can works great.

Open ended and you want to take a garden hose and just fill it with water and you'll see the chinch bugs floating on the top around the side.

They're little tiny bugs but they have black and white wings.

<Amanda> So if that happens, that's a good diagnostic tool.

<Jackie> That is and you'll typically see with chinch bugs, the damage is always out in full sun.

You'll see the grass turning brown rather quickly.

So it's something that you can watch the progression day by day.

It typically shows up when we have very dry hot weather so right, the weather we were having before we're getting all this rain would definitely be typical of chinch bug problems.

<Amanda> Good for chinch bugs.

Bad for the yard, And so is this something that you need to hire professionals to come in?

<Jackie> No, no, you can just get a liquid insecticide and treat the yard with a liquid insecticide would be fine.

<Amanda> Really?

Okay.

So how would you decide which one to use?

<Jackie> We have a fact sheet on it <We do> on H.I.C, I believe and so or you can call H.I.C.

There's lots of different general insecticides that can be used that are labeled for use on chinch bugs.

You want to use a liquid because they're up in the blades feeding on the grass as opposed to a granular product because the weight of the granular product would push it down to the soil.

<Amanda> And there are there they wouldn't affect them.

And there's so little that they're just apparently eating voraciously.

<Jackie> Well, they're piercing sucking insect, well, they pierce the blade and then they inject a toxin that turns the blades brown.

So you'll see the grass just turning brown in large tracts.

<Amanda>Okay, well, thank you so much.

I hope that'll help her.

Well, Bill, once again, it looks like you gone and just found some wonderful things for us to talk about.

<Bill> This an Autumn Fern.

And I don't normally use fern and tough in the same sentence, but this is a good strong fern.

It will take some sun whereas most of our ferns won't go out into the sun, really almost at all.

It's somewhat drought tolerant, where most of your ferns will just one day of dryness and they're done.

It will grow to almost three feet so it's big, and it will <Evergreen> evergreen and it will clump so this this will form a bigger clump as it as it matures.

The new growth comes out with this really lovely copper tone to it and you know grows into green and just a good all around fern if you have side of your yard or underneath an existing tree.

This will provide a really nice backdrops for some other shade plants that you might plant around the base.

But it has a lot of uses and it does very well.

<Amanda>: Since it doesn't have to have so much water being near a tree which uses a good bit of water is not going to damage the growth of this probably <Bill> It will have a better shot at it for sure.

<Amanda> Well and I think that it's a lovely filler.

I cut it and use it if I need some filler in a flower arrangement.

<Bill> Two or three of these would be enough filler for quite a few flower arrangements and you can trim some of this off, leave it alone for a while and come back to it and it'll be full again.

<Amanda> A friend of mine was doing the flowers for church and she said I need some filler and I said we've got all that gorgeous autumn fern for it then she said and she said it was just perfect.

It holds up well.

<Bill> It does hold up really well in a vase.

<Amanda> Okay well thank you.

We got something else we can talk about?

<Bill> I do.

We've got coreopsis this is doing really well at this time of year.

<Oh how cheerful.> Just lovely yellow color.

It will bloom and straight through until frost.

<Amanda> Which means we may have it at Christmas.

<Bill> The way things are going yeah.

It's perennial and it's just, like you say it's a really cheerful flower does full sign and it says like a sandy soil with good drainage especially for it to go through the winter.

If he's got wet feet in the winter he may not be perennial but good drainage or in a container even.

<Amanda> Have you tried this one either?

<Jackie> Oh, yes.

It does really well and my garden.

<Terasa> Mine didn't come back.

I think I suffered some some wet feet in the winter time.

<Amanda> Okay.

Okay.

We've got about a minute left because there's one we can talk about kind of quick?

<Bill> I brought a blueberry and this is just showing you some of the lovely fall color.

Had you start to get in these blueberries we don't think about them ornamentally but they are we're carrying 15 or so different blueberries.

This one, it's gonna be a larger one.

We've got some dwarfs that will have this is about a blue green color.

<Stout looking fella.> He is this is a newer variety that is got very high hopes of how you know strong it will grow.

<Cory>: And one of the great things about the fall color on blueberries as they hold that foliage really late.

So a lot of times, <Amanda> It almost looks perennial.

<Cory> Yeah, I mean it is a deciduous plant, but a lot of times, they'll hold almost to Christmas before those And the red burgundy will just get more intense as the weather gets colder.

<Amanda>: Gosh, that's really stunning.

Well, y'all I want to thank everybody so much for being with us today.

This has been a lot of fun I've learned so much and I'm so let's say goodbye to everybody, and we'll see y'all next week.

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