Narrator>> 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>> Well, good evening, and welcome to Making It Grow.

We are so glad you can join us tonight.

I'm Amanda McNulty.

I'm a Clemson Extension agent, we're going to have a fun show.

And we have something a little unusual for you later, an incredibly artistic and gifted Ikebana artist came down and did an arrangement for us.

And it was quite fascinating.

I know you can enjoy that.

But let's find out who's with us tonight Terasa Lott.

We could not do Making It Grow without you.

Terasa, is so capable, and you've squeezed us in amongst all your Master Gardener duties.

Terasa>> Well, I can't imagine being anywhere else than being part of Making It Grow.

And I think everyone in Extension wears many hats.

So it's not just me, but our master gardeners are a great service to Extension.

They provide a volunteer workforce to help us provide that research based information to everyone who would like it.

Amanda>> And you know, I think we're all more aware of the environmental needs and the needs to be sustainable.

And so when you've got people out there who have that knowledge, and they're with a friend in a garden store, or any situation, I think it's just a wonderful conduit to help get that idea of the things we can do to take better care of planet Earth.

Terasa>> That's right.

We should all strive for that, I think and that one on one connection really helps to pass along information.

Amanda>> Stephanie Turner is no stranger to our audience, that this is the first time that we've been able to enjoy her beautiful dimples and smile in public.

And the only thing that makes me sad is we don't get Special the kitty.

Stephanie>> Yeah, unfortunately, she couldn't make the trip to Sumter today.

Amanda>> But of course, you're the Extension agent up in Greenwood.

And I think you're going to tell us about some events that are coming up in the future.

Greenwood is just a tremendous, tremendous city.

Stephanie>> Oh, yes.

There's always something blooming in Greenwood.

And we have some wonderful events coming up for the Festival of Flowers this year.

Amanda>> I want you to tell us about it.

Stephanie>> Thanks, Amanda.

Yes, we do.

I'm really excited to be helping the South Carolina Festival of Flowers arrange their first annual garden symposium.

>> Wow!

>> Yeah, it's going to be a full day event.

Friday, June 10th and we will have speakers, topics all around the board of gardening.

All kinds of tips.

We'll have Extension agents from around the Upstate that will come and present.

And at the close of the symposium, the Master Gardeners will give people a tour of the Uptown gardens and pollinator gardens.

Amanda>> Wow.

And the topiaries will be out.

Stephanie>> The topiaries will be out.

Oh yeah.

We have more than 40 amazing topiaries, this year.

They're celebrating the anniversary of the topiaries.

All the topiaries are decked out in fun party gear.

Amanda>> And y'all have fun little spots all over that are kind of like little waystations to go and see beautiful things as well.

It's stunning how much downtown Greenwood has said - I guess the city government has said let's make it fun and friendly to pollinators and beautiful for people.

Stephanie>> Yes, it's truly a community wide effort between the city of Greenwood, the Chamber and the local master gardeners, and so it's a great, it's a great area.

Amanda>> If people want to find out the agenda.

And I think there are one or two things you may need to register for, where should they go and do that?

Stephanie>> Yeah, so they need to just visit the South Carolina Festival of Flowers website.

Amanda>> Okay.

And Karla Coffey you came to Greenwood as a young adult to go and I think went to school at Lander.

Karla>> I am.

I am a Lander alumni, the class of 2019.

Amanda>> Aha!

And I believe that you've now once again are associated with Lander.

Karla>> I am.

I am a grounds manager at Lander today.

Amanda>> And your favorite thing is to not just to green hedges?

Karla>> Yes, I was hired to add more color and flowers and as an environmental science student was what my major was at college I really care about the environment and pollinators and sustainability.

So I tried to add as much of that into our landscape as I can, how big is your campus?

We have a little over 300 acres.

Amanda>> So you got a pretty big palette from which to apply your skills.

Oh, that's fun.

Carol Stahle, you are a master gardener.

We've already been singing the praises of master gardeners that Stephanie has certainly been singing your praises.

And you've had been Master Gardenerized twice, I believe.

Carol>> Yes, That's right up in Pennsylvania, Penn State Mr. Gardener, and now Clemson just I'm just an intern yet but working toward my hours.

Amanda>> Well, and honestly, I think the program that you and some of your fellow Master Gardeners have developed that you're going to tell us about is quite fascinating.

We are lucky that you decided you got your family was from South Carolina originally.

And so we're glad that you picked South Carolina to come back too.

Carol>> We are too, Amanda>> Okay.

Well, Mrs. Terasa, you know, we're going to be answering questions and tackling some difficult issues.

But right now we're just going to enjoy the work that other people have done in their yards.

Terasa>> Thanks, Amanda.

This is gardens of the week and it's our chance to take a virtual field trip around the state look at what you're you're doing in your yards garden.

Sometimes with indoor plantings and even special places that you have visited.

We begin with Heather Roberts, who has an orchid with an unusual, I'll say growth, a keiki and that's a Hawaiian word for baby or child so this plant has produced a baby through asexual means and eventually she can remove it and put it in its own container.

Lou Brabham sent us a gorgeous yellow sunshine Daydream rose.

From Rebecca Mildford.

We have her first bachelor button of the season or some people call it cornflower.

Hilda Phillips sent an indoor aloe accented with two little bunny figurines, and finally from Glenn Parker, the Stonewall Jackson Azalea, which is a deciduous hybrid cultivar with bright orange flowers.

Thanks, everyone, for sharing little glimpses of your yards and gardens with us.

We do chose these randomly, so feel free to send us your photos, when we make the call.

You can always send them to me via email if you're not able to post them on our Facebook page.

Amanda>> And remind them what your email is because everybody wants to say your name to Teresa is what most people are called it but you are so special that you have a special name.

Terasa>> Oh, well, I don't know if I'd say that.

But it does cause some problems.

So my email is my full first name T-E-R-A-S-A-@clemson.edu.

And it really does make a difference because there is a Teresa spelled the traditional way and your photos will go to a real person, but it is not me.

Amanda>> I'm sure she would enjoy seeing them.

Terasa>> wonders.

Okay, what people are hoping to get out of that.

Amanda>> There you go.

So what question are we going to start with?

Terasa>> Well, we are going to start with a sticky question.

This comes from Leanne.

Unfortunately, Leanne didn't say where she was from, but she is wondering, is there an organic alternative for getting rid of burr weed?

Amanda>> Ooh.

Well, Stephanie burr weed, I believe isn't, starts not in the fall germinating, and then nobody pays any attention to it.

So they decide to go barefoot in the summer.

That's so it really is just not like sand spurs, but it's not much fun.

Stephanie>> No, it can be very uncomfortable to walk on and for children playing in the yard, just a nuisance.

And unfortunately, it's like a lot of those other winter annual weeds that they'll germinate in the fall and then grow over the winter when you're indoors much and you don't really notice it until you come back out and starting to enjoy that pretty spring weather.

And then you start to see it's like a low creeping matting kind of weed.

And then once it flowers and sets seed is when those burrs are formed.

And so then right then and early May or whatever, when you're going outside is when you encounter it.

Now organically control can be kind of tricky.

We do have some resources online.

If you are familiar with our H-G-I-C website, we have a fact sheet on broadleaf weeds, which lawn burweed is a broadleaf weed.

And we do list some organic weed control items there.

But organic weed control is normally a knock down.

And so what does that mean?

It just kind of burns the top part of the plant, right and so you can get regrowth, of course after using a product like that.

So it may not be the magic bullet that you would like it to be.

Hand pulling, of course is tedious but is the best organic control method that you really can go with.

Amanda>> But difficult because it's slow in spreading.

It's not like something that you can go out and you know and get down and just pull it up.

And so the preemergent As that are labeled to be used on burr weed, you put down in the fall pretty early fall, I believe, and you water them to a certain.

And I think the thing is that they stick to the organic matter that's below the soil surface.

And they don't really wash off site, if I'm mistaken.

So I feel like that's a pretty safe choice to make.

If you really need to control the burr weed, what do you think?

Stephanie>> Right?

So there's some folks that when they say organic, they say they just don't want to use any kind of chemical herbicide.

But if you're going to choose one, a preemergence, like you're saying, herbicide is pretty safe, put where you put it.

So you don't have to worry about contaminating the environment as much keeps that protective layer in the soil.

And so you want to make sure you follow the pack instructions water it in well, and then don't disturb the soil after you've applied it.

So that it can be the most effective.

Amanda>> okay.

And I'm really, if you have a problem, you ought to go ahead to your calendar now.

You know, because we can all go forward on our computer calendars and say, I've got to treat the burr weed and I think it's probably towards the end of September, maybe yeah.

And so that, otherwise it's going to be you'll be barefooted in the spring, and your dog is going to come in and have all these things all over him and you'll be unhappy and the dog will be unhappy.

And yeah, timing is critical, Stephanie>> Put it on the calendar, because football is going to come up and you're going to forget about.

Terasa>>And even just taking care of your lawn grass, like mowing at the proper height, trying to encourage that thick stand.

it's not going to get rid of your burr weed problem.

But anything that we can do to keep the grass happy, per se, it's going to have a better chance of having you know less weeds come in.

Stephanie>> And you could get a soil test and see if you have the optimum pH and conditions for your lawn.

And that's a great place to start and Amanda>> then don't overwater.

That's right, yeah, if it rains, rain counts.

(laughing) Stephanie>> Don't set that irrigation and forget it.

Have an eye on it.

Okay.

Amanda>> Okay, well, Carol, I think you said you're still in the internship, part of your Master Gardener career in South Carolina.

But you and some of your friends that you've met through the course have come up with a fascinating program.

And so explain that to us please.

Carol>> Piedmont Agency on Aging is a is a very unique facility in that it houses a senior citizens group and a daycare.

And so there they were very interested in getting an intergenerational gardening program started.

As a bonus, we have this wonderful Greenhouse on the site that was built for the seniors, but they realized pretty quickly that it was a little bit more than they could manage.

And they asked the Master Gardeners if they'd like to take it over.

And we said yes with bells on.

So we were able to take over the greenhouse, put some planting beds in.

And our team came up with lesson plans for each month for the children and the seniors.

And we are implementing that it's sort of our laboratory.

It's the kind of thing that we're tweaking and changing and modifying and getting teacher input.

Is it too?

Is it too intense?

Is it age appropriate?

Those kinds of things.

So at the end of six months, we'll review everything again, take a look at it, decide what needs to be changed, if anything, and then we'll continue with our year.

Amanda>> And the so the children are in daycare, so they're coming every day Carol>> they are the seniors are as well.

The seniors are as well.

It's the same group, I is that since young children, these are thought for sure that maybe the crowd chain would change, but it doesn't.

It's the same folks.

We see them all the time.

Amanda>> And one thing you've had to consider three and four year olds have not been vaccinated.

That's been a little bit of a tightrope to watch with the seniors.

So when the weather's wonderful, and you can be outside, I think it's been easier for you?

Carol>> It's been much easier.

And we actually had more raised beds put in that are nice and high.

Probably a good three, three and a half feet when you say Steph, and so that our seniors don't have to bend.

Oh, and we're hoping that they'll take advantage of that to plant their own veggies and flowers too.

Amanda>> And we hope that it won't be too long before younger children will also protect it.

Yes.

And I think that you do some funky kind of fun crafts with the kids.

And um, I guess it's even though I'm 71 I'm allowed to have a little bit of kid left in me.

Carol>> I'm so glad to hear that.

Amanda>> Okay, so you got to do with me and some other people.

We will Oh, that'd be great.

Yes, I'm delighted.

And um, this is you know, I would imagine that if I were going to adult senior citizen every day for socialization and a meal that being have some younger faces that would be to be a great delight.

Carol>> It's seems to be popular with part of the group.

Some of them are, that's just not their thing.

And that's okay.

You don't have you know, we're not forcing you to be involved with the children.

But we've had some enthusiastic helpers when we're doing we've been doing our crafts and they'll jump right in and give us a hand with it.

And we were really happy to see them and when they do come out to the to the garden area, we're always delighted to have them join us there, Amanda>> Stephanie.

I hope she's going to pass enough tests to know that she can become a full Stephanie>> fledged she's on her way.

She's working on those hours.

She is turning out those volunteer hours.

Amanda>> All righty.

That's true.

Okay, well Terasa tell us what's up next?

Terasa>> Sometimes we think about things, planting things that we can eat and ornamental plantings as two completely different things.

But Bob in Greenwood would like to know how can I incorporate edibles into my landscape?

Amanda>> Oh, well, it's so much fun.

I think I'm a grazer at heart.

This, is there something that you could recommend Karla>> there is and I happened to bring it with me.

I think that strawberries are a five star plant because I truly think they provide four season interest.

And I'm going to tell you why.

During the summertime, they're this beautiful emerald green with wonderful foliage.

And they've got these beautiful little white flowers in the springtime which turn into gorgeous red berries that everyone loves.

And they're just a wonderful spreading ground cover.

And in the fall, they turn beautiful shades of orange and red and yellow.

And in Greenwood this year, we haven't really had too many really serious frost and so most of the strawberries that I have planted around, they didn't die all the way back down to the ground.

Some of the leaves did die on the side so there was a little bit of brown but it was better than having just nothing but brown there was still a little bit of color or green and you get to eat them.

They're just incredible.

Amanda>> And most of our commercial agents tell us that people who are growing them for as part of their income that strawberries actually like cool weather and if we do get a frost there'll be more flowers coming.

Karla>> Oh really?

Yeah, I didn't know Amanda>> Yeah, they like cool weather and um, so that.

they say you know we had a lot of them will cover them up but so don't it's not like they just have one flush of flowers.

And if they get the flowers get hurt that you're not going to be bearish because they'll flower along and along I believe and so just you know, go do something else and wait on them to come back and then wait for them to turn red and pick them and eat them.

Karla>> I just love them.

It's so fun to have something in landscape that you can just walk by and graze on.

Amanda>> Okay.

All right, Mrs. Terasa.

Oh, we're hitting you up hard today.

Terasa>> Well, I think this is our chance to share more an in depth look at one particular person's yard.

Today we're going to get just a glimpse of the yard of Lily Grace and Tom Hudson who have a marsh front home in Pawleys Island.

It boasts more than 120 azaleas and I think you may have had a chance to see some of those in person Amanda in the backyard.

This is what I found so interesting.

They have a very small cemetery with just three graves and it's known as the Pawleys Island burial plot at Wahacca.

Hopefully I'm saying that correctly.

According to the sign, it belonged to the Shackleford family.

And in 1846, the governor at the time approached Mrs. Shackleford, about obtaining the rights to build a causeway there, and she agreed with one stipulation that the graveyard be protected in perpetuity.

And so today the causeway is the oldest continuous used causeway in South Carolina.

So thanks to Tom Emily grace for sharing the beautiful Azaleas putting on such a brilliant show, but also sharing that little piece of history with us.

Amanda>> Do you know that that's the couple that bid on me for Miss Ruby's day, Miss Ruby's Kids program?

Terasa>> No, I didn't know that.

Amanda>> So I went down and met them and met them and learned all about the fabulous Miss Ruby's Kids program.

And they had some of their friends came and we met at Brook green, and had a wonderful time.

And they spent half of the year here and half of the year back up in Maryland.

And at the end of they're in there and they have a giant azalea day up there where they have something like 400 Azaleas in their yard, and people come from all over to come to the party.

Isn't that fun?

We kind of do and are overlapped a little bit that they are really really a nice couple.

I had so much fun and their friends were so much fun to share that with us.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Well, let's go on to another question.

Terasa>> This one came in as an email from Yvonne in Columbia and even though it's an email, so you can't hear any inflection.

She sounded very worried about her plants.

She said my much loved potted citrus trees, three Meyer lemons one Calamondin.

One key lime, two kumquats are each more than 20 years old, they are so root bound.

But I can't manage potting them in larger pots.

They're very heavy producers.

And I can't bear the thought of losing them.

I purchased a satsuma or have a satsuma, which I purchased last spring, I was suggested to keep it in a protected area of the yard and it's blooming two summers ago, they were so big, I prune the limb severely.

They did not like that pruning.

So ultimately, Yvonne wants to know, what should I do with the root bound potted trees?

Amanda>> Well, I'm not surprised that she has this wonderful collection of sisters, because this is Yvonne Russell, who is a remarkable gardener in Colombia.

And I'm really tickled that she asked for some guidance from from little old us.

Um, Stephanie, you know, she's got, you know, and I can see, you know, a lot of people move citrus in and out, and you can't just keep getting bigger and bigger pots.

So would you please give her some advice on how to go about keeping the manageable.

Stephanie>> Certainly.

So what she can do is go ahead and root prune those citrus.

And so when she removes them from the pot, you're going to have the root ball, you're going to take about like a cake slice across this way, right, you're going to take the bottom quarter of it off, and you can use, you know, a folding pruning saw something like this.

And just make a nice level slice, keep it level, so that way you can keep your plant upright when you repot it.

And then you can go around that outer perimeter of the root ball, and where those roots are girdling and hitting that pot and twisting around, you're going to take out that outer layer of roots, so that's three quarters of an inch to an inch.

And so you're just going to slice that down around the outside of the root ball.

That way you can put it right back into that same pot with some fresh potting medium.

And make sure you tuck it in on that side, because you've only given a little gap, make sure you get that soil settled in and tucked in on there on the outside.

And then she'll probably want to do a little light pruning of the top and the canopy as well at that same time, and then you just want to make sure that you keep it you probably want to do that to like an overcast cooler time of year.

Because you know, you've just cut all those roots, so you want to keep it cooler, out of direct sun until it gets a little bit more time to get established and start growing roots again.

Amanda>> And actually, I think that they benefit from some pruning up top people who grow citrus even in orchards prune some, because they want to open it up and not overwhelm the tree with too much fruit.

So it's probably best that could be done every year.

Yeah.

And I've read that some people who do the root pruning in the fall back to come after or whenever fall comes.

What was it Tony would say?

Summer, Terasa>> almost summer, summer still summer and Christmas.

So we really Amanda>> get some, you know, some real fall some people actually do it then and they wash the soil off the roots, clean the pot completely and started with fresh potting soil.

Just because yeah, you know, it's not getting the benefit of being in the ground with mulch and all that kind of stuff on it.

So I guess that's an option as well perhaps Yeah, Stephanie>> if you're going to root wash it and really start strip it over the fall would be a great time because again, they're not the plants not as the stress and temperature is high, and so it has time to readjust and acclimate.

Amanda>> Alright, well, thank you so very much.

I appreciate that.

Carla, you've got to show and tell for us.

Karla>> I do, right beside me.

Beautiful Cherokee brave dogwood tree but it's just showing off for us.

Today Whoa, boy, and she just happened to have beautiful blooms for me for today and they're just so pretty.

So I thought I'd bring that in.

It's a wonderful native tree that we love to use in Greenwood Amanda>> now, I was going down towards McClellanville recently and we won't some way back road through the National Forest down there.

And the dog woods that were under The canopy of the trees in the forest, were so graceful.

And you know, had this beautiful kind of reaching out of that.

And I think that that's really what they prefer in nature is to be an understory tree.

Do you find that that's been your experience?

Karla>> Yes, definitely, I think they really benefit from probably six hours of sun a day, maybe some part shade, or at least they can handle it.

And some of the ones that get planted in full sun where they're just battered for 12 hours a day tend to be a little less healthy.

So they just do wonderful on their natural growth pattern as an understory tree or as a small kind of understory tree.

Amanda>> And dogwoods in my part of the state have been kind of in decline.

I think the extra heat and maybe some, there's some other downside is it's not the most that kills them in the mountains, but it gets on the leaves and the petals sometimes.

And so I think that sighting it carefully is really, really important because I hate to see him go because I mean how many times have you looked out the window and seen a mockingbird eating some this beautiful red fruits on them at the end of the .

.

.

winter?

Amanda>> And it's fun that John says how can you tell a dog wood and of course this isn't evident here, but he says by its bark, because they do have the large ones have lovely borrowed kind of bark.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And um, so tell us a little bit about the flower because it's kind of a weird situation.

Karla>> So really, these pink things that look like petals are actually modified leaves, which is kind of unique.

Amanda>> Yeah, that's fine.

And then I always thought corners for a minute was from Florida.

But Florida means flowering.

So the world of botany at least they haven't changed the genus of dog wood .

Stephanie>> It's like Ben Terasa>> Bentham media.

What?

But yeah.

Amanda>> We're going to enjoy showing you a beautiful Ikebana demonstration.

And Lynn co who was with us is going to be working she retired from the Richland County Public Library system.

And on Sunday, May the eighth from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM at the Main Street Library, she's going to be doing a demonstration so I would really encourage you to make an effort to go and learn from her or at least be amazed.

But um, right now you can be amazed at what she did for us.

Today, I am so happy to welcome Lin Ko, is my guest Lin you armed were born in Taiwan, but came to the United States and were a librarian for a long time.

Lin Ko>> That's true, yes.

Amanda>> and in Taiwan.

Ikebana is very popular.

But you have learned about this art form since you came here.

Lin Ko>> That's really interesting, right?

Yeah, when I was in Taiwan, I was too young and raising kids.

So I didn't have time, but now finally, Amanda>> Well tell us what Ikebana means, Lin Ko>> Okay, Ikebana literally means living flowers or some people call them Kado.

Kado is Japanese term, the meaning is the way of flowers Amanda>> The way of flowers.

Lin Ko>> Yes.

So, actually learning the Ikebana art is like a you are trying to do self exploration.

You are exploring yourself for the creativity, inspiration, and the feeling of beauty.

Amanda>> All right.

And you say that we have aren't going to study for 20 and 30 years like you do, but we can do this at home.

There are a few things that make it helpful to have.

So I'll let you quickly describe some of those things that you can use.

Lin>> Yes, okay.

First of all, it Ikebana most of the stuff need the kenzan, which means the pin cushions, pin cushion.

This is again pin cushion, okay.

But if you don't have kenzan, then you can use that weight form available from the craft store and this can be very useful.

Okay.

And also you need clipper you can use garden clipper you don't have to buy a special one.

You need a pair of scissors, but for professional we like to buy this kind of special scissors, this kind of sharp one, okay.

And also you probably need a wire cutter.

Okay, so this is a All you need.

And then when you do the arrangement.

Normally you need a bowl of water next to you, because you cut the fresh water out fresh flowers inside the water.

Amanda>> All right.

Well, let's see what we could come up with.

Yes.

Unknown: And today, I'm going to show you freestyle.

Freestyle, yes, freestyle, because there are so many different styles, different schools, but this is freestyle, it doesn't matter which school you are in.

You can always do freestyle.

Okay.

Forget all the rules.

Forget all the regulations, just use your creative activity.

Of course, once you learn the basic skill, basically technique, it's in your mind.

Alright, well, let's get started.

Okay, sure, we only need two kinds of material today.

One is the, the iris I'm using.

The other one is the cast the iron leaf.

And this leaf, that the reason they call it cast iron, because they are so strong.

Yes, they are so strong, but we are going to make it a little bit softer.

So this is the way to make a river softer.

And this is also very wide.

And for this particular style, I don't need a it to this wide.

So I'm going to trim it.

So when you trim it, you can actually start from the very end, and then just has the scissors slide.

Through the vein.

You're following the vein, yes.

Believe Yes, that's true.

And then see how the result is.

Okay, if you feel this is still too wide to keep on trimming, <all right> because we don't want to trim too much and regret.

Step by step.

Okay.

And after I trim this side, I will trim this side too, again, start from the very beginning.

And then just Amanda>> Slide those sharp scissors, to the top of to Lin Ko>> Up to the top.

Okay.

And now it's much skinnier.

And if you feel this is still not enough, you can keep on trimming, okay.

And make sure that the edge is smooth, smooth, smooth, okay.

And this should be the size I want.

And then plus, this one is so stiff, I'm going to make it a little softer.

So most of time you do this first.

You do this first.

Amanda>> Making it more flexible.

Lin Ko>> Yes.

So they can they can move when you put into the into the arrangement.

So you do this first.

And then this particular style, I want to leave a coil at the end of the leaf.

So I put a chopstick anything well do a pencil can do.

And then you just wrap around the leaf on to the chopstick.

You can do this at home, right?

Yeah, it's very easy.

Okay.

And make it tight.

Make it tight.

The point is tight.

If you make it too loose, it does not work.

You won't get the curve that Yes.

So make it tight.

Really make it tight.

All the way to the end.

If you can, it's because they that also helps this to be softer.

Okay, and then when you are ready, putting out try to create a little tension.

Yes.

Okay.

And they go Amanda>> Oh, look at that.

Much more graceful.

Lin Ko>> Yes.

Okay.

So I actually have already treat all the leaves.

Okay.

So now we can set that aside for us to use.

Let me do the first of all I want put in the flower okay.

And then when you buy the flower from the shop, normally you want to cut off at least a one inch away at the very bottom and then soak into the water okay, when you cut make sure you cut inside the water.

So the air will not go into the stem then it will help the plant to absorb the water better.

Okay, I cut it off there.

Okay.

So now I will do one by one, one by one.

Yes.

And because we are using this leaf so I don't really need all this so I can try to peel it away to Make a clean look.

Okay, so the height of the stem, normally we want to be at least one.

This is the width, and the height.

Yes, width and height together as one measurement.

Yes.

So we want to be at least one and a half measurement of the stem.

Okay, so this here, and the height.

So this is one measurement.

Yes.

And this is about one and a half.

Okay, so this is just right, let's put in and see how it go.

Okay, when you push in the plant, this kind of plants ah leaves are soft.

Make sure you hold on to the bottom of the stem.

Not here.

So you won't break it.

That's okay.

So you pushing in one and then we will do it one by one.

I don't need a lot.

I don't need a lot.

And I'm because there's Amanda>> a conversation between the flowers.

You say they have a voice?

Lin Ko>> Yes, they do have a voice.

And you listen to them.

This kind of plant is graceful, right?

Is not a very strong one is graceful, even though they are straight.

But you can see the curve here.

So when we do the arrangement, we try to hear the voice from the plant.

And also we try to speak out from our heart, our own voice.

So two kinds of voice together, were combined to make a good arrangement.

That's very important.

That shows you had a feeling to the plants of the plant and the plants also have a feeling to you.

Okay, so I want them to be the same height.

Amanda>> And because we're both living beings, yes, the plants are living and Lin Ko>> that's true.

That's true.

So cut it.

Okay, I want them to be the same height.

Amanda>> Okay.

And you have them facing in the same direction.

Yes, right now, Lin Ko>> because the other one is here.

Oh, they are talking to each other to groups.

All right.

Okay.

So this style in Japanese call kabuwake means divided roots.

So two group material they are not combined together, their roots are not touching each other.

Yes.

Okay.

So this cause two candles, we call it kabuwake.

Okay.

So four is not a good number in Japanese Ikebana arrangement, because four the pronunciation is like a test.

Oh, so in Japan for flour is a taboo.

Stay away from four Okay, so I want to make it either three or five.

Yes.

1357 are good numbers in Japanese culture.

Okay, so we do this and I want to edit the very last one, cut it again, in the water.

Amanda>> And even in American gardening traditions, we usually plan in threes or fives or seven.

It's just more balanced.

Yes.

Lin Ko>> Odd is always very nice.

Okay, all right.

I want them to be a little bit closer.

Anyway.

Maybe we will think about some way to make it closer.

Even I can tie it up with a little tiny of the wire.

Oh, nobody can no one can see it.

It's a green wire.

Okay, so if I tie them all the closer don't use the regular wire.

This is very soft.

Yeah.

It will not hurt Amanda>> hurt.

Yes.

Because those stems are fragile.

Lin Ko>> Yes.

So you do this.

And they you can trim it off Okay, people want to see it.

Yes.

And the next step is I'm going to put in all the leaves.

Oh, and I want to the tallest one to go in first.

This one may be the tallest one.

Okay.

And before you put it in again, you kind of softer them again.

Okay.

twist tell them make a natural.

Yes.

And now I'm going to put this one here.

And they are interacting.

Amanda>> Oh, certainly.

Lin Ko>> Yeah.

And this the flowers will be on the top of the leaves okay.

They will not be covered by the leaf.

So again, I'm the finding the second tallest one.

again, never forget to make it a little bit softer.

Yes.

I like the way is kind of the height is different.

Amanda>> I think you and I are used to different heights when we are around people.

Lin Ko>> Look.

Amanda>> Just lovely.

Lin Ko>> I think pretty much and we have enough of the leaves, Amanda> You have it on the Lazy Susan, do you sometimes turn and look at it from the other side?

>> Yes.

Lin Ko>> Yeah, sometimes we turn this around so people can see that's the front.

And for arranger, it's easier for me to arrange it is right in front of me.

And then I can constantly turn it around for people to see different angles, I believe.

Now, the last step that we need to do is to cover it, yes, I was wondering yes, because we don't want people to see this ugly piece of the iron.

Okay.

So what we can do is some people they cover with stone, but today I'm going to cover with this material.

>> Dianthus, right?

Green Dianthus, okay.

So if it's too long, you chop it off, because I only need a very short one.

And after you chop, then the very last chop can be in the hall.

Amanda>> So there'll be able to take a water.

Yes.

Wonderful.

Look.

Lin Ko>> Oh, and I don't want too much of the color.

Because this is green.

Yes.

And the focus is here.

Yeah.

So here, we should stay green, too.

Okay.

So the reason for doing this is just covering the mechanics.

And let's see the other side.

Yes, we have to fill in the side too.

If not enough, you can always use a piece of leaf.

Oh, maybe you have a leaf lying there.

Let's try that way.

Let's do.

Yes.

And sometimes you even put holes pokes through the leaf, create a loop, goodness, very nice loop.

And it can go here, oh, if you are running out of material, then you can do this.

Okay.

So at the end, you have to fill in the water to cover the kenzan and make sure all the material they can absorb the water.

Amanda>> And I know in our houses with heat and things, we have to check it often every day, Lin Ko>> every day.

And then sometimes, if you want to change the water, ideally, you change the water every day, but that's a big trouble.

So what I do is I buy the plunger for the turkey.

So I suck up old the water, and then put in the new water without touching the flower arrangement.

That's really learning from the experience.

And also in the summertime, it won't hurt to put in a bunch of ice.

Every day you add a bunch of ice.

And also, when you go to the shop, they give you this, right?

And then remember to use them.

This stuff floral crystal.

Amanda>> Yes, it really... We've heard our professor at Clemson tell us how very effective it is.

- Yes.

Amanda>> Well, I want to thank you for coming and sharing your great talent with us, and giving us the inspiration and courage to try at home to do Ikebana ourselves.

Thank you.

Lin Ko>> Thank you.

I hope that you will try it.

♪ Amanda>> Stephanie was kind enough to bring me some viburnum from her garden.

And then I was looking around my yard and my Philadelphus inodorous... Terasa>> I think that's what we decided, yes.

You said it's not fragrant, right?

Amanda>> Yeah, unfortunately, because there's a fragrant one.

And then I had some Dutch iris out by the front yard, so there's that.

Carol>> That's one of the prettiest ones, I think.

Amanda>> Oh, thank you.

Terasa>> That purple really pops against the white, doesn't it?

Amanda>> Well, thank you for giving me part of my material.

Stephanie>> Anytime.

Amanda>> I do appreciate it.

Y'all, you know, are trying to encourage intergenerational interaction and all that.

But you got children who often are, you know, maybe if you're lucky they'll eat peanut butter, you know, or I mean and drink the milk, but y'all are trying to encourage them to be a little broader in their appreciation of food.

Carol>> Yes.

Amanda>> And this craft relates to that?

Carol>> It does.

This was a unit that we did on cabbage exploration, and we had several different kinds of cabbage, red, green, cut in half so that the children could see all of those little leaves and things that make up a cabbage, we slivered pieces of cabbage and had them try to taste: Did the red taste different to you rather than the green?

And we talked about those kinds of foods, the leafy green vegetables, and how good they are for you.

But we also said that, let's try vegetable stamping on one of these little canvas bags.

They, very inexpensive, came from a craft store.

And it was just in time actually at that point for Valentine's Day.

So they were able to take that home to mom and dad or put their Valentine's in it however they wanted, whatever they wanted to do with them.

But we're going to do this today.

We chose romaine because that's smaller in their hands.

Half a head of cabbage wasn't going to work.

Amanda>> It would take a bigger bag.

(laughs) for those little hands.

And what we're going to do is brush some paint on the cut side of your romaine.

Try not to get the paint in the in the grooves because you want... Amanda>> Oh, okay, I'm trying to have some yin and yang I mean, white clear spaces and some colored spaces.

Okay.

Carol>> Additionally, we read this book to the kids.

They love stories and we have these wonderful books that we use in our lessons.

And this was about a giant cabbage that was so big they couldn't get it to the fair, and they ultimately did with the help of all of the forest animals, and they went for first prize, and then they brought the cabbage home, cut it up, and made a big pot of cabbage soup.

Amanda>> Which was... and every last bit was gone, unlike the cabbage you gave to your children.

Carol>> Right.

(Amanda laughs) Carol>> Just brush that on, and then just press down, straight down, and put some pressure on it, Karla.

Amanda>> Okay.

Carol>> Straight down and then straight up.

Oh, that looks, that looks good.

Oh, it's good.

Amanda>> It's satisfactory.

Carol>> It's...it is good.

Amanda>> Yours is beautiful!

(laughter) Terasa>> I want to do some more.

Amanda>> I know, I kind of do too.

Carol>> All right.

Well, here.

I just have this one.

Amanda>> I'm just going to... Karla>> This one had a child's name on it, but... Stephanie>> Oh, she's going to put out a rose on hers.

Amanda>> Okay, there!

Added a little more pink in.

Carol>> Oh, there you go.

That looks terrific.

>> Pretty!

You can do another one, if you wish.

Karla>> Can I put more roses on my bag?

Carol>> Oh, sure, take as many roses as you want.

We love roses.

Karla>> This is fun.

This is cute.

Carol>> Anyway, the children made them with a low cost stamp.

Carol>> And you get a lot of mileage out of ...one piece of romaine.

Amanda>> Yes.

Carol>> Until they finally just get really soft and you can't get it Amanda>> So did y'all wash them off and reuse them?

Carol>> We did.

Amanda>> And this... What kind of paint did you have?

Carol>> It's just an acrylic paint, craft paint.

Amanda>> Now, how did you get the leaves on?

Carol>> The leaves, what we did for the three year olds, we drew the leaf onto the bag and let them color it in.

Our four year olds were perfectly capable of putting leaves stems grass down at the bottom of the bag.

They went to town and had a ball with them.

They, some of them were just darling.

And others looked like three year olds had done them, and they had, so... Amanda>> Can we see yours, please?

Karla>> It's not done yet.

>>It's just an overall print.

Amanda>> Oh, my word.

Oh, she's making wallpaper!

Stephanie>> You know wallpaper is in again.

(laughing) Carol>> I love it.

It looks great.

Amanda>> Well, can we borrow your pen?

>> Absolutely, of course.

Amanda>> No, you go ahead.

Carol>> Are you still working on that?

Karla>> Sure.

>> Okay, well, Amanda>> She's still stamping.

Karla>> All art is a work in progress.

(laughing) Amanda>> Well, while all of these artistic endeavors are going on, we'll try to tackle another question too.

Terasa>> That might be difficult.

Everyone is very focused on this craft.

Karla>> I'm sure it'll be a hit with the kids then.

I feel like my inner kid is coming out.

Terasa>> Good.

Now that's kind of a good example of the intergenerational learning, right?

I mean, really, the craft was probably designed with the children in mind but all of you seem to be having...

I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get any paint.

(laughter) Terasa>> Although my artistic abilities are not... Amanda>> That is not true!

Terasa>> ...fully developed.

Stephanie>> Well and this is something you could let the kids kind of explore the fridge and find other things they can make stamps with.

>> Yes.

Carol>> Yeah, I thought that you know, even celery, actually a base of the bottom of celery works, too.

We tried that.

But it was a it was just a little.

Amanda>> Okay, Terasa, give us the question.

Come on.

Terasa>> We have a question from Teresa in Aiken County.

She says, I'm doing a garden bed this year in a huge container I bought for gardening.

What do I need to fill it with as far as soil?

Amanda>> Stephanie, what should she do?

Stephanie>> So I guess huge is kind of relative.

When you think about a container for vegetable gardening, you really don't need more than about two feet, two and a half feet depth.

Amanda>> Oh, because that's deepest.

It's not like it's a tree.

Stephanie>> Right.

So if the container is any deeper than that, you're really wasting money and resources, filling that lower portion with, you know, packaged soilless media and all that money you spend on that, you know, don't waste that filling that area, because it's not going to benefit.

Amanda>> I don't know, but it might keep the soil too moist, then, if it doesn't evaporate appropriately, Stephanie>> It could hold moisture.

Amanda>> More moisture than you might need.

Stephanie>> And that bottom part could sour if you don't have proper drainage as well.

So it could be all kinds of problems if you have too deep of a huge container.

So you can go in and fill the bottom with something a little bit as a filler and a drainage like a plastic bottle, Coke bottle, something like that, with the tops on, or even you could take a page out of what is it Horticulture where you put the branches so you could put branches in the bottom to add for drainage and you know, organic material, and to take up space and be more lightweight, if you have to move it, if it's a huge thing that you're going to move, then you definitely want to make it a little bit lighter, but as far as what to put in it, a good soilless mix is a great choice.

A lot of times as it'll have a starter fertilizer in it, and you'll be ready to roll.

If you want to mix a little bit of a potting soil with that, that is fine as well.

Amanda>> Now talk about the difference between a starter mix and the potting soil.

Stephanie>> Right.

So the...sterile mix doesn't actually have soil in it right.

So it's very lightweight.

It's got bark, and it's very easily to drain.

Amanda>> - a lot of pine bark.

>> Yes, a lot of pine bark in it.

And then the and sometimes it may have some peat or other products with it as well, and then the potting soil actually have sand and maybe some vermiculite and some soil particles to it, as well.

And then if you did want to get those, once you've composed your garden if you've used sterile mix, you can always test that as a mulch with the soil, what am I trying to say?

Yeah, but you can test that separate from a soil test on our soil test procedures.

So if you use a potting soil, you can use a soil test, a traditional soil test and then if not, you can use the organic material test for the sterile mix.

Amanda>> Okay.

And then if something's in a container, you're probably going to have to water it more frequently than your own vegetable, in the ground vegetable garden.

So do you think at some point during the summer, you might need to add a little slow release fertilizer or something again?

Stephanie>> Yeah, slow release is a great way to go because that will feed over time, and you can just added it according to the package every three months or so a lot of them say last three to six months.

Amanda>> Oh my goodness, I've been hogging the green pen.

I am so sorry.

Well, I think we're going to look at the finished product.

So if y'all want to add some green to yours, I'll start with mine.

It's, you know, I'm not much of my husband's the artist.

So anyway, and now we're looking at Terasa's.

Terasa, yours is beautiful, and you got...so much color on yours.

Terasa>> Well, you can see that I am a very symmetrical person right?

(laughing) Amanda>> Well, you followed the precepts of gardening which you planted either the leaves ... Terasa>> Subconsciously, I'm sure that was there.

Carol>> You've got good stamps on that one.

Karla>> Yeah, your shapes really came out.

Amanda>> There's mine and I did some doodling around the edge, just to take up some of the space.

Carla>> Oops, I'm taking it away.

Sorry.

(laughing) Amanda>> And then, so Karla, who's just gone to town and is working on this wallpaper.

>> I'm letting the creative juices flow.

Stephanie>> I'd buy this wallpaper.

Yeah, I would.

Amanda>> Karla, we're almost out of time so you're going to have to >> Oh, Okay.

Amanda>> Hold it up quietly.

>> I got to put it.

>> quietly so that Oh, I like the way you did your leaves.

That's very nice.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Karla>.

It's a little more abstract.

Amanda>> Yeah, yeah.

Okay, well, we've got to say goodbye.

Bye bye everybody.

We'll see you next time.

Carla>> Bye now.

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

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

McLeod Farms in McBee, South Carolina.

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

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