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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I'm so happy that you can join us tonight.

I'm Amanda McNulty, and I'm a Clemson Extension Agent.

And I tell my co-host and fellow... Extension, well Clemson person, Terasa Lott, it's continuing education because things are changing so fast.

New things are coming in, they're finding new discoveries, it's pretty, it's challenging.

> It is.

It is.

The older we get, it seems, the harder it is to keep up with everything.

But thankfully, we have folks at the university doing research, and then we have our extension agents that are here to kind of make that information digestible and then share it with our consumers of information.

Amanda> And I'd like to share with the people who are watching that, you have a big heart, and you're always keeping animals that the shelter needs somebody to keep, and you end up adopting some of them.

Kudos to you.

Terasa> Aww, thank you.

I was just born, born that way.

They they tug at my heart strings, and we're happy- I'm happy that my husband, feels the same way.

And we're able to help some of those furry friends in need.

Amanda> Yeah.

Anyway, I think that's something- And it's a wonderful way to adopt, to get pets.

So many people go and spend thousands of dollars.

But these are the sweetest animals often, and, you know, they really need a home.

Terasa> That's right, that's right.

Just because they're rescued doesn't mean there's anything wrong with them.

And you can find pretty much any shape, size that you want.

And there's more than an abundance.

Amanda> Good.

Thank you so much.

Jackie Jordan, you're the Hort.

Agent for Fairfield, Kershaw, and Richland.

And, you've told me that you have some flower people who are farming flowers.

> I do, yes, we've got some flower farmers in Richland County and some in Kershaw County, and two in Fairfield as well.

Amanda> Wow, isn't it fun that people are, doing all kinds of different things now?

Jackie> Oh, yeah.

All kinds of fun stuff.

Amanda> And they don't have to have a tractor, probably.

Jackie> Some of them do.

Some of them are small scale.

So it just, it does range in the scale of how much they are growing.

Amanda> Okay.

A little tractor, maybe?

Jackie> A little tractor.

Amanda> Okay.

(laughter) Vicky Bertagnolli, you're stationed down in Aiken, but you also help a lot with HGIC, I believe.

<I do> Are you all having some unusual calls this summer?

> Well, I wouldn't call it unusual, but we've got calls that run the gamut.

Amanda> Tell me one that's funny that happened.

Vicky> We'll have, we've got a little running joke.

We had a phone call, somebody was asking about, growing "avoca-doos" and... (laughter) Amanda> "Avoca-doos?"

Vicky> "Avaca-doos" And it was not a plant that we were familiar with.

(laughter) And...

So, we got them to, to spell it out for us.

We're like, "can you spell the word that you're... the plant that you're talking about?"

And, it's an avocado.

(laughter continues) Yeah.

So.

Amanda> Oh, that's rich.

That's rich.

Vicky> So now we have phone calls about "avaca-doos."

You can't say it differently now.

<Yeah> It's always going to be an "avoca-doo."

(laughter) Amanda> Oh, I'm going to remember that- Terasa> Sounds kind of fancy when you pronounce it that way.

Amanda> Davis Sanders, we've been missing you.

It's not that far!

Davis> No it's not.

Amanda> Yeah, and at South Pleasantburg Nursery, y'all are going to start having some classes again?

Tell me about that.

How you organize them and all.

> Well, actually, we started having, classes with ongoing subjects back, earlier in the spring.

We're trying to do classes at least twice a month, and hopefully we're going to get around to having them every week.

<Whoa!> We're, covering everything from seed starting and basic pruning to... an in-depth study of Hydrangeas, bonsai.

Amanda> So you just come... you come for the one day, and it's like two hours, two or three hours?

Davis> Depending on the class.

Most of them are 45 minutes to an hour.

<Oh> The ones that I tend to lead seem like they drag on a little bit further because, I like to talk.

(laughter) Amanda> Well also, I mean, it's a lot to say about things.

Davis> Oh, yeah, sure is.

Amanda> Yeah.

So... do y'all limit the size or it's just kind of self limiting.

Davis> It's... we do limit the size.

We have, advanced sign ups, that are on our website.

And, depending on the type class, the materials we're going to use, we limit it to anywhere from 10 to 20, 25 people.

Amanda> Okay, fun.

Davis> It's a lot of fun.

Amanda> You explain things very good to us.

You explain things very well, and I'm sure you do a good job up there.

Davis> Well, thanks I appreciate that.

Amanda> Professor.

Okay.

So we are gonna have some fun segments or interesting segments.

Terasa, you went up and talked to the Mayor about this new "Landscaping For Wildlife" they've got.

So I think that'll be interesting for people to learn about.

Terasa> For sure.

Lots of exciting things going on within the city of Columbia.

Amanda> Yeah.

Good for them.

And then Carolina Canning, our friend Faith Isreal told us about all the things that Clemson's doing with can- People who want to can.

And there's a real resurgence in canning.

It's fun.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Gosh, Mama used to... can all summer it seemed like.

Yeah, yeah, it's kind of- It was rewarding to have a pantry full of stuff that you, came from your part of the world.

Anyway, well, do we have some "Gardens of the Week" to start off with?

Terasa> You know, we do.

Our viewers always come through for us.

So, the "Gardens of the Week" is your time to shine.

It's sort of like taking a virtual field trip where we get to see your yards and gardens, or perhaps a beautiful space that you've taken a photo of.

Today, we begin with Donna Dowling.

She shared somewhat of a sad story.

Their garden, stairs, deck, rockwall and stone pathways were destroyed by Helene, but her husband Tommy has done a lot of planning and planting, and now their backyard has been restored, which is evident in her photo.

From Caitlin Allen, a perennial pollinator bed with black-eyed Susans and anise hyssop in full flower, and the Joe Pye weed just starting to put on its flowers.

Laura Foreman shared a fig tree loaded with figs in Vicky's neck of the woods in Aiken.

From Cathy Parker, if you look closely, you'll see some bees that are pollinating the squash flowers.

Bob Wingard shared a view of some lush, raised beds with a gorgeous view of the sky in the background.

And Marie Johnston shared some blueberries.

And this one's pretty funny, there's a tiny, little baby figurine of a Sasquatch.

And she said, "Even baby Sasquatch likes blueberries here in Lugoff."

And... (laughter) I agree, I'm fond of those as well.

Those are all of our official "Gardens of the Week" photographs.

But there are more.

We have an adorable collection of viewer photos that include their pets, who often "help them in the garden."

Let's take a look.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Those were all in response to a photo that I posted of one of the pets in my household, Miss Daisy Mae.

And I warned you might... might shouldn't name your dog after a flower because Miss Daisy insists on planting herself.

Which is creating numerous holes, despite our many efforts.

So I think we've just given up and she can just do all the landscaping she wants.

But thank you so much for sharing.

That was lots of fun to see your garden helpers.

Some of them were, not so furry.

We had a leopard frog in there and even furry but perhaps not pets, we saw some deer as well.

I look forward to seeing more of those post.

Any time we post the "Gardens of the Week," just put your photos right there in the comments and they may appear on air.

Amanda> Thank you, Terasa.

I took my dog in to get a rattlesnake vaccine yesterday, and, they had this little kind of terrarium, you know, at the checkout desk.

And I said, "What's in there?"

And they said, "A snail."

And I said, "A snail?"

I said, "Is it some real exotic snail?"

And they said, "No, it's just one we picked up and thought we'd keep it around here..." (laughter) People and their pets.

Very peculiar sometimes.

(laughter continues) Terasa> You never know.

Amanda> Alrighty.

Well, who needs some help?

And I know with this great panel we'll be able to help them out.

Terasa> We do, but I'm really hoping- Jackie, recently took a trip, for a big... special birthday, and I'd like to kind of live vicariously.

I'm hoping she'll share some photos.

Amanda> Well, you're... officially 40 years old.

We're so glad- Jackie> Shoot no, (laughter) officially almost 50 years old.

This was a... trip for my 50th birthday this year.

So my husband took me to Saint Croix, and we were down there for almost a week.

<Woo!> And of course, being the plant person that I am, I took hundreds of photos and all of them are of plants.

I don't think there's a single picture of... (laughter) my husband or me or anywhere.

Just plants.

We got to go to the St. George Botanical Garden.

Amanda> A botanical garden!

Wow!

Jackie> And we saw tons of beautiful things.

And so, I just figured I'd share some of the photos from the trip, <Please do!> because there were some great things.

So, we were walking, we got up in the morning and we walked, to explore.

And the first thing we came across was this Flamboyant Tree with these huge, beautiful red blooms about the size of my palm.

So you see these come, they get about 30 feet tall.

They come in red, and there are some yellow flowering varieties on the island as well.

Amanda> How long do they flower do you suppose?

Jackie> The Flamboyant Tree... looked like it was just beginning to go into bloom.

So I imagine, like most flowering trees, for a short period of time, maybe for a couple of weeks.

Amanda> Well, it's worth having.

Look at that magnificent... Jackie> Oh, I know, it was beautiful.

And then the other really pretty one, these trees were growing right up along the beach.

So these are Geiger Trees.

And they were full of clusters of orange blooms.

And these blooms, each bloom was the size of a 50 cent piece.

<Whoa> And it was just full of these orange blooms.

And then another pretty one.

This is... you'll like this, an Alamanda Vine.

(laughter) With these giant palm-sized pink blooms.

The vine was just covering one of the colonial buildings down there.

It was actually the fence at the library that it was covering, down there in Frederiksted.

And they're native to Brazil, but they're evergreen in those tropical areas.

And then you all know I love pink.

So, this one is of the Pink Variegated Pineapple plant.

And it does make a pineapple fruit.

And it is edible.

Not quite as sweet as the pineapple that we do buy at the grocery store, but it does make a sweet fruit, that you can eat.

Amanda> Wow.

Well, gosh...

I've passed my 50th birthday, but maybe I can find another one.

I'm so glad you got to go.

And you said you went snorkeling and got to follow a sea turtle around.

Jackie> I did, I stalked a sea turtle for 45 minutes.

Amanda> That is too much fun.

Vicky> So just so y'all know, Jackie is all about some sea turtles.

Like... that's one of her favorite things Jackie> That and pink.

(laughter) Amanda> Well, thanks for sharing that with us.

And, happy birthday to you.

Jackie> Thank you.

Amanda> Okay.

Alrighty.

Well, Terasa, shall we see if someone could use a little help along the way?

Terasa> Yes.

It looks like we have a question from Johanna and Ray in North Augusta that said, "We found these in the dog's water bowl.

What are they?"

Amanda> Whoa.

Well, Vicky, I see you reaching behind you, so I'm guessing you're- Vicky> They brought them into the office, so... so I got to see, exactly what these things are, and... this is- Amanda> It's not a piece of your hair.

Vicky> It's not a piece of hair, and it's not a piece of pine straw.

This is one of my favorite things that comes in.

It's so cool.

So, this is called a horsehair worm.

<Whoa> And it is- Amanda> Poke at him and make him move around.

Vicky> They're similar to... to the nematodes that we have in the ground.

But these are insect parasites.

And so what happens is, is this thing is, it's aquatic.

It'll- Partially.

So it'll lay eggs in the water and then the insect will come drink water.

<Yes> And hopefully ingest the egg.

Or the eggs may form a cyst around it, stay in the water.

And then the insect ingests that cyst and then the cyst- So the, the egg is inside the insect now.

And we're talking larger insects like grasshoppers, crickets, large cockroaches.

And then the eggs hatch.

So now this roundworm is inside the insect and it'll start eating the innards of the insect.

And some of these will secrete enzymes, chemicals to make the insect drown itself.

Because when it drowns itself, the insect drowns itself and it dies.

That's when the adult horsehair worm can come out of the insect, and then it starts all over again.

Amanda> You couldn't make this up, if you wanted to.

(laughter) Whoa!

Vicky> And we know that it's a horsehair worm and not just a regular round worm out there, because horsehair worms tend to be very, very long.

And when we're talking about very, very long, we're talking about 12 to 14 inches.

Amanda> That's... Yeah.

So it's okay to have it in your dog bowl?

It's not gonna hurt your dog.

Vicky> It's okay to have it in the dog bowl.

This is not something that's going to infect humans, pets, livestock, <Anything> your plants.

Nothing like that.

This is an insect parasite.

Amanda> Boy, what a cool world we live in.

Terasa> Great evidence that you never know what's going to come into an Extension office.

(laughter) Vicky> Yes, yeah.

I've had people that found these, like, in their swimming pool, and they're like, "We have asked our pool guy about this.

We've asked the veterinarian about this.

What is this?"

And because they find it often in the pool.

<Yeah> But the insect's not there because the insect's already in the skimmer.

But, they'll think it's a piece of pine straw that they're picking out of the- Terasa> And then it starts to move.

Vicky> And then it starts to move and they're like, "Whoa!"

(laughter) Amanda> Golly Pete.

I wish you'd save that for the last, because we'll never top that.

Terasa> That'd be good for a Halloween show.

Jackie> That's a good one.

(laughter) Amanda> Gosh, that was so much fun.

Thank you, thank you.

Okay, Terasa?

Terasa> Well, Davis is here, so I'm hoping he's got some exciting show and tell for us.

Amanda> What did you bring down here from South Pleasantburg Nursery?

Davis> Well, the first thing that I brought down, is one of our native grasses and my favorite native grass.

These are Little Bluestems.

Schizachyrium is the Latin name for it.

This first one is the species.

You can see it's got a really nice blue-green color, and it's got some pink and purple highlights in the new growth.

It's a little bit of a weeping, growth habit when it's young, but it does... begin to get a lot more erect as it matures.

But another, plantsman found a selection of this species.

That was a lot more upright growing.

Amanda> Someone found this?

Davis> Well, it's, that's... that's where a lot of the cultivars come from.

We refer to them as selections because, an alert plantsman has seen a trait in a plant that makes it different from the other plants in the lot.

And, this one is a lot more erect.

It's... this one was named Standing Ovation because it is a lot more upright.

And then I've also got one- Amanda> The reddish on this is so pretty.

I really can see it- And as the weather cools off the entire, the entire plant will turn a really brilliant scarlet color.

It'll be red, with just a hint of orange in it.

<Come on> It's very striking in the landscape.

And, another plantsman somewhere else, in a similar lot of this species discovered one that was variegated.

This one is, this one is called Chameleon.

And, this one has been propagated and... and expanded on so that... it's becoming more and more available in the trade.

But it's a really pretty variegated, pink, white, and green variegated ornamental grass that here again, it maintains that same erect structure that the, Standing Ovation does.

It's just a really nice conversation piece all through the, growing season because of the color changes and the growth habit.

And in the winter when it's, when it goes dormant, you still got that nice brown straw color that gives you a little bit of motion and sound during the, during the winter months.

So it's a great four season grass.

Amanda> Can you divide them in the spring, if you want to have more.

Davis> Yes.

They are warm season grasses.

So often they start resuming growth in the spring.

Just dig it up and chop it into a couple more pieces and replant them.

Amanda> Gosh!

Terasa> I feel like native grasses are underutilized.

Maybe they're kind of becoming more popular, but we've added... we call it the "bird area."

So it started with some buttonbush, plantings.

And then we've added a lot of native grass species.

We've got river oats in there.

And I love the river oats in the fall with those seed heads.

Some people call it "fish on a pole," because it really does kind of look like that dangling in the wind.

So lots of interest.

You don't have to have flowers to provide interest in the garden.

Davis> And also, a good feature of the schizachyriums with that upright structure, they're attractive to dragonflies.

<Yeah> Dragonflies love to perch on them- Amanda> And everybody loves to look at them.

Davis> Everybody loves to look at them.

And dragonflies love to eat mosquitoes.

Amanda> Yes.

Well eat away... and plant this wonderful plant away.

This is just wonderful.

And, I just think the reddish thing- You know, it's nice to have something that makes you stop and slow down and look at something a little more closely, don't you think?

Davis> Definitely.

Amanda> I think it does that.

I'm so glad you shared those with us.

Thanks.

Davis> Thanks for the opportunity.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, Terasa, was talking to somebody that called her about something in Columbia.

And she went up there and learned a lot.

And let's see what she's going to tell us about "Landscaping For Wildlife" in Columbia.

♪ Terasa> We're in the Rosewood community within the city of Columbia, where Bob Askins is on a mission.

Bob, thanks for inviting us to your yard.

Tell me a little bit about the motivation to move from traditional turf to a landscape that incorporates native plants.

> Well, a lot of my inspiration comes from, my involvement with the Midlands chapter of the South Carolina Native Plant Society.

I'm also a Master Naturalist, I think, a Clemson Extension program.

Terasa> That's right.

Bob> So, I've always been interested in nature and, and in plants, but... largely I was a big birder.

And, if you love birds, you have to love insects because, birds need insects, particularly to raise their young.

And if you want to have insects, you have to have native plants.

Our native plants co-evolved with our insects.

And so, you know, we hear about things like milkweed, supporting monarchs.

But we also need, other plants that local insects can make use of, to raise, their young and feed birds and other animals as well.

Terasa> So let's, talk about the process.

I understand maybe there was a fence that was here in the yard prior.

And so that was the first step?

Bob> Right.

We were, we bought this, purchased this property in 2018.

And there was a, an old cattle wire fence along one side that was, had been overtaken by English ivy and other vines.

There was Chinese privet, and all sorts of- Terasa> All those invasive species.

Bob> All those invasive species.

So, the first step was editing, taking that stuff out.

And then we began, adding native plants to replace the things we had removed.

And it was amazing, Terasa.

Within the first year, we saw a huge increase in the number of lizards, spiders, butterflies, bees.

Terasa> Love it.

It's like if you build it, they will come.

<Exactly> So what are some of the species that you started incorporating?

Bob> Some of the first things I put in were, milkweed.

But if you, if you want milkweed to be most effective, you need to provide some food for the adult monarchs that are laying eggs.

So, also started adding, flowering perennials, things like asters and goldenrod and... things that would be blooming at the times, that monarchs came through, to lay their eggs.

Terasa> And monarchs aren't the only things that you want to attract to your yard.

So, what are some strategies for ensuring that you have things that are going to flower over long periods of time?

Bob> Well, that's a good point.

I do try to pick, perennials that bloom at different times of the year.

So we've had a number of things that have already bloomed and finished.

But... one good example is blueberries.

Everybody loves blueberries.

I have several varieties, of Vaccinium here, they're an early bloomer and they help support some of our native bees that also are early emergers.

Our southeastern blueberry bumblebee, <Mhm> is a very, efficient pollinator, you know, so that plant, those plants help to support that insect.

Terasa> Sure.

And not only do you have the benefit of being able to see those bees in the yard and you know, they're doing their job, but then, you can benefit from that fruit production as well.

Bob> Exactly.

Yeah.

Everybody loves blueberries.

Terasa> How about some native grasses.

You have those incorporated as well.

Bob> Yeah.

So native grasses are very, very important but sometimes overlooked.

You know, we'll have Indian grass and switchgrass.

I just added some purpletop, excited to see how that works out this year.

But... our native grasses put down very, very deep roots.

So they are, very resilient for that reason.

They can handle our hot, dry weather in the summertime, without any, any real problem.

And then they also provide food for a number of, moths and butterflies.

They, some of the seed is used by native birds.

And then... and then they also provide shelter.

One thing that, we sometimes overlook, but those, our native bunch grasses give insects, butterflies a place to hide out when there are storms or when the weather turns cold.

Terasa> What do you think is the most unusual species that you have in your yard?

Bob> I have a couple of very rare native plants.

One is, Schweinitz's sunflower, which is, I think, the rarest, sunflower species in North America.

I also have... Stachys caroliniana, which is, a plant that, your frequent guest, John Nelson rediscovered- Terasa> That's right.

Bob> On the coast of, South Carolina, near where I grew up.

And so I have a little sample of that here.

Carolina bogmint is another rare plant.

It's not a difficult plant to grow, but it just, because of habitat loss it's become somewhat rare.

Terasa> So we talked about monarchs, and their need for milkweed as a host plant.

But one of the common, is called butterfly weed or butterfly milkweed.

Most people probably aren't going to just flock to want to put a weed in their yard.

Bob> But it's such a showy, beautiful plant.

It really has, in fact, we have some blooming right now.

It's, it's a gorgeous, flowering plant to have in your landscape.

It also is a very deep-rooted plant.

So it's, capable of surviving very well once it's established.

And then, as you mentioned, it provides, food for both adult and caterpillar stages of monarch butterflies.

Terasa> I see that you have really embraced the idea of gardening with the environment in mind.

And have several certifications that reflect that.

Bob> Yes, indeed.

One that, is probably near and dear to your heart, Carolina Yard Certification.

<Absolutely!> I think, I got last year and then, the Gills Creek Watershed Association Champion, Watershed Champion, is another one that's important to me because, really concerned about maintaining, water quality levels and concerned about our rivers and other waterways.

Terasa> Until recently, I understand that a yard such as yours may not have been allowed within the city limits.

Bob> That's right.

City ordinances, restricted the height of vegetation, particularly in front yards.

The Native Plant Society, recognized this as a potential problem for our members.

And so we worked with the city, with Mayor Rickenmann and Dr. Bussells to modify those, those requirements so that, it would allow people a little more latitude in doing naturalistic plantings in their home lawns.

Terasa> Sounds good.

I look forward to learning more from the mayor.

Mayor Rickenmann, thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to speak with us.

I understand there's been a recent ordinance change to allow for more naturalistic landscaping within the city.

> Absolutely.

And this was brought to us by our constituents and folks in town who really wanted to embrace a lot of our natural species and plants and get them growing.

But it was very hard for our code enforcement people to really understand because their limited knowledge of plants, they looked at some of our natural species that are growing and plants growing that we want to have grown here as weeds because of the height and where it is.

So really addressing that, but also getting people to register their yards, which is really important to say, "Hey, this is what we're doing, we're building a natural setting."

And when you look around yards like, that we have here, it makes a big difference.

I mean, since we've been sitting here, I'm watching all the bugs and the bees and everything and watching them pollinate.

Get in there and, and be part of it.

So it's what we want to happen.

Terasa> It really is.

I'm so glad to hear that you and council were receptive and to making that change because ordinances are in place for a reason.

And you mentioned specifically the process that citizens would need to take on, to let everyone know that this is an intentional thing.

And we're not just kind of ignoring our landscapes.

Mayor Rickenmann> 100 percent.

But I do think this is, this is why public input is so important and people reaching out, because there's probably ordinances on our books that don't really relate to what's happening today.

And so we've got to change a lot of that.

And we want to see more of this.

I think today, more than ever, at least in this community, I feel as a capital city, we want to preserve our natural assets.

We want more investment.

What you're seeing us do at the river.

What we're doing with these ordinance changes, the bioswales and the things we're thinking about for the future, getting rid of all these parking lots and, and really embracing our natural resources to protect them.

Everybody wants to have the beauty of South Carolina to stay for generations, and little things make a big difference.

Terasa> They do, the little things that each person can do in their own backyard.

Thank you so much for being receptive to change, for appreciating the value of native plants, and allowing the citizens of Columbia, to protect natural resources in their own yards.

Mayor Rickenmann> Well, and...

I think what we want to do too, is encourage people to see what they can do and how they can have a balance of this and how we can have better opportunities to share information, you know, plants that people ought to be thinking about planting.

Reaching out to, if it's the Clemson Extension or Gills Creek Watershed folks who have invested, you know, heavily in it, or you know, National Wildlife who can help you design, why not take advantage of this?

And I think part of it is we got to continue to share information.

Terasa> We really do.

And there are so many educational resources out there.

You mentioned a lot of them.

We encourage people to take that education and put it into practice.

Mayor Rickenmann> I'm with you on that.

♪ > Kudos to the City of Columbia for doing that.

And, I just think it's wonderful that people don't have to have just the, perfect lawn, most boring yard in the world anymore, Terasa.

Terasa> That's right.

And this really allows people to purposefully incorporate native plants that are going to then provide those ecosystem services.

So... we talked about things in this segment like deep root systems that are going to help, you know, with water mitigation and it's going to provide wildlife habitat, food for adult butterflies, for the caterpillars as well, and then those caterpillars that feed insects.

So, really, really encouraging to hear the city, you know, being receptive to that.

And I hope it's something that catches on in other municipalities as well.

Amanda> Yeah, yeah.

And, we were talking, while we were watching and Vicky was saying that, you know, some of these places are good habitat for animals that need habitat.

So, you know, including snakes.

And, I was going to tell y'all I found a baby rat snake in the kitchen the other day.

I was so excited!

Terasa> That's an usual place.

Amanda> My house, you know anybody who wants to can come in and out, but, I was just thrilled.

Yeah, yeah.

Terasa> That's not the reaction a lot of people would have.

But I'm excited that you were thrilled.

You know, we have, far more non-venomous species than we do venomous.

And they serve a purpose in, in the ecosystem.

Maybe not in your kitchen, but- Vicky> I bet it does, though, because whenever they're small and juveniles like that, they're, eating, you know, cockroaches, small invertebrates- Amanda> Because, I mean, I keep the house clean to an extent, but, you know, since it is just so open to the elements, the cockroaches just walk in and out, uh, la, la, la, la.

Anyway, well, hats, hats, hats.

So, I went out to Hank and Ann's as usual, and I got, some on their cypress tree.

You know, everybody should plant bald cypress, it's just such a wonderful, beautiful tree.

And, sadly, they're like, my upper arm is now.

And during hurricanes, they just bend back and forth and they don't fall, they don't snap like pine trees do.

So it's, I mean, there's a reason to plant them.

At Swan Lake, during one of the hurricanes twenty, so years ago they lost like 200 pine trees and three cypress trees.

So, this isn't much fun on people, but it sure is great on trees.

And these are the nuts that'll eventually be, you know, the seeds.

And then what else have I got up here?

I've got... dwarf sunflowers, is that what we thought it was.

And then I've got some little berries if you can see them.

These are the, from the female, grandfather's graybeard.

A nice native plant.

And it's not, the female isn't as showy as the male, but it has these seeds, which is, fruits are going to be important to the birds.

So if you can, I'd plant both.

And then... (laughter) somebody brought me this- Ann brought me this okra for my hat.

And this is... You know, there's not much you can do with okra this big.

You do not want to eat okra this big because it's- <tough> Vicky> Very fibrous.

(crunching sound) Amanda> Ahh!

I can't even get through it.

I mean, this is the, it's tougher than tough.

Anyway, but...

I thought it made some pretty fun earrings.

Terasa> Yes.

And you can dry the pods.

Amanda> You could, and sometimes if you can leave them on they'll kind of start furling, don't they?

You can do something with them.

You could make Christmas tree ornaments, I'm sure, but, the better thing to do is to pick it when they're small.

Davis> And eat it.

Anyway, so.

And, anyway, so fun things to think about.

Alrighty.

Okay, Jackie?

<Mhm> What you got for us?

Jackie> Well, back at the Botanical Garden in Saint George.

(laughter) At the Botanical Garden.

Terasa> Are you going to take us all there?

Jackie> Yeah, that'll be fun...

It's a such a beautiful place.

One of the things that they did was, in honor of, the slaves that had worked the plantation, they dedicated a whole huge garden room and put a thousand different orchids in.

And so these are just some of the different orchids that were in bloom.

Some of them are Dendrobiums.

Some of them are Vandas, some are oncidiums.

And there's just, it was amazing to see all these different orchids in bloom.

And then I've also got some pictures of orchids just growing naturally as epiphytes in the trees, because people don't realize you see them in the store in a pot, but these plants actually grow on the sides of trees.

<Yes> The seeds come in and you can see, some of these orchids were 50 feet up in the air.

<Wow> And just attached to the side of the tree.

So it's... really fascinating to see.

Terasa> There's something about orchids.

They're just spectacular.

I just...

I can't help but marvel whenever I see them.

And so much diversity just within the orchids.

Jackie> Well, the neat thing is, is, they all arose to attract different insects.

<Yeah> And so you have some orchids that are pollinated by moths, some that are pollinated by spiders, some that are pollinated by bees.

Amanda> Spiders?

Jackie> Yes.

And so the flowers are mimicking the insects.

Vicky> They're shaped a certain way to attract that insect to that little platform.

So that it... gets pollinated.

Amanda> Gosh, evolution it's just absolutely stunningly fascinating.

How... whoops!

Doesn't work so well as an earring does it.

Anyway, how widespread are orchids?

Where were they?

Where... Jackie> Orchids grow on every continent except for Antarctica.

So there are- We have 35 different species of native orchids here to South Carolina.

Most of ours are terrestrial, and some species are terrestrial.

Of the 100,000 different species of orchids, the majority of them are epiphytes.

Amanda> Okay, okay.

Wow.

And they- Some of them are just so gloriously beautiful too.

Yeah.

Okay.

That was fun.

Thank you.

Well, Terasa?

Terasa> Let's see if we have another question we can answer.

This comes in from Ed in Augusta who said, "I don't usually mind weeds in my lawn, but this one is very different in color and texture from the Granny Smith apple green grass.

What is it?"

So it sounds like because it stands out so much.

It's bothering him.

<Yeah> Amanda> Or maybe he's... just noticing and thinks it's attractive.

Okay Vicky, help us out here.

(laughter) Vicky> This is the one that Jackie needs to help with.

So, this is called Lespedeza.

And it's a summer annual, and the complaint that I normally here is when people notice it, is because they'll have something like centipede grass, which is Granny Smith apple green.

And they're like, "Wait a minute.

This is a completely different texture, and it's a completely different color than my turf."

And so that's when they notice it.

And it's a, mat-forming weed.

<Yes> When, I was digging up this, to bring here, the root system was extensive.

I'm talking like, it was very difficult to dig up.

Amanda> So, even though we've had rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain.

It would be fine and be perfectly happy in a year when it didn't rain much.

Vicky> So what happens, is the turf starts to suffer because it's stressed out because of, drought.

Could be overwatering, underwatering, whatever.

And that turf starts to thin out and your weeds start moving in and Lespedeza is going to move into those areas and it forms these big mats.

It's, I mean, it's... at one time it was brought in as a forage for livestock- Amanda> Because it's a nitrogen- Vicky> And the wildlife eats the seeds off of this.

So it's, not completely bad, but a lot of folks just consider it a pest whenever it's in their lawns.

Amanda> Okay.

So does it go dormant in the winter or is it an annual.

Vicky> So it's a summer annual, so it's going to die out.

But this thing is a prolific seeder.

<Okay> And so when it drops those seeds off, you've got a huge seed bank there.

And because the, the root system is so fibrous, the seeds just kind of sit right there.

And so it just gets, the patches get bigger and bigger and bigger.

But if you want to learn how to manage this, Clemson's Home and Garden Information Center, we have a fact sheet, <Okay> that talks about this plant.

<Okay> Jackie> That is a great reason to go ahead and mulch and leave your lawn clippings.

So when you mow your lawn and only cut a third of the time if you let your clippings lie, most of that is water.

But 30 percent of that tends to be nitrogen.

<Yes> And these plants don't like to grow in more nitrogen rich soil.

<Wow> Since centipede doesn't tolerate a whole lot of nitrogen fertilizer.

If you just let those clippings lie, you're feeding the soil and making the turf stronger and the soil better, but discouraging that weed.

Amanda> Whoa.

Terasa> There's so many benefits from leaving the clippings on your lawn.

Now, you have to be mowing at the right height and frequency.

So, you know we don't want- (all laughing) Exactly.

Jackie> But you come in one third at a time and cut regularly.

You'll reduce that weed just by letting your clippings lie.

Amanda> Okay.

Yeah.

Because they're just going to compost real fast.

As you said, they're mostly water.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

Okay, Davis, what are we going to look at now?

Davis> Well, we talked about the variability within a species when, when we were talking about the grass earlier.

So I brought, four different examples of- Amanda> That one, we need to show the pretty part.

But I guess we... Yeah, we can do that.

Yeah.

It's fine.

Davis> But these, these are all four different, leaf and color forms of Farfugium japonicum.

Which, the, the one that most people are familiar with is the one that's referred to as tractor seat plant.

It's a shade loving, moisture loving, evergreen, perennial.

Evergreen in zone eight and south up around Greenville.

A lot of times it dies back in the winter, but it does come back.

But everybody's familiar with this one.

It gets the huge two foot leaves, almost like a Hosta leaf, very glossy.

Sends up a spike of gorgeous yellow flowers.

These used to be classified as a type of Ligularia.

But they've been kind of separated mostly by the, the taxonomy of the foliage, the Ligularias tend to have a more of a crenate or dentate leaf.

Amanda> That's enough, Thank you.

(laughter) Davis> But these are a lot more rounded.

But, these are all four different, leaf forms of the same species.

So tractor seat plant, Giganteum.

This one is a much more compact grower.

This one's only going to get about 12, 15 inches tall- Amanda> But still gonna have pretty flowers?

Davis> And have the pretty flowers.

<Yeah> This one is called Shishi Botan, which is a... it's called a parsley leaf Farfugium.

Amanda> Yeah, look at this.

Davis> And, it's got that really nice textured foliage.

Amanda> Some of the leaves are smooth and some of them aren't?

Davis> Right.

And then the showstopper in this group is the leopard plant.

Amanda> Wow.

Davis> This one, this one... A lot of times if you're in a shady garden and you see this, you tend to look up to see where that dappled sunlight is coming through.

But it's not coming through, it's in the leaf itself.

Vicky> And this is where it's important to know what you have purchased or what is in your yard, because you're going to think that this thing is diseased.

Davis> Exactly.

Amanda> Isn't it fun?

Golly, Pete.

Woo!

They're handsome.

Davis> Yes.

Beautiful plant.

And if you've got, if you've got a shady spot that doesn't drain real well, this might be the plant for you.

Amanda> Really?

Even if it's a little bit waterlogged.

<Yes> Well, that is a great, great, great plant.

Now do people ever divide them?

Davis> Yes.

That's the preferred way of- Amanda> Kind of looking at it- Davis> Propagating.

Amanda> I can see some places in here where we could go in- Davis> Yeah, like most perennials, when it, when it first starts actively growing again in the spring, just dig it up, take the hacksaw to it and separate it and replant.

Amanda> Okay.

(laughter) I don't have a hacksaw, but... Davis> Well, you can use, you can use your, your reciprocating saw.

Amanda> Yeah.

Thank you.

I do have one of those.

(laughter) Farfugium.

<Mhm> I like the name Farfugium.

Davis> It's fun to say.

Amanda> It is fun to say.

Oh, well, thanks for sharing that with us.

Davis> You're welcome.

Amanda> Okay, Jackie.

Jackie> Well, of course I've got more plants.

(laughter) So the first one, this is a cool plant.

This is called a Cannonball tree.

It had these huge reddish blooms.

I mean, these were bigger than my fist balled up, just covering the tree.

And they make these huge seed pods that were bigger than my feet.

Amanda> What size shoe do you wear?

(laughter) Jackie> Well, seven and a half.

Amanda> There were big seed pods.

Jackie> They're big seed pods- Amanda> Handsome?

Kind of handsome on the tree?

Jackie> Mmm.

It's a really pretty bloom.

Amanda> Okay.

Jackie> But... the seed pods were all over the ground.

Amanda> Oh, they fall?

Jackie> So I saw them on the ground.

And interestingly enough, when the fruit hits the ground, it does explode a little bit.

And, has 200 to 300 seeds.

So I don't know if that's, the size of the fruit or the way that it falls is where it got the Cannonball tree name.

Saw them all over the ground and then looked up and saw all these blooms.

Branches of these... And they're really neat flowers.

And of course, walked around, one of the trees is a relative to our common crape myrtle.

This is called Pride of India.

<Uh-huh> It had these beautiful purple blooms.

And then another really pretty one was Chinese Hats, with these little pink blooms with little purple, stamens in them.

Really... covering a ten foot tall tree.

But just all these tons of these pink blooms.

And then another one that was really cool.

And I have a video of this one is the Rainbow Eucalyptus.

The bark on this Eucalyptus tree peels to reveal a rainbow of colors underneath.

So there's red underneath the bark, green underneath the bark.

And as the trees continue to mature, you'll get to see some different shades of like blues in there as well.

Amanda> No!

Blue?

Come on.

Jackie> Coming from underneath the bark.

Really pretty.

Amanda> How fascinating.

So I guess most of these wouldn't, we can't bring them up here and have them?

Jackie> No, most of them you can't.

There was one and this is subtropical.

So this would be zone eight through zone eleven.

So it would overwinter in parts of our areas.

And this one, comes in orange and yellows most common.

But there is a pink flowering variety as well.

Amanda> Yeah.

Just made for you.

Was the water pleasant to swim in?

Jackie> The water was amazing.

It was perfectly warm, perfectly clear.

We were on the side where there was, a coral reef all the way down.

So I saw and swam with wrasse and angelfish.

Clownfish.

Lots of tangs, yellow tangs, blue tangs, a variety of tangs.

Parrotfish, sea turtle that I stalked for 45 minutes.

Amanda> And you know, when you're in that kind of water, that's not full of other things I learned, you can leave your eyes open because it's saltwater.

Your eyes are salt, your tears are salty.

So it's, you can swim with your eyes open, which I think is fun, which we don't usually do at our beaches.

Well, thank you.

Vicky, what have you been picking up when you were wandering around?

Vicky> Well you know, it's... turtle nesting season.

And so you're going to see turtles crossing the road all the time.

And if you can safely help move them.

It is advised that you you move them in the direction that they're- <Going> that they're pointed.

This one I had to have some help with, to have it identified because it would not come out of its shell after I had pulled it off the road.

So I sent it to, a herpetologist friend of mine.

And, we found out that this is a female, Coastal Plains Cooter.

<Okay> And, it's sometimes called the Florida Cooter.

And it's, it's native here.

And typically they're going to be found in areas where there is still water.

So, these are found at ponds, at lakes, slow moving water, things like that.

And when you, they're typically always found in the water.

So when you find them not in the water, it's because they are trying to find somewhere to nest or they're trying to find a new home.

So you're not really going to see them out very often.

But I happened to find this one helped her cross the road, and the universe rewarded me for saving this turtle off of the highway, because then I found a giant tiger moth, caterpillar.

And... We tell people if it's spiky, don't pick up the caterpillar because it may have urticating hairs that irritate your skin, but this one you can actually pick up, it's not venomous.

And so that was my reward, is...

I saved a turtle and the universe sent me an insect.

Amanda> One time at Swan Lake, I saw a soft-shelled, soft-nosed- What do you call them?

Vicky> They're soft-shelled turtles.

Amanda> Soft-shelled turtle, they're kind of pink, and they've got a turned up nose a little bit.

And, it was laying eggs.

It came out of the water and, came up and, they urinate, I think, to get the ground soft.

And I sat there and watched this turtle dig a hole.

It was the most amazing, wonderful thing I have ever seen in my life.

Terasa> So much work.

Amanda> Fascinating animals aren't they?

Thank you so much.

Terasa> Thank you for helping, Vicky.

I do want to just, let our viewers know that not all of our turtles are aquatic.

So if you see a box turtle crossing the road- People, they tend to want to put them near water.

But, our little box turtle friends are not good swimmers.

So same strategy, move them in the direction they're going.

Vicky> But don't put them in the water.

<No> Don't put them in the water.

Amanda> Also when you pick them up hold them out for a few minutes if it's a small one because they will usually urinate.

<That's right> And you would rather not get that on your clothes.

Terasa> And always be safe.

You know, there could be a snapping turtle that's trying to get to the other side and don't want to lose a finger.

Jackie> Funny story about a box turtle.

<Okay> So in my garden, I grow strawberries.

It started with compost and I have tons of strawberries.

It was on... they were the ground cover of my rose garden.

My roses are gone.

So now I just have strawberries and Dahlias and... <Fun, fun> Lots of cut flowers for my mom.

So the strawberries all had holes out of them.

And I was trying to figure out what was eating- Went out there one day, the box turtle was eating all the strawberries.

He would take a bite here, take a bite over there.

I keep catching him out in amongst the strawberries in my garden.

(laughter) Terasa> You made a delicious buffet, but had you not seen it, it would probably still be a mystery.

Jackie> It would be.

Who was eating right?

Box turtle.

Amanda> Okay, And it's hard to give a turtle a spanking.

(laughter) Davis> It hurts.

(laughter continues) Amanda> Well, Faith Isreal.

I wish she'd come back and see us.

I like to have her come over and tell us about all the different opportunities that we have to learn about canning, and that she's going to tell us right now.

I'm talking to Faith Isreal, who is a Clemson Extension Agent, but she's on the Food Systems and Safety Team, and we're so glad to have you here today.

Faith> Glad to be here.

Amanda> A lot of people have developed an interest in things that happened in the past.

And so I think y'all are here to make certain that, they can do that in a safe manner?

Faith> That's correct.

When it comes to preserving food, you want to follow a research based recipe.

And so we're here to teach just that.

Amanda> Okay.

Back in the day, my husband remembers when there were canneries in different counties and Clemson Extension agents were there to help people learn how to safely can food because it had been, people doing things at home 100 years ago, didn't necessarily know how to do it safely.

So here y'all are today, still doing that for us.

Faith> Right.

Still teaching the best way to preserve your food.

Amanda> Yeah.

Isn't that fun?

And it's all research based?

Faith> Correct.

Amanda> Yeah.

And so, if people want to take one of these workshops, what would they learn about?

Faith> Okay, we have workshops in different subject matters.

So jams, jellies, and soft spreads, pickling, pressure canning.

So those are some of the topics that we have where you can come in, with this workshop, one day workshop, come in you learn, and then also you get a hands on in the kitchen, so you can preserve your own product.

Amanda> Whoa.

Okay.

And so the two things you talk about are pressure canning and water bath?

Faith> That's pretty much it.

Yes.

Amanda> Okay.

I was, a lot of people are kind of nervous about pressure cookers, in general.

Do they have safety features on them now?

So they're not going to blow up on you?

Faith> Yes, yes.

So we, that class is the class that most people are really interested in because of the safety feature.

And so we practice and we teach so that you won't have your canner lid in your ceiling.

Of course not.

But yes, they do have safety features.

Amanda> And, you said that if you have a canner that your mama used or that you got a long time ago, or found it at a thrift store, are some of the older ones, still pretty good?

Faith> Some of the older ones are still pretty good.

Yes.

I had a gentleman bring in six canners that he thrifted, and we tested those for him, and five of them were still great to be used.

Amanda> Okay.

Faith> Then I had another lady who had a canner in her family for over 40 years.

So it's a great investment.

Amanda> One of the things I think they learn, is that how to test your canner, to be sure it is accurate?

Faith> So we do test your pressure at your dial, pressure dial canners, yes, to make sure that is accurate for you to pressure can.

Because we want to make sure the readings are correct.

Amanda> So if I didn't take your workshop but I had one and I had a question about it, is there a way I can get that done without taking the class?

Faith> Correct.

Yes.

You just call your local Extension office and make an appointment, so you can get your pressure canner tested.

Amanda> Okay.

But, let's talk about some of the things that they learn.

Water bath can be done with, which kinds of foods?

Faith> So your acidic foods, and so for water bathing you have two options for things.

You can do the traditional water bath canner, but if you're going to, process something under 45 minutes, you can use a steam canner.

Amanda> Gracious.

Goodness.

Faith> That's an option.

Amanda> It used to be that everybody thought you could just water bath tomatoes, but I think there's you've got the new recipes, you add something to them, Faith> You add an acid to it, to acidify your tomatoes.

Amanda> Okay, okay.

Goodness gracious.

Now, how about pickles?

Faith> Pickles are best with your water bath canner.

Amanda> Okay.

Faith> You're adding that salt to help preserve it in the vinegar.

Yes.

Amanda> Oh, so the salt is the preservative?

And then sweet things?

Faith> Sweet, you have the sugar to help preserve it.

Amanda> Okay.

Faith> Yes, water bath canner too.

Amanda> Then what are the some of the things that you'd have to pressure can?

Faith> So you will pressure can your combination foods like you're soups or your stews, and all your meats.

Amanda> Okay.

And I guess, like green beans.

Faith> Green beans will fall into that category.

And your starchy foods like your carrots <Okay> and potatoes will fall in that category, as well.

Amanda> Okay.

And so... these are often around the state.

Faith> Correct.

So, myself and my fellow teammates, we're housed in different counties.

<Yes> Faith> We do have workshops throughout the year, just... with Carolina Canning.

So find one that works with your schedule.

And so some of my classes I do offer on Saturdays as an option for people, so they don't have to take leave, to come to a workshop and they just come in for one day.

You don't have to bring anything.

Just wear some closed-toed shoes and just and we'll have the fun.

Amanda> Okay.

If they want to find out about how to sign up for one, where's the best place to go?

Faith> You can search our website for Carolina Canning.

Amanda> All right.

Faith> We're also on Facebook for Carolina Canning, as well.

Amanda> I think this is wonderful.

Thank you so much.

Faith> Thank you for having me.

Well, thank you all for being here.

And thank you at home.

We hope we'll see you next week.

Night night.

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

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

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

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

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

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