Making It Grow is brought to you in part by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture.

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

McLeod Farms in McBee, South Carolina.

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

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

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

We are so glad you could join us this Tuesday.

I'm Amanda McNulty.

And I'm a Clemson Extension agent.

And our program is a collaborative effort between S.C.E.T.V.

and Clemson University and Terasa Lott Oh gosh, Terasa we just can't do our program without you.

You are so, Teresa does all of this Facebook business and stuff that I just have no understanding of whatsoever.

You are too kind and I have lots of help.

They might not always be sitting here, but a great Clemson family to help me answer questions and get things organized.

<Amanda> Well we really, really do appreciate it.

Thank you so much.

Cory Tanner is, started out as a hort agent, he keeps getting moved up the ladder.

And now he's supposed to be telling the hort agents how to behave and what to do.

That's, that's kind of like herding cats.

It's a full time job.

But anyway, we're so thankful that you came down to help us tonight.

I'm happy to be here as always.

<Amanda> Yeah, It's really a treat to see you.

And Mary Vargo is a new agent.

Oh, we're just tickled pink, but you're a South Carolinian by birth.

Yes, ma'am.

Born and raised in Piedmont, South Carolina and still there right now.

But yeah, I'm serving as the new urban horticulture agent for Greenville County.

<Amanda> Yeah.

And you really like cut cut flowers and things like that <<Yes>> so, we're gonna be good friends.

Yeah.

Really excited.

Yeah, yeah.

Okay.

And Terasa, you usually have some pretty pictures to start us off before we start tackling problems.

So let's let's start with something pleasant Shall we?

<Terasa> We shall.

It's always fun to start on a positive note.

So let's take a look at our Gardens of the Week from across the state.

Starting with the Lund family who was lucky enough to capture a Monarch butterfly.

I am quite jealous despite my efforts to plant milkweed the monarchs have not visited my yard or at least not that I've observed.

Janice Wolf Lake shared white spider lily, Lycoris albiflora.

Andy Brown captured a hummingbird visiting his Crocosmia.

A dragon fly perched atop a ginger Lily is the focus of Connie Keeter's photo.

And finally, Tina Sherrill sent in an unusual photograph of a groundhog in a fig tree.

While they live in burrows, they can and do climb trees as you can see in her photo.

I hope that Tina was able to still get some figs.

<Amanda> A groundhog in a fig tree.

<Cory> They're just a fat squirrel, Amanda.

<Amanda> All right, practically, really?

<<rodents>> They are.

Well, Dr. John had a picture one time remember, Terasa, of his dog jumping up and getting figs out of the tree.

<<That's right>>.

Yeah, yeah.

And I'm so short, my tree has gotten so big, I'm just about having to jump up.

<laughs> Oh, goodness.

Well, that was fun.

Thank you.

Well, if we got some questions, we can try to help people with, Terasa?

<Terasa> We do.

That's really what our show is all about.

So let's see if we can help Lisa in Columbia.

I'd like to plant mondo grass under a tree.

How do I go about getting it established?

<Amanda> Okay.

I'm guessing she probably wants to put in that dwarf mondo grass, don't you think so, Cory?

<<Most likely Yeah.>> Because it didn't set seeds and end up all over the world.

<<That's right>> How would you go about it?

<Cory> Well, so you always want to be a little bit careful when you're planting under a tree.

You know, mature trees have pretty extensive root system and there's sometimes not a lot of soil to deal with.

And there's a lot of roots in there.

But we don't want to do anything to harm the tree.

So monda grass is, you know, one one option under a tree is to not point anything and just the mulch under there and that's probably the best thing for the tree overall.

But monda grass is a pretty good choice if you really want to ground cover under a tree.

And you kindly brought some from your house to let us look at today but you know mondo grass are these little tufts of grass and they often come in plugs or containers and potting soil.

But you were telling me that they do a lot better when you actually remove the soil from the roots and bare root them.

<Amanda> Especially if you pull them apart because I think you get a lot more.

Like if I plant just one big one, it can only go around that outside.

But if I plant a lot of little ones, then it can have new growth all the way around each one.

I think it fills in.

I've noticed it seems to fill in a little faster.

<Cory> Yeah, I suspect you're right.

And actually we've learned in horticulture through the years that bare rooting almost any plant before you plant it is actually a good practice.

And when people get scared, you know, to knock all that potting soil off and damage the roots.

But actually, it stimulates new root growth when you do that.

And so actually you can get almost quicker establishment if you'll take those containerized plants almost regardless of what it is, and just shake all that soil off and tease those roots apart before you plant.

<Amanda> And you don't get that incompatibility between the native soil and what that soil <<exactly>> mix might be too I guess.

Does that has something to do with it?

<Cory> It does.

Yeah, I mean, if you think about the difference between like a peat or pine bark based potting soil versus our sand or red clay that we have in South Carolina, there's a big difference in texture there.

And that can be a barrier to regrowth, actually.

So I often, you know, I may not completely bare root things before they go in the ground, but I will usually break up those root balls pretty well.

<Amanda> And another thing if you do that, I've noticed, is that when they get moved up, I guess in the nursery trade, because everybody's trying to make some money and work fast, Sometimes that, the root flare ends up getting soil on top of it.

And so don't you think you can find that more easily sometimes if you, if you take the, <Mary> Oh yeah, absolutely.

So you're not kind of stuffing it in there and then building more soil on top of it.

So you're kind of giving it a head start if you're going that way if you want to successful planting over time.

Yeah, for sure.

<Amanda> And fall is the best time to plant.

<Cory> Yeah, and one last note Amanda on these mondo, best way to kill mondo grass is to cover that crown with soil.

And so by bare rooting, you can actually make sure that that junction where the leaves meet the roots is at or slightly above the soil line because if you bury that too deep, it'll rot and those will die.

So it helps actually to get it at the proper depth.

<Amanda> And um, so it's almost all it's almost, I guess, really always better to plant a little high.

Because planning low can really be a problem.

<<That's right>> Okay.

Well, thank you.

I bet she'll have some success.

And um, you know, she could mulch, partially around the tree.

I mean, there are lots of ways to go about it.

It's interesting that Brookgreen Gardens years and years ago, they used to have ivy under that wonderful avenue of oaks and it's so wonderful to see that they've realized how invasive that ivy can be and they've taken it all away it's much nicer now, so, okay, all right.

Well, Terasa, what should we do next?

<Terasa> Well, we talked about the groundhog in a fig tree.

This is a question about a fig tree.

Gayle in Liberty is having a tough time.

She says I have a two year old fig tree but I'm disappointed it didn't produce figs this year.

What am I doing wrong?

Maybe the groundhog just ate them all.

Naw, I'm just kidding!

<laughs> <Amanda> Those groundhogs must have a secret system that they're sending out messages to.

Well, Mary, what do you think might be going on here?

<Mary> Yeah, so from hearing that it is two years old, my first guess would be you know, figs take a little bit of time to get established before they start fruiting.

So hearing that as two years old means that you know it's probably just putting on a lot of vigorous new growth trying to get established.

So really, I wouldn't expect it to be fruiting at that time.

So maybe year three or four look to see if you'd have some fruits forming.

Another way you can look at it is maybe do a soil test.

See what's going on in the soil.

Maybe you have some sort of soil in your area that is kind of inhibiting some sort of fruit production.

Like we were talking earlier about nematodes maybe being present in some sandy soils.

So definitely soil test but hearing that it's two years old, it's probably just prioritizing putting on new growth right now.

<Amanda> And there are a couple of types that grow well in South Carolina.

I have a Brown Turkey.

<Mary> Yeah, they're great.

And then Celeste is also a really great variety.

Yeah, so I guess knowing your variety.

So another another way to look at it is knowing what type of fig you're growing and making sure it can grow really well around here.

<Amanda>Yeah,'cause there's some that grow in other parts of the country <<yeah>> that wouldn't do well here.

Well, thank you so much.

You got to get out there early because it's birds, <<or groundhogs>> or groundhogs or dogs or neighbors perhaps.

Oh goodness.

We had a wonderful visit a while back from our dear dear dear Tony Melton.

And we really, I've known Tony for 20 years now and we've just traded stories back and forth so much and this time we just had a lot of Tony stories and I think you're gonna enjoy, you know what a pleasure Tony is so you know that you're going to enjoy hearing all sorts of things about Tony I'm talking with my good friend Tony Melton and over the years Tony's told me some fascinating things about his family.

I just don't know if there's been a family more full of love.

And you needed a lot of love because there were a lot of you.

Yeah, it was close, it was close area at our house.

We only had three bedrooms and figure there's eight kids.

<Amanda> Eventually I think your mom even adopted, adopted a child.

<Tony> That would make 12 in three bedrooms.

So figure that's a lot of close sleeping.

<Amanda> And I think there was a well worn path because I don't think y'all had an indoor bathroom for a long time.

<Tony> There's 150 steps <<laughs>> from our back door to the outhouse at the back and that was a cold time.

<<ooh wee>> And then we also had, we've talked about the pecans before, you know, we call them, pecans.

We call them pecans because that's what we had under our beds.

<Amanda> Yeah, I know 'cause sometimes there's just too far to go out there, yeah yeah.

<Tony> Yeah, we would have a shower, it's back behind the bar but it opened all the way down through the floor.

So we had a, it was a barrel and we'd put water in that barrel and the sun would warm it up.

<Amanda> Oh yeah.

Solar energy.

Y'all were early.

<Tony> Off the grid.

<laughs> Off the grid.

<Amanda> And your mama made those, you call them cathead biscuits.

<Tony> Cathead biscuits, three figure biscuits.

She'd take three fingers and press down on the biscuits.

Oh they were so wonderful, they were so wonderful.

And then we had we just had a little small kitchen about as big as this table here is about as big as it was.

We had a little heater in there and we had a stove.

Mama had a electric range, but Grandmama had wood burner.

So we had, she had wood burning and a pump to bring water up to the porch.

<<Did she really?>> Yes she did.

And it was it came up right to her back porch and then she could come in and bring it in and cook with it.

<Amanda> And you said y'all would sit y'all would go out and gather and then y'all would sit and help your mama shell beans or prepare the vegetables for supper and then have I guess just family big family style dinners.

<Tony> That's right.

We had a screened in porch.

Just an old screened in door and I remember Daddy used to get on to me when I slammed the scereened in porch.

It had a spring on it.

He said quit letting my pet flies out.

<laughs> <Amanda> I think every child has been chastised for letting that screen door slam.

I've been told quit letting that door slam, you know.

Yeah, we'd learned to put your fanny out let it hit your fanny and then close that kind of quiet.

That's what we would do.

<Tony> If I didn't, have my get my pants hit anyway.

<Amanda> But you have some wonderful stories.

Your father was a wonderful citizen and he served in the Second World War.

<Tony> One thing, I was used to go forging.

I remember one time I had pneumonia and I was sick and had to stay around in the bedrooms and stuff you.

You didn't stay around in the bedroom.

And I had pneumonia and I go forge through a chiffarobe that we had and one of the things he had in there was machine gun shells still on the doggone strap, <<Wow>> that you put it through gun with, <Amanda> Yeah.

He was in Italy?

<Tony> He was in Italy, against Mussolini and it was, it was dangerous.

They still had them shells around.

But he had one box that was all taped up and it inside the box it was taped up.

And it was a pen, <<a writing pen?>> a writing pen, where you draft it and what it is, what it was, was a pen that was in his shirt pocket.

When ever a round came towards his heart, it hit that pen and bounced off.

<Amanda> So that was the pen that saved your, <Tony> daddy's life.

That's why I'm here.

Today is why I'm here and it also that's why I had the box with the wood purple heart in it.

<Amanda> Oh of course.

Yeah, and he was a very skilled machinist I believe.

<Tony> he could make pretty much anything or fix anything he wanted to.

He made some things like, Germany one time said over drill bits, in Germany, he said it was the world's smallest drill bit.

And he worked, my daddy worked for Sonoco in Hartsville back then.

He drilled a hole through the drill bit and sent it back to Germany.

<laughs> <Amanda> Well tell me about the time he was changing the, I know you like the Farmall tractors.

<<Oh I love 'em>> 'cause you can see where you going.

<Tony> You can see where you going, you can use the equipment, attach it on.

<Amanda> But your daddy was changing the oil or something and something funny happened, I think.

<Tony> A snake fell down from the motor down into where he was and he likely tore that tractor up trying to get out from under there.

He'd scared of snakes.

<Amanda> There's one more story that I just love and that was about you were helping a friend feed his dog or something and you got over there and the dogs got out of the garage and one of them had three legs and seems like it took you about, do you remember that story?

<<Yeah>> Tell us that little story.

<Tony> We were keeping somebody else's dogs and they were out of town so we go over, feed 'em you know, put food out for 'em and stuff like that and they left the door at the, the back area open just a little bit so the cats, <<Oh yeah>> And actually a three legged dog snuck in through the parking lot there and went into through the house, inside the house.

And I thought it was their dog 'cause it was the first time I went back there.

So when I got there to feed the dog, opened the door up and this three legged dog come running out <<laughs>> and he ran all over the whole neighborhood.

Guess who chased him all over the whole neighborhood, trying to catch up with that dog, three legged dog.

And I found out that it was just this dog that's stuck in the house and messed up the whole house.

And oh we were embarassed over that.

<laughs> <Amanda> Oh, it's been so many fun stories over the years, Tony I declare, and mostly just a lot of happiness and joy in life.

<Tony> That's one thing we need to concentrate on.

Things may be tough, things may be hard, but we're so blessed.

We need to concentrate on the happy, and concentrate, on doing their best every day, you know and I think we would just be blessed about it.

<Amanda> Well, I know that you have been a blessing to the farmers.

And the people like me, who've been able to catch you as a friend.

<Tony> I have so many loved ones all old is home state farmers and folks like y'all.

It's so wonderful, Amanda.

<Amanda> Well, we think we're mighty lucky, Tony.<<Thank you>> <Amanda> We hope that Tony will come over and see us again 'cause I know y'all are just as glad to see him as we are.

And I want to remind you that the corn maze that's based on Tony trivia is still going on up at McBee and they're many corn mazes around the state.

I encourage you to look for one.

Agritourism.

It's a wonderful way to support and learn about your local farmers.

Well I was looking for hat material and I hope that my husband isn't watching because I bought one of his favorite bromeliads over and used the knife we have in our break room to cut the top of it out.

I don't know if it will re sprout or not.

Maybe I can have a question.

And then I had some variegated Solomon's Seal which is just a real favorite of mine and then for some add some berries too.

So just you know just one of those hodgepodge hats.

But I hope that you like it.

I believe, Terasa that we are going to have a spotlight garden and that somebody who felt like they had enough corners and niches and crooks that um, that look pretty, they could send us multiple photographs.

<Terasa> That is right and this one comes from outside of the state from Mike Haley in Gaston County, North Carolina.

Mike wrote his own description.

He said late blooms on my zinnias, butterfly bushes, firecracker plants and a water feature which he described as a splash pad for the birds and other wildlife.

The hanging basket is in front of what is termed Pop's greenhouse and of course I love that because Pop is what I called my grandfather.

And then wrapping up Mike shared the last watermelon of the season.

So thanks Mike for sharing a little piece of your yard with all of us here at Making It Grow and all of our viewers.

<Amanda> And we had a wonderful time remember Terasa?

We had a visit with the watermelon queen this year.

We really missed her last year and that was, so we've, watermelons are actually a large part of the economy and income for many South Carolina farmers and we have I think, the best watermelons of all.

At any rate, um, who else would like a little help, Terasa?

Sally from Belton said she would like some help.

My friend has a beautiful old fashioned garden mum.

She's willing to share.

How can I bring some to my yard?

<Amanda> Aha!

Cory, I think I've heard you in the past talk about having some of those.

<<Yeah>> You got some suggestions?

Well fall garden mums are great, great plants right and there's a lot of these old heirloom pass along mums out there.

And so the great thing about them is, and that's probably why there are so many of them around is they're really easy to share.

So there's a couple ways that you can do it.

Of course you think about them blooming in the fall, but you can divide the clumps in the winter and spring and share those, you know these kind of spread with by rhizomes and a lot of times they get the clumps get a little bit big.

So it's good to dig them and divide them and that's a great time to share you know, a clump with your friends but they also propagate really well from stem cuttings.

And back in the summer, we were visiting our friend Jenks Farmer down in Beech Island, famous for his crinums <<Yes>> but he also has some some mums that he's collected through the years or people have given him and we, he let me take a few cuttings while we were down there.

And these are those cuttings that were taken back in late summer.

And so I just took stem cuttings, which would be you know, I don't have my pruners on me, but just a few inches of stem, you strip the bottom leaves off and stick them in a good potting soil.

You don't really need rooting hormone.

But if you want to <<really>> you can add some rooting powder, and basically you know at home, you just keep them in a humid location, or you can wrap them with a plastic bag for a few days.

<Amanda> Or the top of a big two liter bottle.

<Cory> A two liter soda bottle or something like that, just to keep them from drying out or mist, if you have mist, that's another option.

And within just a few weeks, they'll usually root.

And so these are, you know, a couple months old, I probably should have pruned them a little bit better to make them branch.

But these are perfect for sharing with friends.

And I brought a couple for you.

<Amanda> Well, I can't thank you enough.

And I noticed that a lot of them that have an open center, I mean, you know, we are often, Terasa, we always thinking native plant, native plant, but there are lots of plants that aren't native that are very attractive to pollinators.

And I think those some of those mums.

And I think you got two kind of well known varieties are the names of those are kind of interesting.

<Cory> Well, so this one is, like I said was from Jenks Farmer and this is his mum's mum.

It's called Miss Gloria's Thanksgiving Day because it's usually blooming on Thanksgiving Day.

So he wanted me to have some of that one and then just a few others that he's, people have given him and so I actually haven't seen most of them bloom yet.

So I'm waiting for that.

But there's some yellows and pinks and rusts and you know a lot of great colors.

But yeah, most of these are the open center type, kind of the daisy type bloom.

<Amanda> And Miss Gloria makes the best cucumber sandwiches I had ever had in my life.

And I need to get her to remind me, I need to have her remind me of the recipe because she, she really would, when she wants to do things nicely, she really does things nicely.

All righty.

Let's see what we have next coming up.

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

<Terasa> We do.

Vincent from Six Mile says Do you have any new and exciting ideas for fall containers?

<Amanda> Oh, gosh.

It's so nice to feel like getting out and doing things in the fall after the summer.

And sometimes we just can't think of anything but pansies are stuff but I know there must be a lot out there.

So tell me <<yeah>> you studied some greenhouse production so I'm expecting you to have some ideas.

Yeah, so I'm preparing some of my containers, too and something that I've been seeing a lot that worked really well in containers, especially in the fall, is adding or considering adding an ornamental grass in the back of your container.

I think it adds so much texture, so much really, I don't know, dynamics to your plant.

Yeah, absolutely.

So trying to cram in as much texture as you can in those containers.

So my approach to Container Gardening in the fall is literally to put as much as I can in there.

You're getting colder, so the plants aren't actively growing as much.

So I don't feel as bad cramming a container full of cold hardy species.

And so you can play things like Snapdragons.

They work really well in containers.

Ornamental kales and cabbages are always a favorite and you could usually find them at nurseries anywhere.

And then Dianthus, which you'll probably have to deadhead a little bit but it looks really great and I just think that texture with the grasses and the Snapdragons can really make something nice.

And then when it gets warmer you can take your ornamental grass and plant it somewhere in your landscape and use it somewhere else.

Yeah.

<<Yeah, recycle>> Yeah, absolutely.

<Amanda> All right.

And well, when you get some, plant it and I want you to send us some pictures <<Okay, I will>> and we'll look foward to sharing it with our people.

<<Yeah, of course>> Okay.

Holding on your feet to the fire.

<<All right>> All right.

I think, Terasa, we've got time to squeeze another one in.

Have you gotone for us?

<Terasa> How about we help Patty in Conway.

Patty says I love the fragrance of tea Olive.

What ones do you recommend?

<Amanda> Well I had the old fashioned ones at my house and back when when we went one night when I was cutting on the attic fan, I mean the whole house just smelled like perfume.

It was, made it almost worth not having an air conditioner.

I think there are a lot a lot it's been done since the old big old giant was that we used to plant.

Have you got any suggestions?

<Cory> Yeah, there's some neat choices with tea olives.

And of course tea olives, there's there's a few different species that we plant in the landscape and in a very important hybrid as well.

We actually have a native tea olive, but you don't see it in in trade very often.

Most of the ones you see in garden centers are Asian in origin.

But of course most people are very familiar with a wonderful fragrant tea olive and those can get very large in most cases.

And you know for a long time we didn't really recommend those for the Upstate because of cold hardiness issues but for the last decade or so that hasn't seemed to be much of a problem.

So I'm seeing a lot more fragrant tea olive in the Upstate than I used to.

The old standby and the Upstate was Fortune's Tea Olive which is a hybrid.

It's actually a hybrid of these two species here.

So on my left this would the larger leaves is fragrant tea olive and this one on the right that you have brought in as a variegated specimen is Holly Leaf Tea Olive.

Holly Leaf Tea Olive is very hardy.

I think the zone six and of course fragrant to have is a zone eight plant and so in the Upstate we've got pockets that are zone seven.

Well that Fortune's Tea Olive is a hybrid between these two species.

And so it has the spiny leaves but it looks a little bit more like a fragrant tea olive and it's very it's cold hardy as well so it does really well in the Upstate.

But the Holly Leaf Tea Olive is pretty neat because it's more compact.

It doesn't get as big but it does have these spiny leaves.

But all of them have fragrant flowers but none of them are quite as fragrant or last as long as as the Asian, I mean the fragrant tea olives.

<Amanda> Well, isn't there an orange one that's out there now?

<Cory> There is.

There's a fragrant tea olive that has orange flowers called aurantiacus, I hope I pronounced that right, but that's the cultivar name.

It has almost clumps in orange flowers.

<Amanda> My word in heaven!

I'm sure they will find places to put it on the campus.

<Cory> Oh there're a few.

I know.

<Terasa> It'll tolerate negative temperatures, which I think is incredibly <<ReallY>> at least according to, I just happen to be looking at our H.G.I.C.

fact sheet and it says down to negative eight.

<<Which one?>> The aurantiacus.

I'll let you say it.

<laughs> <Amanda> All right.

Well, it is a wonderful smelling plant and it's funny, 'cause every now and then, you know you take a walk and you smell it from so far away.

And then there'll be a day or two when you can go out there and stick your nose in and it won't smell at all.

So it's kind of a puzzle.

I never have quite figured out why that happens.

Maybe somebody out there knows and will tell us.

I'd love to hear people's thoughts on that.

<Cory> And you know, a lot of people don't know what it's called tea olive, but have you ever had the blossoms in tea?

<<No>> Yeah, so you take the flowers and put them in some hot water and steep it and it tastes like it smells.

It's quite incredible.

But that's how they get their name tea olive.

<Amanda> Whoa!

I just can't wait.

Thank you so much.

That's really cool to find out.

And a little bit outside of downtown Columbia is a wonderful, wonderful institution that started out as a college for women.

And now it's co-ed and my dear friend, Marlee Marsh is a professor there and she said, you need to come out and see the campus.

We have just the prettiest campus you've ever seen.

And we spent two delightful days because it was so hot we had to go back after lunch with John Long, who has just transformed it into one of the most gloriously beautiful situations of a campus.

It's relatively small, so you can do that.

And he even has vegetables growing there as well.

♪ <upbeat music> ♪ ♪ <Amanda> I'm at Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina speaking with John Long, who's the horticulturist here.

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

Well, about 12 years or so ago, they called the company I was with to do a major landscape design to re beautify the campus, which they kept calling me back every six months.

One thing led to another.

And they hired me full time, and I've been here working now my nine year be 10 years in February.

<Amanda> I know that as a designer, you always have a vision for what you want even a half acre garden to be or a city block, which this is.

What was your vision for Columbia College?

<John> Exactly.

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

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

<Amanda> Yes.

Let's take that tour and we're going to start with the one as you pull in and park at the front of the campus.

I believe that's the one that's in memory and honor of Georgia O'Keeffe, who was here for a while and how in the world do you take her abstract strange kind of pictures and make, try to relate that into a garden?

<John> I had to do research which is rewarding in itself once I learned all her techniques.

The most fundamental aspect was the use of line.

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

<Amanda> There's a massive grass like plant that anchors it.

<John> Right.

That punctuates the end of that aspect of that garden and that's Lomandra Katrinus which is the giant version of that grass.

It gets about four feet tall and four feet wide.

It's evergreen, so it's very drought tolerant evergreen.

<Amanda> I was interested in the Asiatic Jasmine there.

That can really take over and this is a cultivar that is slightly less aggressive.

<John> Yeah and still a vines but it is not as aggressive as the regular asiatics.

It's called snow in summer.

Which the new growth comes out and turns to a white a blush pink to a white as it matures only on the new growth, because it will revert back to green but when it is that new growth comes out, it's literally as the name implies.

For about two months, it's like a blanket of snow and this is in late summer and it coincides with the blooms of the Mine-No-Yuki double white flowering sasanquas, which will be blooming shortly right after that in October.

<Amanda> Now we're going to go behind the library and that's a very compressed area.

Tell me a little bit about the structure of it.

<John> Yes it's a, congestion is the right word because we have little niches where the benches are and these recessed areas were, had Indian Hawthorn at the time, that when you, you sat on those benches your you know your got your swallowed by the Hawthorn you couldn't even be seen.

So I ripped all those out, fortified the soil, planted some Japanese maple called Bi Hoo, which is a yellow stem Japanese maple grouping of three yellow green leaf Japanese maple and on the other side to minimize maintenance, you use Farfugium with fore planning of makia outback sunset, which has yellow clusters of yellow flowers blooming right now.

And a yellow yellow green variegated foliage which is evergreen so that's ever I don't have to mess with that area anymore.

It takes care of itself which is sustainability is what I'm looking at.

<Amanda> And then you explained to me that you use some tea olives there that are a little more shade tolerant.

<John> Yeah the the Holly Leaf Tea Olive is more shade tolerant than the fragrance and will take take them quite a bit of deep shade because we're in between two buildings.

So it only gets about two hours and direct sign <Amanda> And then a wax Myrtle that just thrilled me to see.

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

And it's arching.

It's got a very bones eye kind of feel to it.

And it's what that when it did that it left room for some sun to peek in and we've got a perennial Morning Glory and a common heliotrope blooming together.

So I let nature that take credit for that aspect.

<Amanda> As we come to the end of that area, immediately in front of us is a large lawn area where the students can go out and throw frisbees and have fun and all that kind of stuff.

And at the corner there is a very unusual red bud <John> Yes it's you don't see those very often around and it is called Texas white and it almost has a weeping growth habit.

But it's got the glossiest green leaves that you've ever seen.

<Amanda> I've never seen that before.

And in that area, we really have a lot of hardscape and we begin to have a slope and so you didn't want to have just mountains of water washing down there and you created I thought a very attractive way to control that.

<John> To take advantage of the fact that water is going to go there and to again, minimize maintenance and that make it aesthetically pleasing, I've used large creekstone as a border and as a dry creek bed to be able to take care of this run off off the off the sidewalk and I have planted there Blue yucca, Pennisetum which is a deep purple foliage.

Comes back year after year after year.

And coral drift rosee.

That's one area where the irrigation system is minimal.

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

And right across from that, I have a drift of pink vinca with purple Salvia Amistad that has a deep electric electric blue, Deep Purple, and it gets it'll get some shade late afternoon from the overhanging live oaks that are in the background so it works well.

<Amanda> And again that Salvia people think that red is for hummingbirds but the hummingbirds adore that Salvia.

<John> Exactly.

It's like a hummingbird magnet.

<Amanda> It really is.

Yeah.

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

So let's talk about how they begin.

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

Carex is really coming into its own.

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

But the Carex, that one is called Everillo.

The chartreuse yellow green.

Carex naturally likes it a little on the wet side, anyway.

It thrives when it's in a moist area.

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

And this carex only gets about 18 inches tall.

And you don't have to cut it back every year, but every three to five years, probably you do.

And behind it, I have a red Heucheras called Sweet Tea.

And behind that I've got Soft Caress Mahonia.

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

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

<John> As we as we first get started with the Abelia, we trend we get into some, there's a Loropetalum called Purple Pixie, that it loves to be elevated.

It has to have really good drainage for it to thrive.

So it cascades over the brick wall.

And that serves another purpose because in the background, we have the greens.

And you see how there's the varieties of Loropetalum from this low cascading variety to the Zhuzhou variety, which is the the gargantuan one that it gets 20 feet by 20 feet.

So I pruned those into to simulate Japanese maples because you don't really go that far, you see it from a distance.

So you see the contrast in growth habit, but with the same burgundy color.

<Amanda> And we ought to take a moment to speak about the beautiful live oak that's there before we go back.

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

The reason I'm talking so intimate about it, I was pruning a limb five years ago and fell off the ladder and broke my heel.

So always use an arborist.

Don't do it yourself, even though you know what you're doing.

<Amanda> Use a certified arborist.

<Yeah> And then but then back to the beds, we just have such a wonderful kaleidoscope of colors.

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

Let's talk a little bit about that.

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

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

These super Petunias do well.

They stay compact.

They don't get leggy.

They spread, but they don't need a whole lot of water which is another reason that drainage is really, really good there being a raised bed.

I also have Provence, Lavender, which at least in this area has done better than any other variety plus it's raised it drains well.

Hardly, I don't believe I've had to water it in six years.

I'm using that to pick up the blue gray from a cat net, which is a little bit further down.

And these blue spikes are picked up with the Salvia that's right adjacent to it, which we also have the Denver Daisy that picks up the little yellow, fireworks, Globe Amaranth that's intermixed all in through that.

So it's kind of controlled chaos, but all these colors lead to a really pleasing transition.

<Amanda> And then at the end, you've got a wonderful cascading prospect Rosemary.

<John> Yeah, Rosemary, I always it, it may be a signature aspect of what I do.

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

So I have a creeping Rosemary that's draping over the end of that wall and to let you know who the designer was and where he went to school, I've got orange and orange and red Lantana with purple, Angela onea.

So, there's orange used quite a bit out here.

<Amanda> For a Clemson graduate.

But also we have a lot of purple and white, which are the colors here for Columbia College.

<John> Exactly.

We spoke about the Texas white redbud.

Underneath that is the purple asters.

So I try to use purple and white too.

And then if I put the white and orange, so I get the best of both worlds.

<Amanda> And occasionally in a tree, we see a koala bear.

Because I believe that perhaps it's the mascot?

<John> Yep.

I actually have Eucalyptus that the koalas like to eat.

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

<Amanda> That's pretty thoughtful.

It is.

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

And right now it's truly lovely.

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

<John> Yeah, that's all called Blue Daze, D-A-Z-E, Evolvulus And then on a one foot area there, it just thrives.

Blooms now till, till January.

<Amanda> And behind it you had a very narrow raised bed.

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

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

<Amanda> So much of the campus in the places we've talked about are very open.

And but then, right now you and I are in a completely different aspect; A garden that I believe you designed to honor a former staff member.

<John> Yeah.

We're right in the middle of Mitzi's garden.

Mitzi Winesett was a student here, and she worked here for many, many years.

Her office overlooks this, this beautiful meditative garden.

I designed this six years ago, seven years ago.

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

These these large oaks and the Evergreen background of Holly Osmanthus and Camellias were the, are the only things that were here.

It was a very steep area here; brought in about 100 tons of topsoil.

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

And I use this gravel walkway that serve as a protective area so these trees could really absorb the water and not be impeded by even six inches of soil.

<Amanda> So the topsoil was placed all out in front of it to create an area where you could grow grass and other things and you use the interesting plant, location location, and you are a master of microbe environments I think and this Taxus in many places in Colombia would not survive.

But in this area this Taxus is doing beautifully.

<John> Yes, I got it, I won a bet.

Somebody said this isn't gonna make it.

But knew how the sun oriented itself and this is Taxus Duke's Garden, it's a double row.

Seven years now I planted seven gallon plants.

I have yet to touch this plant.

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

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

<Tony> Yep, it's amazing.

All the birds, water is a natural attractant for sure, but I've got a series of benches where it's a nice, nice meditative area.

For that, two fountains, which really makes this a nice place to decompress, or study.

It's the best kept secret on campus.

<Amanda> I think some of the faculty and administrators know about it too.

And they don't want to have to answer the telephone.

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

And it works for you and perhaps some of our viewers might enjoy wanting to try it in their home garden.

If you tell me what those two products are.

<John> Yeah.

One is called Great White and it is a it's a mixture of about 25 different fungi that you just mix with water when you plant.

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

And I do that about on a monthly basis.

And it, the results speak for themselves.

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

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

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

<John> Thank you I'm very proud of.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

<John> Exactly.

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

<Amanda> John, as we begin to get out and visit more outdoor spaces, of course so important, if someone wants to see some of the work here, could they get in touch with you and perhaps have a tour?

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

<John> Thank you.

♪ If you call Columbia College, you could find out what the protocols are, if you would like to visit and see the campus.

It really is quite lovely.

And we appreciate it, John spending so much time with us.

Terasa, I think there's some things coming up that might be of interest to gardeners.

<Terasa> Well, Native Plant Weeks, I think it was two, well, back in 2018, I believe, Governor McMaster signed into law the recognition of Native Plant Week in South Carolina designated as the third week.

So it's really great to have that support recognising the importance of native plants.

So folks, if they're wanting to add those to their landscape, there should be lots of opportunities to find them.

Maybe the native plant societies and the different locations would have native plants available.

<Amanda> And I think some of them are mail order or call ahead so that you can have safety in picking them up.

Yeah.

Cory, I was wondering with the mums, I know the city of Sumter puts 'em all over the place and pots and then they, you know, they go and but a lot of people take them home.

Can you ever plant those in your garden?

Do they ever come back under normal garden circumstances?

<Cory> Sure.

So you're talking about like the container pot mums, the greenhouse mums that you see.

So I mean, they're everywhere in the fall, right, you know, you have them with you, with your pumpkins, in your, in your fall decorations.

So the answer is yes and no.

So you know, these, those types of mums have largely been bred for that, you know, really nice container display.

And so you might have luck with some types that you can plant and kind of shear 'em back.

And I think we might even have some information and a fact sheet about doing that, where you can actually just kind of plant after they're finished, bloom and you can shear 'em back, plant them in the landscape.

<Amanda> Aren't they're usually going to be like several in one.

<Cory> Oftentimes, you'll see though they will planted multiple plugs in one container.

And so you can separate those out and spread them out in the landscape.

And it may be more successful if you did it that way.

But yeah, I mean, this is possible.

<Amanda> Yeah, I mean, other than just throw it away, right?

<Cory> Otherwise it goes in the compost.

<Amanda> Yeah.

Okay, well, you might as well give it a try.

<Terasa> I've had some luck.

I've done it in both my yard and my mother in law's and my mother in law's is a funny story because she gave us the mum after it kind of done its thing for the season and it looked like it was dead.

We brought it home left it the container all winter long.

In the spring, it started new growth, emerged.

And so once it looked good, took it back to her house, put it in the ground and it's been flowering.

I did forget to pinch it back though so instead of flowering you know in later fall it started flowering in the summer.

<Amanda> Well, that's okay.

Yeah.

And if they get nice and tall, then you could cut them and bring them in the house.

Okay.

Well, I sure have had a good time having all y'all here with us today.

I hope that those of you at home have had a good time being with us and we will look forward to seeing you.

We'll have a new show week after next and that will be our Halloween show.

So, BOO until then.

♪ <closing music> ♪ ♪ ♪ Making It Grow is brought to you in part by The South Carolina Department of Agriculture.

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

McLeod Farms in McBee, South Carolina.

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

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