Narrator>> Making It Grow is brought to you in part by certified South Carolina.

This cooperative effort among farmers, retailers and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture helps consumers identify foods and agricultural products that are grown, harvested or raised right here in the Palmetto State.

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

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

Wesley Commons, a full service continuing care, retirement community located on more than 150 wooded acres in Greenwood, South Carolina.

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

♪ opening music ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Amanda> Well, hello 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 I've been missing everybody.

Terasa Lott my co-host I've been missing you and but you've been busy learning a new position, I think.

Terasa> You are right.

I have missed you, too.

I've missed being a part of Making It Grow.

It seems like it's been ages since we took a break after the holidays.

So excited to be back and very excited about my new position.

It is a district Extension director, so for the Midlands District and nine counties.

It is an administrative position, but I like to think of it as being the support person for the employees in those counties.

So putting them with the resources that they need to serve the citizens of South Carolina.

I will refer to, I have it all written down, the counties, just in case- Amanda>It's a lot... Terasa> It's a lot.

It's new too.

So.

Calhoun, Clarendon, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lee, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland and Sumter.

So right here, Sumter County.

My office will be essentially across the street from the studio.

Amanda> Cool.

And since I live in Calhoun, I'll be happy to know that occasionally you're over there since my home's in St Matthews.

Well, but you're still going to come and help us out whenever you can, most every most every time I think.

And you're going to still have those wonderful Gardens of The Week and we just can't do it without you.

Thank you.

Terasa> Thank you.

I'm going to do my best.

It is so much fun.

I run into people everywhere and they say, Hey!

We love Making It Grow.

And so, you know, that's a very gratifying experience.

Amanda> Gosh, Vicky, we haven't seen you in forever and we're so thrilled to have you back.

And you are a consumer horticulture agent and you help HGIC.

And so I think recently you had been spending a good bit of time in Aiken because people were having babies and fun things like that.

Vicky> We did.

We've got some, we've got some agents and an EFNEP educator.

They're...both out on maternity leave.

And so I'm holding down the fort in Aiken.

And I mean, I'm seeing all the samples come in, getting to see all of our clients, and I'm having a great time.

Amanda> And y'all have a real nice office there.

I like the location, too.

Vicky> It's very convenient because it's right outside of downtown.

Easily accessed, plenty of parking.

Amanda> So yeah, there's always something to be said for plenty of parking.

Vicky> Yes.

Amanda> John Nelson, the retired curator from the USC Herbarium, knows something about that.

Hey, John, I've missed you...John> Hey Amanda.

Amanda> I hope you had a wonderful holiday.

John> It seems like several years since Christmas.

Amanda> It does.

Yeah, yeah... but John, you are an educator...at heart because I got to take a class with you and it was just wonderful field botany, and we got to walk in the lake.

out at Sesqui, that was fun, that some people.. John> Have some lunches... Amanda> Some people chickened out.

But I think you're going to have a class and you're not going to make them walk through the lake.

John> I don't know what we're going to do because it's botany boot camp.

So you never know how rough and tough and dirty it might get.

But sure enough, it's going to be a sort of introduction to botany, just general botany, learning about plants, especially for people that are interested in the out-of-doors and bio- diversity, but also gardeners.

So we're going to cover a lot of terminology that might be useful if you're actually looking at the literature.

Amanda> Well, I guess you'll teach them the new name.

I'm so old that I've had this name and that name, and now there's another name for plants.

I wish they would kind of settle on one thing.

John> Oh no.

It'll never, never stop.

And there's reasons for that.

We'll go over it.

But it's being offered through continuing education at USC, and they're real nice people to talk to about signing up for the class.

Amanda> Okay.

Nothing.

Not too difficult Not like trying to get admitted to college.

John> Not quite as bad as that.

You don't have to write an essay or anything.

Amanda> But they will learn to identify plants.

And I bet at the end you may do something like, I want you to learn how to at least get this to the right family or something.

John> Maybe we'll do that, but it starts on the 15th of April, which isn't too far from now.

So...if anybody out there is interested get them a seat.

Amanda> 15th of April 2024, so, ...fun.

John> Right.

Amanda> Okay.

Davis Sanders made the trek down from Greenville, from South Pleasantburg Nursery.

And what's the name of the car that you drive?

Davis> I now drive the Sapphire Shadow.

(laughing) Amanda> They're integral parts of the family because you keep them for a long time, I think.

Davis> Well, that's correct.

The Black Pearl, my former truck had 400,000 miles on it and it died a violent death at the hands of another.

So, so I upgraded to a nice little SUV that I can still pack a lot of plants in when I make the trip down.

And it's a lot of, a lot of fun.

Amanda> Well, with the springtime coming, I bet y'all are going to be y'all are beginning to see a lot of people coming into South Pleasantburg Nursery, which has easy parking unlike the University of South Carolina.

Davis> Yeah.

So we've recently resurfaced our driveway, so people coming down the driveway don't have to grit their teeth to go over the potholes.

And on top of that, we also put a new roof on our greenhouse so we can offer a much greater selection of houseplants now.

Amanda> Gracious goodness mighty Almighty.

Well, you know, this is we're coming on the heels of the the great American Bird Count and all that kind of stuff.

I think everybody's interested in birds.

And so you are just not going to believe what has happened at the South Carolina Botanical Garden with the new bird garden.

It's just wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, fun.

And then we're going to talk with the South Carolina Wildlife Federation and learn about all they do to promote those birds and interest in birds.

We've lost 800,000 birds in the last 50 years.

Isn't that right, Terasa?

It's a little grim.

Terasa> I'm not sure of the numbers, but we hear similar things about other species, not just.

birds.

Amanda> We need to bio-diversity, as John says, is the key to- we have to make room for other people on this planet and other creatures, critters.

They are just as important as we are, and some of them perhaps smarter.

Well, one thing we love to do is Gardens of the Week, and I bet you've got some great ones for us.

Terasa> I do.

Thanks to viewers like you, this is the part of the show when we take a virtual field trip and get to see what you're doing in your yard, your garden, or maybe with a houseplant or perhaps you've visited one of South Carolina's many beautiful places.

Today we begin with Marilyn Caulder, who sent us a photograph from Cheraw of pots of violas on her front porch.

And Marilyn said that those are some of her favorites because they're so easy to grow.

I agree with Marilyn.

Amanda> We call those Johnny Jump Ups sometimes.

Terasa> Well, it depends.

I mean, if they're the large, you might have pansies or you can have little Johnny Jump Ups.

Jill Collins from Summerville, she shared that she had planted cilantro last spring, but it just did not thrive with our hot summer and it bolted and then it was bitter.

But she's excited to see how it looks now and is going to try some recipes that call for fresh cilantro.

Amanda> Whoa!

Terasa> Another Summerville photograph, Arlene Weeks, sent in a mixed container with different textures highlighted by some cheerful yellow daffodils from Martha Smith in West Columbia, a close up of her Phalaenopsis orchid flowers.

And these are white and they look so delicate.

But interestingly enough, Phalaenopsis flowers are some of the most long lasting flowers.

And then we wrap up today with Mike Haley just outside the border in Gaston County, North Carolina, who sent in Burgundy colored Hellebores, which are sometimes called Lenten rose due to the time in which they bloom.

Amanda> Okay.

I sure thank everybody who sent them in to you, and they were just great fun to look at.

Terasa> Yes.

And I can't wait to see them more in the future.

Amanda> So now we do things that may not be that may be more challenging for us or sitting here.

I think you may have some questions for us.

Terasa> We do.

The first question comes in from Laina in Aiken.

Laina said, Is this peach tree borer damage?

And if so, what should I do?

And luckily we've got a photograph to go along with that question.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, since you've been sitting in the office in Aiken, I bet you have lots of experience with peaches.

Tell me what you think is going on here.

Vicky> So it would have been something when you look at this and you listen to Laina and you're like, Oh, it's a peach.

She thinks she has there's holes in it.

You think?

Oh yeah, absolutely.

Could be peach tree borer, which is a moth, but it's actually not.

This is very- Amanda> -the larva of the moth.

Vicky> It's the larva.

Yeah, it's the.

It's the caterpillar.

So this is really different.

This is sapsucker damage.

Yellow-bellied sapsucker, which is a woodpecker.

And so this woodpecker, a lot of times we'll see this, like on hickory trees.

It could be any tree, but I see it pretty often on hickory trees, pecan trees, things like that.

And it's a tidy little row of very small holes.

They're not deep.

It's not like a hole, hole.

It's not a tunnel, but very tidy row.

The ones that Laina has, they're larger.

So this woodpecker, what it does is it creates these sap wells and they're trying to get the tree to bleed because they're sap feeders.

And sometimes they'll excavate the sap wells larger like what's happening on Laina's peach tree.

They'll make big... there's two different kinds of wells.

You know, there's a little bitty hole where they're kind of scouting.

It might put out a drop or two, but then they also make these very large wounds, and they'll come to those large wounds over and over and over to get that nutrition.

And they're primarily, they're primarily after the sap.

But if an insect comes out, that's a bonus.

Amanda> Well, and I think a lot of insects also come to these because, of course, it's nutritious and they love all that too.

Vicky> And so then you're going to have other critters coming, like wasps, because they want the sugar and then they also want any insects that are trapped in it.

So it's.

Amanda>Very seldom does it cause serious damage to the tree.

Vicky> As long as the tree is healthy, generally, the tree will be fine, but sometimes that damage can be very extensive and they can girdle the tree.

Amanda> I mean, I've never.

Vicky> I've not experienced that.

Generally, the trees are fine, though.

Amanda> Yeah, it's a fun thing to have.

I like to.

Yeah.

And then I love to hear... Vicky> I do too.

Amanda> Yeah, it's just great fun.

Although one time we had one that came to a metal gutter on the house real early in the morning and woke my mother up, and I must say she was not too pleased with that.

Vicky> We had one that repeatedly comes to the chimney and it's on the cover on the chimney.

Amanda> Oh goodness gracious.

Well, Terasa what should we try next?

Terasa> Let's try to help Buddy in Effingham.

I believe this is Effingham, Georgia, rather than Effingham, South Carolina.

He said, I spend a lot of time in the spring hunting in swampy places.

And every year about this time, I start seeing lots and lots of yellow wildflowers.

Thousands.

They look like little yellow daisies, about two feet tall.

Are they supposed to be here?

(Amanda laughs) Amanda> Well, goodness gracious.

I'm not sure where I'm supposed to be some days.

John, what do you think is going on with these little yellow flowers?

John> I think this is a pretty easy one.

Amanda> Okay.

John> And he has populations that he's looking at, Butter weed, which is a native species, not one of those European weeds.

And they really like to grow in swampy places.

So they're almost always on pretty wet places, although sometimes they'll be in a pasture or something, but usually you find them in a swamp.

They're beautiful, in the sunflower family.

Amanda> And do they seed down easily or are they annuals?

John> They are annuals.

So yeah, they make plenty of little seeds on a little fluff that, you know that fly around for a while in late spring.

But they, as I say, they stay put.

They don't get to be weedy and terrible and they're wonderful things to have.

Amanda> It's wonderful to see.

Yeah.

Yeah.

John> Butter weed.

Amanda> Butter weed.

So we used to have buttercups because if you put them under your chin and you saw yellow, that meant you liked it butter.

But I guess everybody's chin would make it look yellow.

Because who the world doesn't like butter?

(all laugh) Terasa> Everything's better with butter.

Amanda> I sure like it.

Anyway.

Okay.

Well, thank you so much.

"Pack-a-roo", Packera.

Okay, Terasa.

Now what?

Terasa> I think we may have a show and tell.

Davis usually brings lots of things he mentioned, he can even pack them into his new SUV, so.

Davis> Yes,...

I decided that since we're getting toward the end of the season, I would bring in some of the last hellebores of the season.

Amanda> Wonderful.

These are our Lenten roses now.

You know, it used to be you only had three choices when you wanted a hellebore.

You had Hellebore... Helleborus Niger, which is the Christmas rose blooms very early in the winter.

Helleborus, the Lenten rose Helleborus orientalis.

And then there was the stinking hellebore or bear's claw hellebore...hellebore... Amanda> And it was only if you had to dig it up.

Davis> Right.

Right.

It was the roots that smelled But over the years with hybridization between all three of those groups and then tissue culture to encourage different, different characteristics, we now have hundreds, literally hundreds of types of hellebores.

The two tall ones here in the back are these are part of the frost kiss series and I don't know if we can zero in on the on the foliage of this one.

But, but you can see the venation is very pronounced and in some of these the leaves are almost white.

Amanda> And the... leaves are up all the time?

Davis> Right.

Amanda> Aren't they?

Davis> Yeah.

Amanda> So you'd always had that?

Davis> Right.

Right.

They're evergreen They love the shade.

Amanda> Why shade?

I mean, good gracious.

Davis> They can take a little bit of morning sun, but, but the more shade they get and the less water, the happier they are.

Amanda> Shoo... And so and so it used to be that they all were looking down and but now some of the new ones look up.

But they're all...you know, I think it's good for you to have to bend over and look down because it's always good to bend over and look at things too.

But so there are just so many choices for people, aren't there?

Davis> Right.

And they also make excellent cut flowers, if you wait until the seed pods are formed inside the flower, if you cut it while the filaments, the stamens are still showing, the flower won't last forever.

Amanda> So on this one, I think it's very easy to see that this is not one that if you, if you cut it won't last.

But once they... once those are gone and it starts to set seeds.

And you said some of these new ones have sterile seeds, but still... then you can bring them in the house and they're long lasting in the house and it's just so much fun to have something like that.

And John, these are kind of ambiguous florally.

Is that right?

Or?

Well, I mean, I mean, a little bit strange.

They don't have the usual complement of flower petals.

John> They're a little, but they are in the Buttercup family, John> if we're talking about Amanda> Buttercup.

Yeah.

John> but what goes on with a lot of things in the Buttercup family, which is the Ranunculaceae is that they have sepals that are what we call petaloid.

Amanda> Okay.

John> And that just means that the sepals are the bottom- Amanda> -usually the bottom ring.

John> They look like petals and they may not be petals and they're not petals here.

So the beautiful things on the outside of the flower are sepals.

They're the lower ring of flower parts.

Amanda> They are real pretty.

John> So I mean, and other than it being a technical sense, nobody is going to really care because they're really beautiful one way or the other, whether or not they have petals.

Amanda> And I have some Davis from the old type that seeded down and... the lovely person who gave them to me had them for 70 years in her yard and she's given them to me.

And now they've been 40 years in my yard.

Davis> They're very long lived perennials and they...the species does reseed itself freely.

So if you haven't you're going to have it.

Amanda> Isn't that wonderful?

Anyone share.

Okay.

Well, the botanical South Carolina Botanical Garden is just such a treasure.

It is our state botanical garden, even though it is up there at Clemson and there are lots of places to park, so I would encourage you to go.

And they have recently added a new garden and the story of why they did it and how they did it is a lot of fun.

♪ classical orchestral music ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Amanda> I'm talking to Allison Kelly, who's the Assistant Director of Horticulture at the South Carolina Botanical Garden up in Clemson.

And we are at your newest garden.

I believe this is the Birding Garden.

>> Yes, the Birding Garden was developed in collaboration with the South Carolina Botanical Garden and the Architecture Department here at Clemson University.

Dan Harding worked with our landscape architect at the time, Shannon Barrett, and his students developed this incredible structure, and it's to help our community members come in and just stop, look and listen to the birds.

They were already here every morning and they were just looking up at the birds, and we thought, this will be a great place.

>> And I believe that these young architectural students who are like young kids everywhere, are very ecologically and sustainability driven, and that fits in with y'all's goal too, I believe.

>> That's right.

Our mission and our vision.

We need biodiversity.

We need to work with recycled materials and also realize that we need to have a diverse population of plants to bring a diverse population of birds, animals, and so forth.

>> And you have a diverse population of birders that have really enjoyed coming here.

Allison> Yes.

Amanda> And for recycling, I just think this is the coolest thing.

Y'all have this giant parking lot down here and you didn't need every square inch of asphalt.

So tell us some of the cool things you've done.

>> Yes, the students decided to repurpose this parking area, take material we didn't need, and instead, use it as a wall and then insert different sedums, various plantings of sedums.

>> You said already this was a great place for birds and you'd noticed birders were here.

This is kind of, there's water near here.

What do birds need for their needs?

What are the needs they have to be met?

>> Sure, Sure.

They need water, of course.

And we have the nearby creek, but also a water fountain, yes, if you will, in here.

But they also need food.

So we have berries and seeds, plants that, that allow those, provide those services.

And then they need, they need nesting materials.

So we have lots of grasses and things of that nature that they can use for nesting materials.

And then, of course, then we have the evergreen trees along the back and that provides the shelter during those cold months.

>> And I was speaking with one of the birders and he was directing me to the hackberry tree, which was already here.

He said that because hackberries have so many insects on them that the warblers are just divinely happy right now, eating little aphids off the trees and just the dearest.

He said it's just been the most exciting for them to see as they're in their migration.

>> Yes.

Between hackberries and oaks, they provide a tremendous amount of diversity for insects.

So, and birds, really, they, we need to plant gardens, not just for the birds, but for those insects, because it's just a whole cycle.

Amanda> It certainly is.

Yes.

>> So, yes, the hackberry is tremendous and we have tremendous oaks all around as well.

So those provide a lot of food for the insects and the birds.

>> And then they showed me, and I looked, this Salvia leucantha which, because you have a lot of things you've planted for beauty for the people who come, and this is just an insect magnet, but also the hummingbirds were just, I've never seen anything like it... Allison> I know it.

>> They've just been getting a double dose of breakfast.

>> Yes, we have, we have a couple of varieties of salvia, but the grasses provide the seed heads as we get into the winter months, they're going to need that seed.

Amanda> You've got beautiful grasses, so let's talk about some of them.

They're just exquisite for me to look at the,.

I mean, I just love the beauty of them there.

>> Yes, we have our native, well, they're all native grasses, okay?

But our state grass, the Indiangrass is a tremendous source of seeds for our birds.

But we also have a couple of species of muhly grass, some that are native here to the Southeast and some that are native more to Texas, the Southwest area.

>> And it just gives such a wonderful diversity of texture and heights in this garden, even though it's a teeny little garden compared to the 200 acres you have all around you.

It's just, and then also, we don't think of green and white as being colors, but this time of year we see there is a lot of color in the grasses.

Allison> Oh, yes, yes!

With the mid ribs of the white of this Tripsacum grass here and, and also the various seed color heads, and then this defined cloud appearance of the muhly grass seed heads.

It's just spectacular in the sun of the morning and in the evening sun as it drifts through the seed heads.

It's just spectacular.

Amanda> And you have some passion vine, which is half eaten up now, which is just what you want.

Allison> Exactly.

The passion vine's great for the Gulf fritillary caterpillars.

Yes, they've eaten that thing up, but now, they've transformed into these beautiful butterflies.

Amanda> That we're seeing all around.

Allison> Exactly.

Exactly.

>> And then Silphium, cup plant, is just so much fun.

Tell people about how miraculous nature is and having those leaves.

Allison> Yes.

Yes.

>> And what those leaves can hold in them.

Allison> The leaves actually fuse around the stem and then hence it's common name, cup plant, holds the water.

So not only does it provide the seed heads at the top, but then it holds some of the water source for some of those other little birds.

>> And we were looking at them, and they're just the seed hulls are in it because the flower, when it's a member of the... it's a DYA Aster.

Allison> Yes.

Except this was pretty easy to identify and so it's got just thousands or hundreds of little seeds in each flower head, I believe.

>> Yes.

That's exactly right.

The aster family is, is known for its many, many types of seeds, but also those disc and ray flowers.

Most people just associate that with the daisy look and we have several of those, the cup plant and also the Coreopsis- Amanda> -Yes.

Allison> that we have over here.

But we also have the Scabiosa.

Amanda> Whoa, okay!

Allison> The butterfly, the pincushion flower.

So we have a lot of those.

Amanda> And then also for beauty, we have beautyberry.

I haven't seen a lot of birds eating beautyberry, but again, we have, you know, people are animals too.

And so you're planning to attract the birds, but you have certain things that are just to bring joy to our hearts.

And the beautyberry, which is, of course, native, is such a gorgeous plant.

Allison> It is.

It is.

And too, it provides some cover as well.

But it's when we get down into those dire months of January and February and they say, okay -- Amanda> - I'm going to eat my rutabagas.

(Both laugh) That's exactly right.

Amanda> I think that's kind of how...

But that's good because it holds its fruits for a long time.

Allison> A long time.

Amanda> And they are there when the birds need something else to eat.

Allison>> That's right.

That's right.

Amanda> Allison, there's an interesting use of materials that they brought in.

So let's talk about the rails and the bird house.

>> Yes.

Well, first of all, the ramp here is designed, is ADA compliant, so that we can have any visitor come, drive up here in this parking lot, can roll or walk or crawl if they want, up to the, up to our bird house.

And there are also some binoculars that are up there so they can just check out the birds from any vantage point here, the wall or up there.

But yes, the repurposed materials and the materials used are designed to kind of mimic nature, the bird feathers around the shed, the bird house, if you will, and also the railings, it kind of blends in.

It's not going to stand out like stainless steel.

Amanda> It's that wonderful Corten steel that just kind of rusts and takes on its own life.

And then, and then the bird house with its wonderful feathers that are brown and have that.

And they're not all the same color because things age at different times.

And then the green that you've used, it just mimics the garden.

It's just remarkable!

Allison> Yes.

All these different layers provide a lot of different structure, not just for the eye, but also for the birds.

>> The South Carolina Botanical Garden is 200 acres of just magic.

It's already a bird sanctuary.

But this has just been so fun because it's a place where people can come and really watch, you know, specific birds, and it's a place for them to make friends and see their friends who have similar interests, which is a whole part of what you're all doing here.

You're trying to connect community and the environment and bring awareness of the natural world.

And I think it's open and very accessible here because I don't think y'all are closed down very much.

>> That's right.

We're open 365 days a year and from sunrise to sunset.

And, and, you know, what's really magical is that it's free.

It's the most important part.

>> It really is just a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful place.

And I want to thank you so much for taking the time to share this newest garden with us.

>> Thank you.

Thank you for sharing with everyone.

♪ Well, I do hope that you will go up there and see that wonderful, wonderful new addition to the South Carolina Botanical Garden.

And when we got there, standing there like this was an old friend of mine, Imtiaz Haque.

who was a professor at Clemson and married a childhood friend of mine, Mary Beverly Taylor Haque, who became a landscape architecture teacher there.

And actually I got to go to the wedding.

It was one of the best weddings I've ever been to anyway, and this is one of the best places that you can go to to see birds if you're up in that area.

We'll hats, hats, hats, of course, my wonderful friends, Ann Nolte and Hank Stallworth called and said the bougainvilleas' in full bloom.

And amazingly, they'd had a problem with the fan or something in the greenhouse and all the leaves fell off, which has made it so much easier for me.

I didn't have to cut the leaves off.

But Edward did cut all the stickers off because they have real stickers.

But John, I don't think the petals, which are so incredibly showy, are really petals.

Are they?

John> That's right.

It's another one of those plants that it looks like it's got lots of petals.

But nope.

Those are actually those bright red things are actually bracts, which are just vegetative parts surrounding the flowers.

Amanda> Goodness, gracious.

Terasa> It's like in poinsettias.

Right?

John> Like with a poinsettia.

Amanda> Okay.

John> Sure enough.

Amanda> Well, anyway, I just thought it was.

It's the prettiest color I've ever seen in my eyes.

John> And the flowers are those little teeny things, and it's sort of yellow.

Amanda> Terasa, a lot of people try to grow it here, but it likes...I think it's from South America.

But...you think of it with Italy and places like that, I think, and Los Angeles, when I go see my kids, it's all over the place.

And so I don't I think it likes more of a Mediterranean climate.

Is that what you've heard?

Terasa> Yeah, I don't have that much experience with it.

You know, I've been trying hard to incorporate as many natives as possible and excited I have on order the Clematis virginiana to add to my landscape.

So I don't have a lot of experience with bougainvillea.

Amanda> Anybody?

Davis, do y'all carry it?

Davis> We usually have it in hanging baskets.

We treat it as a summer annual, just like hibiscus and Mandevilla and that type thing.

Amanda> Well, this one, thank goodness it spends it's winter in the greenhouse and then hike it in.

Make it available for me.

Terasa> That's a showstopper of a color.

Amanda> It is pretty special, isn't it?

Okay.

Well, Teresa, what should we do now?

Terasa> Back to the world of helping our clients with their questions.

Joni submitted a photo, and she's in Aiken.

She said, Why are the leaves of my Meyer lemon curling?

Does it need more water?

Amanda> Oh, goodness.

Overwater?

underwater?

la la la la.

That's one reason.

It's nice that we have the digital method of checking about water, isn't it?

Vicky> It is.

So Joni has purchased a a moisture meter, but it's, It's not as accurate as it could be.

I tell people, you know- Amanda> - a moisture meter, Vicky> -your finger, your finger does just fine.

The plant will tell you when it needs water.

But, so these lemon trees, Joni's been growing these for a really long time.

She's got...she's got a mother plant in a pot.

And so when she told me it was in a pot, I thought, Oh well, it could very well be water, especially if it's like a potting mix.

There's not a lot of soil in it.

Maybe it's got a bunch of peat moss in it, dries out between waterings and then she's got smaller younger plants in grow bags.

Amanda> Goodness.

>> And so, I had her send me pictures so that I could look at it.

And, and we talked about her watering schedule, And it's not water.

When you start looking at these leaves.

So, yes, they are curled, but when you start looking at them up close, you can see that there's kind of a cast to them and they just don't look right.

Amanda> Now, is it happening with the mother plant and the offshoots?

Vicky> It's happening with all of them.

so that kind of leads you to believe, it's probably not a water issue because- Amanda> -They're getting such- Vicky> Not all of them should be doing that.

And so I had her investigate a little bit closer, some more pictures and I said, you know, this really looks like spider mite damage.

And so I sent her some pictures to say, "Hey, do these critters look like this?"

So what I told her was, take one of the branches, hold a piece of paper underneath it, and tap the branch and see if you see anything crawling on that piece of paper.

She said, "I think I might see something."

Amanda> Tell her to put her eye glasses on.

Vicky> So I said, Well, it kind of sounds like spider mites.

Well, her husband broke out a jeweler's loupe.

Amanda> Whoa!.

Vicky> So, he was able to say, It really does look like what you're sending us.

So we decided the diagnosis is that they're infested with spider mites.

There's a couple of ways she can go.

If you want to mechanically remove them, you can jet them off like you would with aphids, a strong stream of water.

Try to knock them off.

But instead she's going to use horticultural oil.

So the recommendation was insecticidal soap or horticultural oil Amanda> -Okay!

Vicky> -to try to manage them that way.

Amanda> - and spray the undersides.

Vicky> The...the key to those working is covered.

So you have to make sure that you're spraying the top of the leaves, the bottom of the leaves.

Amanda> Okay.

Vicky> So, that you're actually getting where those mites are.

Amanda> -they're so little they could be... Vicky> -hiding in nooks.

Amanda> Yeah.

So John, when you are teaching this new class, are people going to get a loupe to carry with them?

John> They're going to have to get their own loupe.

Amanda> Yeah.

Yeah.

John> We're going to call it because we'll be looking at plant parts instead of spider mites.

We're going to call it a florascope Amanda> florascope Okay.

And you have...they come in different strengths and there's one, You recommend one in particular.

I remember from when I was with you.

>> Well, for most purposes, all you need to have is a ten power.

You don't need to have.

Amanda> Don't don't think you have to have the biggest- John> Right.

I mean, they're kind of clunky to use with that larger magnification.

And they also cost more.

Amanda> Okay.

And I have mine hanging on the chair in the kitchen so I can carry it around with me... John> I still have mine as a... from undergraduate days.

Vicky> I do too.

Amanda> So, you...you haven't lost it from then?

John> I don't know how.

That's a miracle.

Vicky> I still have moved from undergraduate days.

Amanda> I lost my wedding ring at my wedding reception.

I don't have any...I've lost all my eyeglasses, I've lost all my earrings, lost my necklaces.

That orange necklace I wear.

Vicky> Oh yeah.

Amanda> Yeah, I've lost it.

Yeah.

And you, y'all are something else.

My mother once paid us $5 to find her eyeglasses, and they were on top of her head.

(laugh) So, it's genetic.

Vicky> Now, I have a question for John.

Amanda> Okay.

Vicky> Using the florascope do y'all use them the same way that we use our hand lenses?

So, ours are generally have a small field of view and the way that they work is that you don't hold it like this, like a magnifying glass.

You have to hold the loupe close to your face and then you bring the specimen- John> -That's right.

Vicky> -close to you.

So I tell people it's...it behooves you that your specimen is not like a very active specimen.

(all laugh) Is that how the florascopes work too?

John> -and for most plants, they're not active as you might have a praying mantis or something.

So you hold whatever you want to look at and you can practice with the back of your hand.

Vicky> Okay?

John> Like look at a bump or something and get your little hand lens and everything gets close together, as you say.

And it's also useful if you're out of doors looking at a flower or a leaf or something to position yourself in the sunlight so that you get as much light as you can.

Vicky> Okay.

John> And that might mean moving your baseball cap backwards.

(snickers) Vicky> Okay.

I just wanted to know if it was using it the same way.

John> It's all physics, I think.

No matter what you're looking at.

Amanda> Goodness gracious.

Davis, I think we can now get back to plants.

So let's.

Let's see what this beauty is that you have here.

Davis> Well, this last month, one of the Making It Grow Facebook blasts featured our native dog hobble, the colorful Lucothoe axillaris So, I brought a couple of specimens of that.

The one on the floor here is Lucothoe axillaris Margie Jenkins, which is a selection of the species.

Amanda> What's preferable about this selection?

Davis> Well it's the foliage holds up a lot better than some of the other Lucothoes because they are somewhat susceptible to the Entomosporium leaf spot Margie Jenkins' foliage really holds up nicely and the flowers are very showy.

The flowers of the- Amanda> Want culture does it want?

Davis> It likes shade and it loves moist soil.

It doesn't like to really grow in standing water, but it can it can grow in somewhat boggy situations, which...lends it to lends itself to the... to the native habitat.

You usually find it growing on stream banks Amanda> Okay!

Davis>and other upland pocosin and that kind of thing.

Amanda> Well, this is the tiny, tiniest thing I've ever seen compared to this.

Davis> And this one is also Lucothoe axillaris This one has been selected because of not only the size of the leaf, but the red color in the new growth, and the flowers on this one are equally showy.

They're just a little bit smaller.

But since you've got such a compact growing plant with such a dense foliage you still get that nice show.

This one is called Rejoyce.

Not like rejoice and give thanks, but rejoyce, R-E-J-O-Y-C-E named after...named after a lady.

But it's... this one doesn't get quite as large as the Margie Jenkins.

Margie- Amanda> -but it's going to get...this is a small... Davis> Right.

It's, it's a dwarf form.

It's going to get up about 18 to 24 inches with about a three foot spread where Margie will get up about three feet with a 4 to 5 foot spread.

Amanda> This is handsome.

Davis> it's a beautiful plant.

Amanda> and it wouldn't be bad to put in a container and have it up where you could appreciate it a little bit more in a shady area.

Davis> As long as you can keep it moist but not wet.

Amanda> Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, you could add a little bit more compost if you wanted to.

I never use peat moss because it's not a renewable resource.

Davis> Right.

Amanda> And if it dries out, it's impossible to rewet it.

But I don't mind putting a little compost in sometimes with my potting soil.

Well, that's just wonderful.

Thank you so very, very much.

Oh goodness gracious.

The South Carolina Wildlife Federation is a wonderful force for good in our state.

And let's learn a little bit more about them.

>> I'm speaking with Sara Green, and Sara is the executive director of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation and your organization has an interesting history, I think people in South Carolina, interesting in history.

So tell me how you all started and what two fine gentlemen were in charge.

>> Yes, we were founded in 1931 by hunters and fishermen.

Harry Hampton and Zan Hayward founded our organization to really have a lot of the decisions about policy made based on science.

And so that's been super important for conservation over the last 92 years and into the future.

Amanda> Yes, it is.

And of course, when they were active, we didn't have the huge push of people coming in and, and the industry coming in, which has had many positive effects for the citizens of South Carolina as far as jobs and all.

And I believe that Harry Hampton was instrumental in saving the what is now the Congaree National Park, which is which is very exciting.

>> Right?

Right.

Yes.

Even back in the 30s, they could tell the impact that humans were having on the populations of wild deer, wild deer and turkey.

And so they were seeing a need to conserve habitat for wildlife even back then.

And of course, there's been so much more development since then that has just impacted wildlife even more.

>> So y'all's goal is to...?

>> We conserve and restore wildlife habitat across South Carolina.

>> Okay.

Okay.

And you have several fascinating programs that you do, and you've hit lots of different groups of varying importance.

I mean, every single person is important because we all make decisions.

So you do work with schools?

>> We do.

We do.

We we have a program called Gardening for Wildlife and so we encourage people to create habitat right in their own backyards or in schoolyards and other places throughout the community.

So we work with schools a lot.

They can create a living laboratory or an outdoor classroom right at their school and really experience wildlife up close and really have a big impact for wildlife habitat.

>> And of course, our pollinators and native plants are very important.

And you've reinforced that by giving away seeds, I believe.

>> Right, right.

For pollinators are really having a hard time and so need nectar sources and also butterflies need host plants.

And so we give away native milkweed seeds, which is the host plant for the monarch butterfly.

And so we have a great demand for that type of habitat.

And people all over the state now can plant milkweed in their own backyard.

And it makes a big difference for monarch butterflies that migrate through South Carolina.

Amanda> Yes.

>> And then we know that we've had a huge influx of industry.

We have good policies for industry and we have a good workforce.

And but sadly, a lot of times I'll ride by a place that had trees on it and all of a sudden it's been clear cut and there's a wonderful... an industry coming in with all sorts of good jobs and things, but it's just a lot of grass and a few trees and that's such a huge amount of space that could be perhaps used differently and be more friendly towards habitat.

And I think you all are really making an effort to work with some of these agencies.

>> We are.

We have a program called Wildlife and Industry Together.

We call it the WAIT program.

And so we work with industries all across the state to manage their land for a wildlife habitat.

And sometimes that just means stopping mowing some of the areas like you were talking about, and that saves the company money.

And it's also much better for wildlife.

A lot of the pollinators need that kind of meadow grassland habitat and a lot of our birds nest on the ground and deer love those kinds of habitats.

So lots of different types of wildlife that can really have a better...area to live if some industries can manage their property well.

And so we work with a lot of industries, BMW and Michelin and Honda, just really industries all across South Carolina that can make a big difference on larger pieces of land like that.

>> And sometimes you say they keep a certain area more manicured just for the presence of people driving by, but that otherwise they really are kind of reaching out and trying to let their employ-... if you let your employees know what you're doing, they can take that message out to the community, I would think.

>> Right?

Absolutely.

So employee education is a big part of our WAIT program.

And so employees get to learn about plants that attract wildlife and the needs of wildlife in their community.

And also community partnerships is a big part of our program, too.

So we have industries that are working with schools and scout groups and garden clubs.

And so really being a good partner in the community, in addition to their impact for wildlife.

>> And then... on a just a charming local level, I love to fish... but when you go to fish, often the public places and places you go are just horrendously littered, horrendously littered.

And you all have a program called plishing.

Sara> Yeah.

Amanda> So tell me about plishing.

Sara> Yes, >> There's a Swedish word called plocka upp that means to pick up.

And so we combined that with picking up litter and fishing.

So we call it plishing and encourage people to, when they're out fishing to pick up litter.

And we have a summer plishing challenge each year to have incentives for picking up litter and also catching fish.

It's just a really great way to keep our waterways clean and have a better fish habitat for the future.

>> And then some of the other things that you're doing involve taking... getting women who, often fathers took their sons out.

And but women are half of who we are.

>> Right?

And so we certainly want them on the side of wildlife and conservation.

And I think you have some programs that are dedicated to getting them all revved up and excited.

>> We do.

We have our Palmetto Outdoors Women's Retreat each fall and so we have about 30 different classes that women can take from archery and fishing to birding.

We've had, we've done kudzu basket weaving and just all different kinds of outdoor skills.

And it's a really fun weekend.

And we've had such demand for it that we've started adding additional classes and events throughout the year.

We just had a fly fishing event a couple of weeks ago and so lots of different things for women to try.

>> And when you do that, you're building again a lobbying force for across the state.

>> We really try to educate people about our beautiful state and all of the wildlife and beautiful plants that we have here so that they will be inspired to conserve it and take action when needed and speak up about different legislation or different policies.

>> As we change our habitat, we find some some birds are very specific about what they need to nest.

And I was reading that some of the birds are kestrels, screech owls, prothonotary warblers and others are having a hard time finding places to nest and you all are trying to go in and help nature so that these birds can be successful at reproducing.

>> Yes, we have a variety of different nesting boxes of different sizes and shapes because they each different species has certain things that they're looking for in a nesting box and so prothonotary warblers is one species that is in decline and a bright yellow, beautiful bird and they migrate from South America all the way up to South Carolina and breed here.

And so and they are a cavity nesting warbler.

So they are looking for holes in trees and things like that.

But if those are not available, then they have our nesting boxes that they can use.

And so and they those we've been putting those up all across the state for the, for that species in particular.

But also kestrels, screech owls, wood ducks, bluebirds all different sizes and colors and types of birds that are cavity nesters.

>> And everyone loves hawks but many people don't realize the little kestrel you see sitting on the power line is a, is a hawk.

He's our smallest one and quite beautiful.

I think people should look at the picture.

>> They are beautiful.

Yes.

Yes.

>> Last year at a Master Gardener conference, I heard one of your fellow workers, Jay Keck.

Is that correct?

Talk about some certain buildings where birds just fly into the windows by the hundreds.

And I mean, they're already having so many pressures on them that have affected their decline.

We certainly don't want them to kill themselves that way.

Have you all found a way to dissuade birds from doing that?

>> We, we've been working with several businesses around the state that have had window strikes from birds.

And there's a product called Collidescape that is a film that can be put on the windows and it doesn't obstruct the view looking out, but it cuts down on the reflection, which is what the birds, the birds see, the trees reflected in the glass and they think they can fly into it.

So this film cuts down on the reflection and from the outside it can look like a beautiful piece of art.

And from inside you can't even tell that it's on there.

But it really saves.

No, the birds don't hit it at all because the reflection is gone.

>> And I understand that if a bird at your house hits a window, you can and it's still alive but stunned you can put it in a shoebox and maybe put a cover over it and bring it in for a while and often they will recover and then take it out and release it?

>> Right.

They often do.

And there's also a wildlife rehabilitators that can help with those kinds of situations as well.

So.

>> Sara, although you do have a well organized staff and work crew, I think that you welcome the participation of individual citizens.

And so if someone has a great interest, can they contact you all and see if there's a place where they can be a conduit into the community.

>> Absolutely.

We have lots of different ways that individuals can get involved, whether it's creating habitat in your backyard or being involved in one of our programs, collecting data about different species of birds or wildlife.

So they can visit our website as SCWF.org for more information.

And we have programs going on across the state and throughout the year.

>>Well, I want to thank you so much for sharing this important news with us today.

Sara> Thank you so much for having me.

Amanda> If you'd like to learn more about the South Carolina Wildlife Federation, you can look them up and see all the great things they're doing for our state.

We do radio minutes here at Making It Grow and they air on South Carolina Public Radio, and we have them on our Facebook page and also you can go to SCETV's website and find them there if you'd like to.

We have a good time doing that.

Goodness gracious.

And, John, I think you've got something exciting for show and tell, a mystery plant.

John> Right.

Right.

So, you know, it being the middle of March now, I was really getting filled with the fever to get out and do some fieldwork.

And so last weekend I went out on a field trip.

Well, for one reason, to get barbecue on the way to Bamberg.

And then I found a secret place along the river, the South Edisto- Amanda> Come on.

John>-which is a gorgeous river.

Amanda> The Edisto is so exquisitely beautiful.

John> It's so wonderful.

And there I was, like, standing at the edge of the river.

I look down at my feet in the water where thousands and thousands of these little plants are flowing, along with the current.

Some of them were actually on the mud stranded.

But this is a little plant that some people used to call a kind of fern.

They don't make any flowers or seeds.

And for hundreds of years, nobody knew how it reproduced.

And the people in Europe, when they used to see this back in the 18th century, they didn't have a clue.

Amanda> -Now is it native to there?

And here?

John> There are a whole bunch of species.

Amanda> So they've got similar, similar ones there.

John> And the ones that we've got are all native to the east, eastern part of the United States.

But those people in Europe thought it was kind of a magical plant.

So they started calling it Merlin's grass.

Merlin's grass after the famous wizard.

Amanda> Yes What a lovely common name.

John> Because it was so mysterious.

Amanda> Whoa.

John> But now they figure it out it's not quite as mysterious.

The scientists have gotten their fingers...(laughing) And this, of course, it's also called Quillwort Amanda> Quillwort?

John> We must have eight or ten different species in South Carolina.

Amanda> Right here in our state.

Some of them are quite rare and a little bit endangered and they grow it.

Most of them grow in fairly specialized habitats like on the pools, those ephemeral pools of granite flat rocks.

Amanda> Wow.

John> Well, this one grows in rivers.

>> Wow!

John> And you can see I'm, like, holding this stuff in my dirty hand.

But now, Professor Davis.

Davis, please hold this up so we can see what is going on with this plant.

It makes a shock of quill like leaves that stick up, you know, from the base of it- Amanda> -if they're.

not moving in the water beautifully.

John> Right.

Yeah.

And then, sometimes when you do see it...it's...they're all ...the leaves are all stranded, if it's like on the edge of a creek or something.

But down at the base is where the action is.

So the plants and then an individual plant will produce two different kinds of spores.

Amanda> Okay.

John> They don't make seeds.

And the...you can see this... what they call the mega spores, right in this shot that we're having.

They're big old, relatively big spores that have little teeny spines all over them.

And that's the best way for these things to be identified.

Other, if you don't have the spores, you practically can't ever identify it.

Amanda> Huh!

Well, I'm going to get my jeweler's loupe out.

And look at this.

John> Your florascope Amanda> My florascope And I want to thank you for sharing that with us.

That was a lot of fun.

I want to thank everybody who was here tonight.

Terasa, congratulations on your new position.

And I'm so glad that we're going to kind of squeeze in and still be able to have you help us because we can't do it without you.

And to all of y'all, we're so happy to be together again.

I hope you all at home are going to enjoy the new shows.

We've got a great new season for you and we will see you.... next week.

Looking forward to it.

Night, night.

♪ closing music ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Narrator>> Making It Grow is brought to you in part by certified South Carolina.

This cooperative effort among farmers, retailers and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture helps consumers identify foods and agricultural products that are grown, harvested or raised right here in the Palmetto State.

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

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

Wesley Commons, a full service continuing care, retirement community located on more than 150 wooded acres in Greenwood, South Carolina.

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