Narrator>> 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.

The Boyd Foundation supporting outdoor recreational opportunities, the appreciation of wildlife, educational programs, and enhancing the quality of life in Columbia, South Carolina and the Midlands at large.

McLeod Farms in McBee, South Carolina, family owned and operated since 1916.

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

Additional funding provided by the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation and Farm Bureau Insurance and Boone Hall Farms.

♪ 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.

I'm a Clemson Extension agent.

And we have a fun show for you tonight.

We have one of my dear friends who's a Master Gardener makes the coolest cards with pressed flowers.

And then we also are going back to learn about a wonderful community garden associated with a cafe.

So doesn't that all sound fun, and Terasa Lott Thank you for all the things you do for us, Terasa has a level head, which when I'm around, it's always so welcome.

(laughs) And...that's good, because you also try to keep all these Master Gardener coordinators and people who are worried about entering hours and all together because that's kind of what you really do is the Master Gardener coordinator.

<Terasa> It is my primary responsibility with Extension is to coordinate the state Master Gardener program, and those volunteers perform a wonderful service for us.

I also coordinate Carolina Yards, which is our environmentally friendly landscaping program, and two of our panelists today have helped with our online course for that.

But I encourage folks to look at our website.

If you just search for Clemson Carolina Yards, it should be one of the first thing that pops up and we have a self certification program.

So people can go through a checklist and say which things they do, and as long as they meet the minimum get their yard certified, somewhat like a wildlife habitat only more encompassing.

<Amanda> Uh huh, yeah, and I mean, we're all trying to be better stewards of the earth this, these days.

And that's a good, because you might want, when you're going through the checklist, you might say, Well, I didn't realize that was something I should or should not have been doing.

<Terasa> Correct.

<Amanda> Yeah.

Okay.

All right, and Paul Thompson, you are the agent in York County.

And, boy, I'm glad you don't live in Rock Hill, because that - it's getting just way too big for me, but your office is in a little bit more ...calmer place.

<Paul> Yeah, I drive opposite the direction of traffic in the morning and in the afternoon.

So, I'm proud about that.

<Amanda> One of the things I think you've done, you've just made y'alls office such a nice place.

Sometimes you'll show us a picture, you had a Kousa dogwood there, and then y'all have display vegetable gardens, and what all do you do there at the office that people can see?

<Paul> Well, luckily, we got moved out of a shared building beside the courthouse many years ago, and got moved into our own building, which was formerly a library in downtown York, and so we were able to landscape the front and...put in some raised bed vegetable garden in the back and I just put in a pollinator garden behind the office over the winter.

And it's doing really well and, <Amanda> Well, good.

I'll expect you to bring pictures down one time and show us your pollinator garden?

<Paul> Sure.

<Amanda> Okay, great.

Katie Collins, you are with the storm water group and there are a couple of people in a couple of different titles within that group.

Which one is yours?

>> Yes, I'm a water resources agent.

And I work with the Carolina Clear program, which worked with local cities and counties to do education about storm water pollution.

<Amanda> And I know when they have something out at Swan Lake, the big party, the big events you're out there showing things and you have a fun way of thinking of things to do with kids, and I think that's partially because you and your sister have so much fun acting like kids together.

So Bridget who comes on and helps us... celebrate the holidays with fun crafts.

So let's say hey, <Both> Yeah!

Hey, Bridget!

<Amanda> Come back.

We're looking forward to seeing you.

And we're so happy that you're with us here tonight.

<Katie> Thank you.

>> And John Nelson was the head of the AC Moore Herbarium at the University of South Carolina for a long time.

And you still do mystery plant columns for the paper, and I think tonight are we going to have to figure out, are we gonna guess at what a mystery plant is?

<Dr.

John> You're never gonna get it.

<Amanda> Okay.

(laughs) So much for that.

but you can guess.

You can guess <Amanda> Well, we will guess, and we're sure you'll give us good clues.

Thanks for coming down.

<Dr.

John> Thank you.

>> It's fun to have you here with us.

Terasa, I'm sure we start off with something lovely and cheerful before we go to gloom and doom.

as I say, <Terasa> It's not always gloom and doom, but growing a garden, flowers, vegetable, plants in general can be challenging.

So we do start off with Gardens of the Week, which is your time to show us how successful you've been in your yard or garden, or perhaps you visited a beautiful place in the state of South Carolina.

Today, we begin with Richard and Janet Taylor that shared a beautiful swath of day lilies in front of a bench.

From Steven Hice.

We have a unique planter.

It was once a washing machine base that he found in an old barn.

From Julie Trott, some developing paw paw fruit.

Abbye Smith shared a dish of blackberries and ripening tomatoes.

She said she planted late this year, but is thankful for these small harvest, every other day, and then we wrap up with a white spider lily the genus Hymenocallis and that is from Dave Murray.

Thanks to everyone.

Remember, we receive far too many to show all of them on air, but you can see all of the submissions that came to our Facebook page.

We hope you visit that frequently, and you're welcome to also post your questions there either directly which goes to the community section or through a private message.

<Amanda> Thank you so much.

Well, I guess you got a question for one of our panelists.

So let's start with that.

<Terasa> All righty.

This one comes in from Anna in Charleston.

And Anna, you are not the only person suffering from this.

I can guarantee because it happens in my yard, as well.

Anna said, "My zucchini had been doing fine, "and then seemingly overnight, "it looked awful."

She sent a photo and said, "Can you tell me "what caused this?"

<Amanda> Ahh... overnight collapse?

Well, Paul,... what do you think is happening here?

<Paul> Well, looking at the picture, you can see the frass coming out of the stem.

So the kind of yellow, kind of golden, dirty yellow kind of balls <Amanda> That's enough of the description of poop.

(laughs) <Paul> Yes, you have a squash vine borer and those...

It's a moth that flies around during the day and they lay eggs singly, anywhere on the squash plant, I've actually seen eggs on the top of a leaf before.

So it's not just laying of eggs at the base of the vine.

<Amanda> Is that where it usually is?

Or is that where it causes the most trouble?

<Paul> No.

Often the caterpillars enter the petial or the leaf stalk, because it's hollow, and they kind of feed inside of that on the way down to the vine and they actually enter the vine inside of that hollow petial, but you can spot the eggs every now and then.

They're kind of flat brown things.

<Amanda> Well, what causes... <Paul> ...very small...

The moth has kind of an orange body with black wings.

It's one of the clear wing moths.

It looks more wasp like than it does moth like.

<Amanda> Uh huh!

<Paul> But they can have up to two generations a year typically.

And they smell squash from a long ways away with their little antennae.

So they zoom in.

Plus they're gonna pupate in the soil right up underneath your squash plant.

So it's important at the end of the year or right now, her vine has collapsed at that point in time, there's really no saving the vine.

Get it out of the garden because they haven't left the vine yet to pupate in the soil.

<Paul> If you leave the squash plant, <Amanda> Maybe that'll buy some time.

...out there long enough, those caterpillars are going to crawl down into the soil and that's where they're going to spend the winter.

and be right there.

Next year for your... <Amanda> not having to wait for the female to find... use her antennae to find the squash.

They'll just sit up and say here we are, okay.

All right.

Well, thanks.

Well, so that's a good reason to plant early and find things to do with your zucchini early.

<Paul> Right, you know, it wasn't that long ago that I did, on the show that shared some information about the parthenocarpic squash.

<Amanda> Yeah, tell us about that...Yeah!

<Paul> Growing under a... an insect cloth, <Amanda> A real thin row cover?

<Paul> Yeah, it's kind of like mosquito netting.

And you know those squash you don't have to have pollinators so you can, do fine outside.

So that's a way around it, because they're really, you know, when the squash is in flower and all like that just continuously, there's not really a lot of insecticides that are gonna be effective, and they're not going to last long.

So, <Amanda> So, isn't that wonderful that somebody has come up with this new one that you can just keep that lightweight row cover over?

<Paul> Right.

<Amanda> All right.

Thank you so much.

<Amanda> All right, Terasa, who's next?

<Terasa> We are going to try to help Gus this time.

Gus is from Cherryvale and he said, one of my friends installed a rain barrel.

Can I build one myself?

<Amanda> Oh, Katie, I have crawled into many a rain barrel.

back in the days... (laughs) since y'all started that program.

I don't know that this is the best time to take pictures of me from behind But talk about rain barrel.

<Katie> Yeah, crawling inside to put that spigot down at the bottom is not the most flattering angle, usually, but yes, you can build your own rain barrel, you want to look for a pretty large size drum.

We usually use around a 55 gallon drum.

And you want to look for food grades, just want to make sure there was nothing toxic stored in there that you're now putting residual bits of that into your yard, and then there's tons of tutorials online.

Caro- the Carolina Clear YouTube page, which you can just go and YouTube and search Carolina Clear.

We have a couple of different tutorials on there.

The Carolina Yards program has a tutorial as well.

So you can absolutely build your own with your supplies that you'd buy from a local hardware store.

You can also purchase pre-built rain barrels and one of my colleagues in Florence Tancey always jokes that the DIY rain barrels are sort of your backyard rain barrels, they're not as pretty but these pre built ones are pretty nice looking.

So you could put them right up in the front yard if you want to, and some of our local water resources agents will do sales in other, you know, cities or nonprofits will sell... <Amanda> Make them available.

<Katie> Yes.

<Amanda> That's wonderful.

Thank you so much.

<Terasa> I have some very flattering photos too of in the rain barrel, and also I call it wrangling a barrel.

So sitting on top and then trying to install... <Katie> The rain barrel rodeo.

<Amanda> It's a physical process.

<Terasa> It really is.

<Katie> And you can make the DIY ones look really nice.

You can paint them as well.

We do art contests every year with elementary kids and they'll paint the outside of the rain barrels and that can be a front yard art display.

<Amanda> That'd be a fun thing for, you know grandparents to do with their grandchildren.

<Katie> Absolutely!

<Paul> I have a suggestion for you folks.

<Katie> Let's hear it.

<Paul> Well, you put two tables kind of close to each other, turn the barrel upside down on top of the tables and then you stand up, inside of it.

<Katie> That is very clever.

I might have to use that next time.

(laughs) <Terasa> Usually I don't have a table where I've been doing it but that would... but where's the fun in that?

<Katie> No.

Dive right in.

(laughs) <Amanda> All righty.

Well, John, I think you've got something for us at this point.

<Dr.

John> I've got something very wonderful.

And I'm going to bring it up here so we can all see it.

And I want to tell you that this makes me very happy to have.

This is one of the rarest plants in the world.

And...here I'll share.. <Amanda> It's attractive.

<Dr.

John> I'll share some so you all can be looking at it, <Katie> Thank you.

<Dr.

John> but this is a plant in the genus that I studied, <Amanda> You want to put it down, so it will hold still, or <Dr.

John> oh..well, it... <Amanda> Okay.

No, go ahead.

<Dr.

John> This is one of the this is one of the species of the plant genus that I've been spending some time with, called Stachys or Stachys.

So this is the very same genus that everybody knows as Florida Betony.

Now, this one is not Florida Betony, obviously because it's totally different.

But this is one that is now known, should be known from, by all South Carolinians as one of the rarest plants in the world.

>> Wow, and it grows- Guess where it grows, Amanda.

<Terasa> Here <Amanda> In Columbia.

<Dr.

John> Not, well, I have some in flower pot in my backyard.

But there are two populations of this thing known in the world.

One is in Charleston County <Amanda> In Charleston?

and way up in the north end of Charleston County.

Santee coastal reserve.

And the other one, actually the larger population is on the other side of the Santee River at the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center Georgetown County, and it's an <Amanda> Both in South Carolina?

<Dr.

John> Both in South Carolina and not known anywhere else in the world.

And you can -if you ever have do have Florida Betony, you can see that the flowers are similar, but there are good many technical features that would separate both of those.

<Amanda> Well, John, I think there's something real exciting about this.

This is a brand new species that I believe you and I and a co-worker came across together.

<Dr.

John> They have sort of a long story, but me and Doug Reiner are the ones that described it Doug found it in the Charleston County population back in the early 70s.

>> But y'all weren't, didn't know you didn't know it was a new species.

<Dr.

John> He didn't know what it was, and then I located it in Georgetown county, and I sort of put two and two together, and I figured that what Doug had collected back in the 70s was the same thing that I was standing there looking at on Cat Island at the Yawkey Center.

So we had to describe it, because we finally figured out that it has...it's not a <Amanda> ...a big deal.

This is a brand new plant, and y'all got to name it, I think.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah.

And, of course, it went through peer review.

And yeah, it got published according to the rules of plant taxonomy.

So I think that... it is a big deal.

And a lot of times we hear about Venus fly traps, and they're rare.

And they are rare.

<Amanda> This is really rare.

>> Well, this is actually kind of more rare, rarer.

<Amanda> And what is the new name that you... <Paul> Nel-somia >> No!

(laughs) <Terasa> That's what I thought it should be.

<Amanda> And if he were, if you were more of a showboat, it would be but you are very thoughtful and kind <Dr.

John> you're not - They don't like you to name a plant after yourself.

If you have the opportunity.

So we named it after the state of South Carolina.

So it's Stachys is the genus and the api, that is Caroliniana.

<Amanda> Well, that is just wonderful.

And this is a big deal.

Not many botanist or people get to come up with a whole new plant that's never been described before.

Is that correct?

<Dr.

John> Well, it's less and less of that going on, but it certainly is happening.

So there are new plants out there in nature, that are being discovered.

And it's not like you've got to go to the Amazon to find new species.

Heck, we're finding them in South Carolina.

This is not the only one.

<Amanda> We're very proud of you.

And thank you for sharing that...news with us.

We appreciate it.

<Dr.

John> It was pretty too it.

<Amanda> You know, it is pretty.

and it doesn't.

It's nothing like it's relative.

Ruth Ann Bigger is a friend of mine and a master gardener.

And she can just do remarkable, remarkable things, and we're about to show you one of the remarkable things that she does.

♪ <Amanda> I am with my good friend, Ruth Ann Bigger and she has come to show us some of her incredible pressed flower artwork.

Ruth Ann thanks so much for coming down here >> Good to be here, and I guess I should let people know that we originally met, because you are one of the most active master gardeners that Sumter County has ever had.

>> I don't know about that.

probably one of the longest hanging around.

(laughs) It's been great.

We had a lot of fun.

<Amanda> Yeah, it is.

And when I found out about these, I just thought they were the most magical things in the world.

And tell me how you got started on it.

<Ruth Ann> I saw an article in a magazine back in 1985, believe it or not, ...mentioned that.

And you could send in $1 and get six cards that had a little oval in them that you could put flowers in.

A lot of magazines used to do those types of promotional things back then.

And I got started trying to press them in a back when you and I had grew up in Norfolk had a nice big thick telephone book.

And my daddy made me a flower press that was about this big, nice wooden one with a screw in it about that long on each corner, and it did a great job of pressing them, but you wore yourself out undoing those... wingnuts around the screws, and I ran across an article by this woman again in one of those magazines who was pressing flowers in the microwave.

<Amanda> Wow!

<Ruth Ann> This was a few years later.

And I figured out that was a whole lot faster, easier way to do it because as soon as they cool off, they spend two and a half minutes in the microwave at half power.

Soon as they cool off, they're ready to go.

So you weren't sitting waiting another six weeks for something to dry to add to some project you were working on.

<Amanda> And it was easier on your hand.

<Ruth Ann> You didn't have to do all that stuff.

<Amanda> So...you said you got some <Ruth Ann> It's about an 8x10 sheets of... <Amanda> Cardboard?

<Ruth Ann> ...It's hardboard <Amanda> Oh, okay.

<Ruth Ann> What they used to make those little brown clipboards out of.

<Amanda> Yeah.

<Ruth Ann> And...you make sandwich out of the hardboard some desk blotter paper which is kind of hard to come by.

Paper towels, newspaper, make a sandwich, put your flowers in there after you've trimmed them up, whatever you do to them, wrap heavy duty half inch rubber bands to in each direction and run them in the microwave.

Now if you go online, there's a lot of other ways that you can do this.

Some people use heavy plates or they'll put it like a flat Corningware pie plate on top of some things.

I've just been doing it this way for so long.

It's just easier to try to, Why reinvent the wheel?

As they say.

<Amanda> I thought we'd show a few and ask you about the flowers that are in them.

And of course, Swan Lake Gardens is you know, the iconic place to visit in Sumter.

And so what... makes this beautiful feathered swan?

<Ruth Ann> Well, those are Zinnia petals, and it's very hard to find a white flower that stays white.

That's been the interesting thing through the years of doing these is figuring out what holds its color and what doesn't.

White doesn't stay white.

It usually turns brown.

This is turned kind of a cream color.

A lot of reds turn a very dark burgundy color.

When my daughter in law got married, she wanted me to do something for the wedding like some place cards and she had a red and white theme.

And the only flower that I could find that started, that would end up red was to get a coral colored verbena.

>> Oh!

<Ruth Ann>...and when it dries, it turns red.

<Amanda> This I know, I've seen in a lot of cards.

And this is a very surprising flower.

I think John Nelson was the only person here one night when I figured it out.

<Ruth Ann> I was answering the phones here one night and you and Terasa and Rebecca Turk from Moore Farms and John were on the panel.

And I brought my card in like this to see if anybody could identify this flower because it looks like a hibiscus and that's how John figured out what it was.

He said I don't know.

But I think it's in the hibiscus family, because of this little protrusion right here.

It's a Turks cap.

And it's an old timey shrub that a lot of folks have had, and it's bright red.

And it never opens up.

>> So you have to, <Ruth Ann> Yeah, it falls off the plant still closed up, and I just happened to pick one up one day I was in my hammock relaxing and opened the thing up and I thought I'm going to have to give this a try.

That's really pretty.

It keeps it's color.

It's a beautiful color.

<Amanda> It is beautiful, and then I was going to ask what these were.

<Ruth Ann> This is part of a Japanese maple.

<Amanda> Oh!

Japanese maple!

<Ruth Ann> and this is this is the polka dot plant.

<Amanda> Yeah.

<Ruth Ann> And these are the, I can't remember what those are.

This is more Selaginella down here.

And these are elephant ears.

<Amanda> Elephant Ears?

<Ruth Ann> As they first start sprouting.

They're tiny.

<Amanda> They're that tiny?

I had not noticed.

<Ruth Ann> Well, you know there's different varieties of Colocasia, Alocasia, whatever.

<Amanda> And then this one is a fun one, because her hair is quite unusual.

<Ruth Ann> You know what her hair is?

It's parsley that's dying from last year.

<Amanda> No... >> It's turned bright yellow.

Yep.

And the face is a hellebore.

(laughs) ...and her legs are zinnias with the seeds still attached.

<Amanda> Oh, look at that.

It is.

<Ruth Ann> And this is part of a hydrangea.

<Amanda> Uh huh!

So this is, <Ruth Ann> This little this flower here is also one of my favorites, I discovered five or six years ago.

It's the flower of an Ixora <Amanda> Yeah.

<Ruth Ann> They're commonly found in Florida.

You know it's a tropical, but they sell it around here.

And those little four flowered four petaled flowers.

I brought some with me anyway, keep that red color, And a lot of times that little bit of red is just the amount of punch <Amanda> Just what you need...get something to pop.

Well, that is too much fun.

And she certainly did need a ribbon in the hair.

<Ruth Ann> That hair needed to be pulled back.

<Amanda> Well, we thought perhaps you would give us a demonstration.

<Ruth Ann> Well, this is a very high tech hobby.

You need you need a lot of equipment.

You need a toothpick.

Need some Elmers glue.

<Amanda> Okay.

<Ruth Ann> That's about it.

I don't know that you couldn't use other types of glue and stuff, but like I said, as long as... <Amanda> Everybody likes Elmer's glue.

and I'm just looking for something, that will last long enough for somebody buy a card, mail it and send it somebody.

(Amanda laughs) <Amanda> Lots of people frame them.

<Ruth Ann> Well, I was going to show you the one down on the end.

It's one that I probably did 10, 12 years ago and the colors were a lot more vibrant when I first did it.

But they've all faded to a nice tone of browns and golds and all that blend in together.

You shouldn't ever if you're going to frame one, don't ever put it in bright light, because natural flowers is going to fade most colors if anything, particularly natural substances.

<Amanda> Okay, so we have toothpicks.

<Ruth Ann> Yep.

Shake you one out.

And it's really easy to just, grab you a couple of ferns, <Amanda> Okay, and this is fern.

<Ruth Ann> Uh huh!

Just put a little on here and put it on the back and try to just hit it with a light coat and cover all of the leaf if you can, because if you don't that one piece that you didn't get the glue on is what's going to stick up and catch when you go to put the card in the envelope.

Yeah, you don't want that.

So, and I usually put stuff in the, put it wherever you want upper left and lower right anyway, just to so you leave some room on the card to write something.

I've done... <Amanda> ...but these have an inside where you can write the message, right?

<Ruth Ann> Yeah, yeah.

I've done like the ones that have fish on them.

<Amanda> Yes.

<Ruth Ann>...You send it as a "Get Well" card saying Hope you soon back into swim, that sort of thing.

(laughs) Yeah, kind of corny, but kind of cute, a little different, and I think people enjoy getting something that somebody's taken their time, <Amanda> Oh, I don't think there's any question about it?

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ <Amanda> Well, Ruth Ann, I am, It's not up to your standards, but you've certainly got me interested in it.

<Ruth Ann> You are very creative <Amanda>...and I'm even more appreciative of your talents than ever.

<Ruth Ann> Bless your heart.

>> Thank you so much.

>> You're quite welcome.

I think, I bet there are gonna be some people out there who'll tell us they tried it.

>> I hope so.

It's fun.

Oh, yes.

<Amanda> It was fun.

Thanks a lot.

<Ruth Ann> Sure.

♪ I think those are just the most charming cards in the world.

And I sent them to special people.

Like Dr. John, <Dr.

John> They're beautiful.

>> Thank you.

Yeah.

Well, all courtesy of Ruth Ann's many, many talents.

Hats, hats, hats.

So this one has Rudbeckia, a piece of hosta.

some phlox, some hydrangea and some cone flowers?

Yeah, and some annual I think annual sunflowers or, Anyway, <Dr.

John> It looks Rudbeckia, back here.

>> Oh!

<Dr.

John> Here.

>> Oh, <Dr.

John> Rudbeckia.

<Amanda> Oh, This one.

Okay.

Oh, thank you.

Okay, great.

I'm glad you straightened me out there.

Thanks a lot.

Okay.

(laughs) So, Terasa, I guess we'll go on with questions.

<Terasa> More questions.

This one came in as an email from Jean and Jean didn't share where she was from, but she did send a photo and said, "wondering if you can tell us what kind of "thing" is causing this damage to our tomatoes?"

<Amanda> Ah hah.

Boy, well, you know, tomatoes.

They just get picked on by everything, I think.

But Paul, what, what is this particular thing?

<Paul> I don't know why humans think we're the only people that - or the only organisms that like to eat tomatoes.

<Amanda> Ah!

There are a lot more other species that like tomatoes than we do.

<Amanda> Yeah, yeah.

<Paul> Yeah, looking at the picture, it's, you know, it's kind of an area that doesn't exactly look like a fungus some of that recessed area.

It's kind of calloused over appearance to it.

So it almost looks like there's some sun scald going on, which can happen with tomatoes and peppers.

Especially, you know, if they're getting hit by some really bright afternoon sun, but I also see a large hole in the tomato.

<Amanda> Ah hah.

And so there is a couple of worms that get inside of tomato fruit, a pin worm, tomato pin worm, and then the tomato fruit worm, which is much larger.

So I believe that's probably the tomato fruit worm, and they can get to be quite a large caterpillar, but you know, I've seen them in a cherry tomato before where they ate through one side and out the other, so... <Amanda> What do you recommend?

<Paul> Well, they don't seem to be all that numerous.

You know, the way I deal with things in the garden is I find one that got into the fruit and I just basically throw it away.

So you know, <Amanda> You're not going to lose your whole crop, <Paul> No.

The best thing you could ever do to a vegetable garden is just be out there looking a lot, <Amanda> Okay, >> You know, it's not all work.

Sometimes it's just making observations and I like to hand water and by hand watering your vegetable garden, takes you a while to do it.

And it gives you that kind of a relaxing activity, maybe after you've been down on your hands and knees weeding, but it gives you that opportunity to really scan things and look at things and notice problems before they become big problems.

<Amanda> And when you hand water, I'm guessing you don't get it on the leaves.

<Paul> Yeah, or else you're just doing it early enough in the day to, <Amanda> It's gonna all dry off and not... <Paul>...dry up, but <Amanda> Okay, well, thank you so much.

<Paul> Sure.

<Amanda> Yeah, I mean share and share alike, Yeah, but they don't get the bacon that we get with ours.

With a BLT.

We've always said we're going to see what kind of mayonnaise people like, don't we Terasa?

We'll have to do that one day.

Okay.

Terasa, we have a garden spotlight now?

>> We do.

Today's spotlight comes from Debbie Brown in Greenville, and she shared this along with her photos, Debbie said we live in Southern Greenville County, on almost five acres.

We're both retired and love working in our gardens.

I consider our place more of a woodland garden.

We've got goats and chickens, and we call it Gracie's Place named after one of the goats.

Well, there must be some sunny spots in Debbie's yard because she shared some echinacea, which is in your hat, as well.

The last of which is being visited by an insect that looks to be one of the flower Longhorn beetles.

So Thanks, Debbie for giving us a glimpse of your woodland garden, but we didn't get any pictures of the goats and chickens, so she'll have to send us some more photos.

<Amanda> I know.

Everybody loves to see goats and chickens, chickens.

Well, goats.

Goats are something.

I went to a small ruminant workshop one time, and they said it takes like four sheep to have the intelligence of a goat, and that goats can open most, so many fences, and I got left out there.

And I couldn't get the fence open.

(Terasa laughs) <Terasa> It outsmarted the goats and you.

<Amanda> I think I had to like get down and try to climb over something.

I truly could not get the fence open.

So I guess that says something about me.

Maybe I have about the intelligence of two sheep.

How about that?

That might be possible.

Okay.

Well, let's see.

Have you got another question for someone?

<Terasa> I do.

This comes from Jody in Florence.

Jody says, "My neighborhood pond "is covered in algae, is there something that can "be done to make it less of an eyesore?"

<Amanda> Hmm.

Well, our water quality person, this - who wants a neighborhood pond covered up with algae?

<Katie> Yeah, I get a lot of calls about this.

The first thing to note is because it's a neighborhood pond, usually those are put in as a storm water control measure.

So they're meant to temporarily hold storm water before it goes downstream.

So sediments and excess nutrients, things like that can settle out.

So one individual that lives on the pond can't just go out and spray whatever weeds they don't want there.

So generally, you're going to have to hire a professional with a pesticide license to spray aquatic pesticides to control anything on the pond, and then the next thing is I get a lot of pond owners they call kind of anything green that they don't want in the pond, algae, and there's a lot of different things that those could be.

So one of the most important steps is to identify what the actual plant is because different aquatic weeds are going to be controlled with different herbicides or different biological control methods.

So you can reach out to your local water resources or natural resources agent and they can help you identify whatever that plant actually is, and then give you some recommendations from there, whether you might be able to control it with like a fish that will eat that pond weed, or whether there's an aquatic related herbicide that you can spray it with.

And then it's important to take a step back as well, and see where the source of the problem is because often an overgrowth of aquatic weeds is a symptom of a larger problem, like a lot of nutrients coming into your pond.

So in a neighborhood pond, one thing you can do is maybe do an education campaign with the neighbors to make sure they're testing their soils before they fertilize and the reducing any excess nutrients that are going into that pond to create a bloom in the algae or whatever plant is present.

<Amanda> How about not having grass go all the way down to the pond.

Can that be helpful?

<Katie> Absolutely.

Yeah, we really like to promote vegetated buffers along ponds, because if you have a nice wide like three or more foot buffer width, hopefully some native plants with deep roots, it's going to reduce erosion along the pond.

It's going to kind of soak up some nutrients and pollutants as they come before they actually get into the water.

And it's a nice, you know, habitat source for wildlife.

<Amanda> And I think that there's a very obnoxious - Canada geese don't like a lot of vegetation around a pond.

And so if you don't want those nuisance animals there - I think they are a nuisance animal.

I think that would help too, and I think anything to help keep them from being in your yard.

<Katie> Yeah, they like the large swathes of just mowed turf.

So a buffer can help with that, as well and they're actually a source of excess nutrients too from their feces as well as bacteria.

So those resident geese, it's best to try to get them to move along.

<Amanda> Oh, there's- They call them loose as a goose for reason.

<Dr.

John> One last thing about Canada geese and other waterfowl when they go from one pond to another, frequently they're taking plant parts that are going to end up being a problem in the...pond.

<Paul> duck weed and water meal.

<Katie> Yeah, absolutely, <Dr.

John> And algae.

<Paul> Yep.

<Amanda> Very good point.

Thank you, John.

Okay.

We had a wonderful trip, visiting with Craig Ness who is our station manager here with a friend he knows very well over in Lexington and you are going to enjoy this visit as well.

♪ >> I'm with Azmi Jebali and the Lexington Community Garden and Azmi, this is one heck of a garden.

...you actually have a whole regular job at a cafe, a restaurant.

>> Yes, ma'am.

I own a restaurant called the Mediterranean Cafe.

This farming idea started as a hobby and then I incorporated it with the restaurant as a Farm to Table way of doing business.

<Amanda> You grew up on a farm in Israel, I believe.

>> Yes ma'am.

>> Came here and studied and have done a variety of things, and obviously that need to have your hands in the dirt was strong.

>> I always had this in my blood, and it's the best thing...I enjoy it the most.

I always enjoyed farming and gardening, and I'm so happy.

I'm always happy when I'm here.

<Amanda> Y'all have a massive amount of produce coming out of this garden and help people who might need food.

How do you distribute it?

<Azmi> Yeah, so a friend of mine, Scotty Mill and his wife Susan had the idea for a nonprofit organization, a community garden and they needed help with that with the growing part of it.

...So, this is our third year actually.

We produce so much and we distribute it through the churches and ministries, the police department sometimes.

Wherever we can help, we do it.

We do that.

<Amanda> It's a lot just to pick.

I think you got some help.

<Azmi> We do have some help.

We have the Tyler family.

Charles Tyler and his family from Salley.

<Amanda> Yes.

>>...they're very generous.

They're always here helping, and if it wasn't for them, really we cannot do all this work.

<Amanda>He was a nice fellow.

I enjoyed meeting him.

...the variety that's here is just stunning, and this is a small part, you have several fields, but in this one you've got a - got a really good head start on everything.

...it's interesting to think of using okra and corn in the Mediterranean dishes but you said, you found ways to incorporate everything.

<Azmi> Okra is very popular in the Middle East and in the Mediterranean area anyway So, that was... an easy dish for us to - our vegetables to handle.

<Amanda> It's pretty easy to serve fried okras to southerners.

Isn't it?

<Azmi> Yeah.

<Amanda> ...then peppers, eggplants, squash and <Azmi> cucumbers, <Amanda> watermelons, <Azmi> cantaloupes, potatoes, beans... We got it all.

<Amanda> You sure do, and you got - we saw nice pollinators out here.

<Azmi> Yes ma'am.

<Amanda> One of the things, we are on that sandy Lexington county soil, and you are very conservative with water.

>> Yes, ma'am.

We use drip irrigation.

It uses a whole lot less water and it increases the production, actually, as compared to the sprinkler or flooding, or any other method.

<Amanda> - and helps with diseases, as well.

<Azmi> Exactly, and prevents the weeds.

You have less weeds to deal with, and you apply the water for the plant and we also have the luxury of to applying the fertilizer through the drip irrigation.

So, we don't have to have spreaders or anything else like that, a waste of fertilizer.

We use about one third of what we're supposed to use in a conventional way.

<Amanda> So that protects groundwater and runoff and helps with all those problems that sometimes happens with over fertilization.

<Azmi> Yes ma'am.

<Amanda>...then to get an early start, you'll start on black plastic I believe.

<Azmi> So, early in the year in the early spring we, our mulch - We call it plastic mulch, which holds the moisture and also creates heat.

It keeps the ground warm enough and ... it speeds, stimulates the growth, and speeds the plants.

Once we hit ...the middle of May, we switch to - the plastic has two sides, black and white, we switch on the, if we're planting something new, we use the white side, which reflects the light toward the plant.

The plant will consume that light to grow because plants need light and it keeps the ground cool and prevent the weeds at the same time.

<Amanda> Yes, and so you'll be harvesting these summer crops, because you keep planning and we never know when we're going to get a freeze in South Carolina, right now.

So, it's a long growing season for you.

<Azmi> So, most crops you can plant up to July ten, fifteen and you will not have the risk of getting frost.

Otherwise, after that you there are some crops that you can grow like leaves and greens, and leafy greens, and collards, kale, <Amanda> You do that, as well.

<Azmi> We do that too, <Amanda> - but then a green house, and your customers and the wonderful people with whom your friends help distribute the produce are having tomatoes in the winter time.

I was blown away.

<Azmi> So, the greenhouse was my idea, because we wanted to find a way to have continuous supply.

<Amanda> Yes.

<Azmi> Or almost continuous supply.

So, it's been a good experience.

We've been successful with it, and as you saw, we have some nice plants there, nice tomatoes, nice yield too.

<Amanda> Tremendous yield, and you got determinate and indeterminate and then you got the English cucumbers and I said, you started having tomatoes, how early?

<Azmi> We, around January we'll have tomatoes.

In January.

<Amanda> Yeah, big red, juicy, slice of tomatoes.

That is quite an accomplishment.

<Azmi> We grow in plastic bags.

We don't grow yet directly in the ground.

Plastic bags with peat moss and drip irrigation again.

<Amanda> Again being very conservative of water and fertilizer.

It's stunning to see that you were able to, in that small bag get that massive production of tomatoes.

<Azmi> It's a continuous feeding.

That's what it is... >> So, even though you have this wonderful old fashioned Farmall tractor, this is one heck of a modernized situation.

Isn't it?

>> Yes, I have a hobby.

I like equipment and I like to do mechanical work, and during the winter time when it's slow, a project like this would be really nice to have around the house.

<Amanda> As if you didn't have enough going on with your cafe.

<Azmi> ...the wife keeps coming to the shop, "When you coming inside?

When you coming inside?"

<Amanda> Well, I am very excited to go over to the cafe and see how you incorporate some of this wonderful produce in your menu.

>> Let's go do that.

<Amanda> Okay.

♪ ♪ >> Azmi, after a meal like that, I feel like I need a good snooze.

What a delicious feast we've had with you, and we started with a good many appetizers and I think they're considered traditional.

So, let's talk about what some of them were.

>> One of the appetizers was the fried eggplant appetizer.

We take eggplant, slice it about a third of an inch thick and we saute it either with olive oil or you can deep fry it - <Amanda> - but you did not coat it.

<Azmi> It's not breaded.

Then we top it with tomatoes, basil, garlic, lemon juice, <Amanda> Yes.

<Azmi> A little salt.

<Amanda> It was just wonderfully refreshing.

<Azmi> The second appetizer was the bruschetta, which is roasted pita bread, topped with tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette, and a touch of salt.

<Amanda> - but as a child growing up in Israel, your grandparents farmed and you said that really just vegetables cook rather simply were the main way that y'all ate most of the time.

Is that correct?

<Azmi> That's correct.

Our diet is high in vegetables and I was fortunate to grow up on a farm,... my grandparents were farmers.

And my daddy after he retired from his job, he moved to the farm.

So, we have a good, good connection to the land.

...we always enjoyed what we have on the farm.

Actually people used to get jealous of us.

So, we always had the freshest, the best looking vegetables and that's how we use that in our diet and without cooking.

<Amanda> ...and in front of us we have two examples of vegetables being used as a way that people order when they come to the restaurant.

<Azmi> This is our tomato mozzarella appetizer.

It's fresh tomatoes topped with mozzarella cheese and olives, olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette and served with a pita bread.

<Amanda>...then I saw the new little basil coming up in the green house today when I was out there.

<Azmi> Yes, and I'll be planting those smaller ones too in the field soon.

<Amanda> ...here we have grilled vegetables that just look delicious.

<Azmi> Yes.

This is our most popular dish during lunchtime.

It's basically a grilled chicken breast, with grilled vegetables.

We bring most of these vegetables from the farm; squash, zucchini, onions, tomatoes and peppers.

<Amanda>...always some parsley and basil on top of everything.

<Azmi> That's for garnish, yes.

>> But it's also for freshness.

Don't you like that fresh taste it leaves in your mouth?

>> Yes ma'am.

>> Well, I think everything that went in mouth today was absolutely delicious, and I want to thank you for being part of the Farm-to-Table movement and reminding people that things that are grown locally, really are outstanding in flavor, and it helps the farmers, and it helps the Lexington community garden, which does such a wonderful job providing food to people who are in need.

Thank you for what you do.

<Azmi> Thank you for having us.

♪ <Amanda> Azmi Jebali and his family.

And the people who helped him out at the farm are just the nicest group of people and we just came home is as tight as a tick.

We had such a wonderful meal out there.

John, I think you've got one of something we used to do a lot.

Do we have a mystery plant?

<Dr.

John> We have a mystery plant tonight.

And this is a wetland species.

<Amanda> Well, maybe Katie.

<Dr.

John> Yeah, Katie ought to... Well, she did probably have a good idea.

>> Okay.

>> But this is a plant that can grow in ponds or backwater kind of places, and very wet soils, that's for sure.

And it's a sedge actually, it's in the sedge family and we all know that is the Cyperaceae and a lot of people are aware that most of the things in the sedge family have a triangular stamp.

Well, this one does not.

(laughs) <Amanda> So much for the identification features <Dr.

John> It has...the stems are almost circular in a cross section and they get to be eight feet tall sometimes.

<Amanda> How thick can the stem get?

<Dr.

John> Well like this, you know, I mean, pretty hefty.

<Amanda> pretty strong to hold eight feet of it.

<Dr.

John> Yeah, and it will hold up the inflorescence away at the very, very top and it being in the sedge family.

It will make tiny little flowers which make tiny little fruits.

So the little fruits are akees and they will fall away once the thing gets ripe enough and start up on the plants.

Of course, this little akees will fall on the surface of the water and then they're able to travel around.

But this is a species that <Amanda> Do they have to get to some soil in order to start growing?

<Dr.

John> I would think they are not going to germinate on the surface of the water, but this plant is very widely distributed, and it's like on both Atlantic and Gulf Coast and Pacific Coast.

<Amanda> Is it native?

<Dr.

John> Well, it's...so common along all the coast.

It's kind of hard to say where it's native, but it is definitely in the west coast, as well.

So the picture that we see of me standing next to a big patch of this stuff and they're taller than I am, was taken at the National Wildlife Refuge: Santee.

<Amanda> Oh, >> So that's a real pretty place and of course, they've got a lot of very, very interesting wetlands and ponds.

<Amanda> Is it, is it a nuisance, I mean, <Dr.

John> Not that I know of.

It does make big patches but it seems to be liking natural areas.

And it's a really great.

It'd be wonderful if you could have that in your garden.

Maybe in your water garden.

(laughs) <Amanda> I guess it would be a pretty big water garden.

Anybody got any ideas?

<Terasa> My best guess is one of the spike rushes but I don't know one that tall.

Is it?

<Katie> I guess when I saw a picture, which I don't think is right was Juncus effusus, but I don't think he gets that big.

<Dr.

John> Well, it's not Juncus.

Now, it is a sedge.

<Katie> Oh, you said it was a sedge, but it is similar to various kinds of bulrushes that we've got.

So this is called California Bulrush.

<Amanda> California Bulrush <Dr.

John> Yeah.

<Amanda> So we had the gold rush when people from here went to California.

<Dr.

John> Yeah.

And now we got the bulrush that came back over here from California.

<Dr.

John> That's right.

And, and it is actually a very impressive plant, and, <Amanda> Is it good for wildlife?

<Dr.

John> I don't know that it really is, but a bulrushes are probably consumed by waterfowl, But I'm not the expert there.

<Amanda> All Right.

All Right.

>> And I need to tell you the name of it.

<Amanda> That's right, because none of us guessed.

>> Well, my colleagues... know this genus Scirpus, I'm sure <Amanda> Yeah, we've heard of Scirpus >> bulrushes, but they want us the botanists want us to call this now not Scirpus, but Schoenoplectus, which is sort of a pretty name.

Schoenoplectus californicus <Amanda> Schoenoplectus, Schoenoplectus >> Schoenoplectus <Amanda> Yeah, that's nice.

Yeah.

californi- <Dr.

John> -cus <Amanda> -cus Schoenoplectus californicus Well, I guess we'll see some one day, ...other than just in your picture.

You'll probably see it somewhere, don't you think?

<Katie> Sure.

<Amanda> Now you'll know what it is.

<Katie> ...and maybe be a pond upper plant if you want a very large, tall pond buffer.

<Dr.

John> Yeah.

<Amanda> If your pond's full of algae, maybe, you would like a tall pond buffer plant.

You wouldn't have to notice it, but if you had that around it, it would certainly help keep the sediment out.

Okay, well, Terasa, I think we've got time for another question.

Let's see if we could get it in.

Yeah.

<Terasa> Well, Gordon from Goose Creek reached out via email said something has caused one of my two shrubs to die.

Now he didn't know the name, but it turns out these are sky pencil Hollies.

He said, "I'm concerned it's nematode should I "treat the soil before replacing the plant?"

...and he's got two of them on either side of a patio and kind of a small, very small looking bed.

He said originally they were watered, you know when they were installed, but now they're kind of just left to their own defenses.

And it started out with a piece of the plant dying and then he said it spread to the whole thing within a couple of weeks.

<Amanda> But the other one is fine.

<Terasa> The other one on the other side is totally fine.

<Amanda> Oh!

Well, Paul, you think you have any ideas about this?

<Paul> Well, I looked at the picture <Amanda> You think nematodes, I mean.

That sounds kind of like <Paul> I did see the corner, corner, the very corner of a downspout in the picture not too far away.

And for a plant to die, completely die like that.

It's usually something happening below ground, not above the ground.

So Japanese Hollies are very susceptible to a root disease called Black root rot.

<Amanda> Okay.

<Paul> And, you know, the black, the roots are actually black when you know, dig them up and stuff, so, more than likely that might be the culprit.

I doubt it's nematodes.

When a woody plant, nematodes are going to stunt the plant, they're going to make it not be so vigorous, but for the whole plant to just die within a couple of weeks.

<Amanda> Katie, is there something you can put on a downspout to take the water somewhere else, so he wouldn't - if he wants to put another?

<Paul> Well, they were dumping out on the patio.

So it's not like you can, unless you tunnel under the patio or something to connect it.

But, you know, we might put just they're so susceptible to that disease.

You know, maybe there's something else that could grow there.

- Maybe a bulrush.

(laughs) But, certainly, yeah, there are some ornamental rushes and things <Amanda> Okay.

There you go.

<Terasa> It might be a little hard to balance it out with the holly still left on one side <Paul> Use that somewhere else.

(laughs) <Amanda> Well, you know, it doesn't everything doesn't have to be matchy, matchy.

Yeah, I think we're all being a little more flexible, sometimes these days.

<Paul> Excessive moisture is going to be a problem.

<Amanda> A big problem.

Does that stay in the soil, if you put another one there?

<Paul> Yeah, I mean, if you put another Japanese Holly there... <Amanda> Okay.

>> The same problem.

<Amanda> Don't do it.

All right.

Well, thank y'all all for being with us.

And thank you at home, we'll see you next week, I hope, right here on Making It Grow.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Narrator>> 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.

The Boyd Foundation supporting outdoor recreational opportunities, the appreciation of wildlife, educational programs, and enhancing the quality of life in Columbia, South Carolina and the Midlands at large.

McLeod Farms in McBee, South Carolina, family owned and operated since 1916.

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

Additional funding provided by the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation and Farm Bureau Insurance and Boone Hall Farms.