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.

♪ (Making it Grow
opening music) ♪

♪

Well, good evening
and welcome to Making It Grow.

We're so glad you
could join us tonight.

I'm Amanda McNulty and
I'm a Clemson Extension agent,

and our show
is a collaboration

between SCETV
and Clemson University.

And Terasa Lott is often
over here helping us,

but really mainly she
supposed to where the

master gardener
coordinator hat,

but we sure thank you

for everything you
do for us Terasa.

>> It is my pleasure.

Happy to be a part
of team Making It Grow.

>> Good. We're happy to have
you as part of our family too,

and Andy Cabe, last time
we saw you,

we saw you
through digital means,

and now we are practicing
the current guidelines.

We're glad
to have you here.

I think
that instead of having

to be outside
every single day, hot or cold,

you're doing some
administrative work,

and that gives you
a little bit more choice.

>> You can kind of
pick and choose

which days you want
to be outside,

but it's sure nice
to be back here in person again.

>> Well, we're so glad that
you're here.

And then
Eric Shealy, you are

trying to keep those
greenhouses at some

kind of semblance
of temperature,

that you and
the plants can survive.

>> That we both
can agree on.

[laughs]

>> I think it's funny that

since we
talk about Columbia,

they used to say
"Famously Hot" and there is

a device in greenhouses
called the Carolina cooler.

>> Yes, and we have them.

They work. They
work, a little bit.

<Amanda> A little bit.
>> They can't do too much

but they work. >> Humidity
is a factor. >> Yeah.

>> Yeah. Anyway and then
Stephanie Turner is

in Greenwood and Stephanie,
we are so happy that

you can help us and I
think we are expecting also

perhaps a cameo
from a special kitty.

[laughs]

>> Hi. We're both here today.
I'm glad we can join you.

<Amanda> Well, I think you
played the piano earlier.

If she does that's fine.

We think that it
probably will help us

win an award if
we entered an award

and have a piano playing
cat on a garden show.

[laughs]

Anyway, thanks
for joining us remotely.

>> Of course.
<Amanda> It's good to see you

from up there in that
beautiful city of Greenwood.

Terasa, you I think

are going to start us
off with something that's

cheerful or
comical or whimsical

and that will
be Gardens of the Week.

>> Thanks Amanda. This has
become such a fun part

of the show, where we
get to see what's going on

in your yards
and gardens across the state,

sometimes leads
us out of state, as well.

So, let's take a look.
Starting with Pat Dubose

who sent a lovely
close up of a lotus flower.

Bill Jackson captured
a mantid on lavender.

This was taken in
Buncombe County, North Carolina,

from Marion Hutton,
a colorful mixed border

along a sidewalk.

Cindy Welsh
shared the Lee County

4-H pollinator garden.

And wrapping up, Pam Rivers
submitted a yellow daylily.

This is in the
Wingate, North Carolina

and she says the daylily
was a gift from a friend.

Thanks everyone
for sharing your photos.

Remember we can't choose
them all.

We just post
a random sampling,

but you're welcome
to visit our Facebook page

and take a look
at all the submissions.

Don't be shy.
Send us what you're doing

in your yard.

>> Thanks. And Terasa,
you are so good about going

on Facebook and people
also send you things

through our email
and finding questions.

Let's start with that
stack of questions

and see if we can't
give people some help.

>> Well, chisel away.
Whittle our way down.

This question is from
Byron in Goose Creek.

My wife and I always
had a summer veggie garden,

but we've never tried any
of the cool season vegetables.

What can we
grow during the winter?

>> Ahh! Well, Andy, Roland
used to say that

in South Carolina you
can grow something

twelve months of the year.

What would
your suggestions be?

>> He's absolutely right.
We have such mild winters here,

you can kind of do
fall crops and do spring crops.

Do second
sowings of things.

Eric's very familiar
with the second sowing.

Our garden stance was, Eric
we want more of these seeds,

but we want them
two months from now.

So, but it
is very convenient,

and we like to use
a lot of leafy greens

in the winter time.

Number one, we like to
use them a lot as ornamentals.

They're very
attractive, very colorful

with the purples,
the reds things like that,

and you can kind of
use them for a dual purpose.

You can use them as

something ornamental
in your bed

and edible if you want
to make a little salad,

you can start and pick
those new tender greens

and we do lots of kales,
cabbages, mustards, broccoli,

lettuce and the
list goes on and on,

Swiss chard, kohlrabi.

Yeah, so there's
lots and lots you can do

that serves
the dual purpose

like I said with both being
ornamental - <Amanda> Yes.

<Andy> and edible
at the same time

>> And I think
there's a giant

red kale
or something in there.

<Andy> There's
some big red kales,

but there's also
a giant red mustard.

>> Okay.
>> It'll get pretty big.

>> I've seen it used
as the centerpiece

in containers surrounded
by pansies and things

that flow over the edge.

>> Absolutely, we love
using vegetables

in containers,
especially if you got

somewhere where rabbits
really like to go.

That's a big problem when
we're at the zoo, is rabbits.

The rabbits have a
harder time getting

a couple of feet up
into the container,

but you get a good rabbit,
you can find a way,

[everyone laughs]

But for the most part,
container gardening is

a great way to do
things like that,

if you've got some
kind of ground pests,

you can grow some things

a little further up
in a container.

>> Great idea. Thank you.

>> I had Bright Light
Swiss chard in my front step

containers last year,
and I absolutely loved it.

It performed really well
and like you said, dual purpose.

If I just wanted
to go out and grab some

to add to dinner,
it was right there.

>> How about that?
Yeah and then I think

one thing people
sometimes don't think of

is when those things
bolt and have flowers

the pollinators
really seem to come.

>> Yeah, they love it and
like I was saying earlier,

you can kind of
get two crops a year

out of a lot
of these things

if you plant, something maybe
in the beginning of October

if you have
a mild winter,

it's going to start to bolt

and that's when
your second sowing comes in,

and then you could have
another crop by March or April.

>> Okay.
Pretty good answer,

and I hope that
they'll have good luck

trying that this year.
What's up next?

>> This call comes in from
Laurel in Aiken.

Laurel says I had problems
growing radishes in the past

where they are pithy.
Why does that happen

and can it be prevented?

Stephanie,
I love a good radish

in my salad and I like

to have them just
as hors d'oeuvres, sometimes,

but it's awful,
when they're pithy.

Is there something you can do
to avoid that?

Give us some tips on
just getting them started

and how
to grow them please.

>> I'm sure.
Yeah, radishes are

actually one of the
easiest things to grow

and like you said,
I adore radishes,

but there's so many
things that you can do

with radishes that people
don't even think about.

You can use them in
the compound butter.

I don't know if
you've ever done that.

You can chop them all up,
smoosh it with butter,

put it on a crusty bread,
and radishes are also

if you're not
very fond of the heat,

they can be sweetened up
just by sauteing them

in a pan with some butter
on the stove.

But to grow them,
their very easy from seed,

and you can have a harvest
in as little as 21 days,

and so
a lot of times

when people are running into
pithiness, they are maybe

waiting too long
to harvest their radish,

or they're not keeping
the soil evenly moist.

Another thing about
radishes is,

because it's a root vegetable,

you have to be careful
about the texture

of the soil that you're using

and so hard clay soil,

will cause those roots
to be a little bit distorted

or grow in an unusual shape.

You'll get that
nice pretty round radish.

So, you do you want
to watch that.

That also makes radishes great
for container gardening.

So, you can get a potting mix,
and you can grow

your radishes in a container.
You sow those seeds directly

in there, about
a quarter of an inch deep.

Then you want to thin them
to two to three inches apart,

the seedlings,
depending on the mature size

of the cultivar, the
root that you've gotten,

and use those
thinnings in your salads

or your sandwiches.
Pinch them off

and enjoy them.
Don't just toss them away,

and then within
about 21 days

you'll have a crop.

Radish is
another good one.

They said, they're
talking about Riverbanks.

They do multiple sowings,

since radishes are quick
you can sow every week,

and then you'll
have plenty of radishes

throughout the cool season.

And, of course, radishes
do enjoy the cooler weather.

So, you want to start them

end of summer into the
fall up until a good frost,

and they should
do good for you.

Another plus for
putting them in a container

maybe you can put them
on a patio or sheltered area

and protect them
from the frost

and kind of extend your
radish harvest that way.

>> When I see them
in the store,

they're already
so pretty when they have

the tops on them,
but if I bring them home,

I've noticed if I leave them
with the tops on,

it seems like the bottom,
the radish itself

seems to dry out
a little bit.

So, I guess even though,
it looks so pretty

when you harvest them,
if you aren't going to use them

immediately, should you
just go ahead and trim that,

so that they
won't become desiccated?

>> Yeah. You could
probably keep

the tops on
for maybe a day

or so in the fridge,
but you would rather

chop them off, so they don't
pull that moisture

out of the root.

If you use them fresh
out of the garden,

you can
use the tops, as well,

if they're looking
healthy and clean.

You can saute those in
there with your sauteed

butter and radishes.

>> Okay. They come in such
pretty colors now. Don't they?

>> Oh. yes. So, you can get
a rainbow assortment of colors,

pinks, whites, reds.

There's even
the Spanish Black Radish

where the root is red
and the outside is black

and the center,
of course is white,

Then they come
in different shapes, as well.

There's icicle types,
elongated types,

and varying
amounts of heat, too.

If you like foods
a little bit more spicy

then you can choose
a spicier cultivar.

>> And, when you said
you could use them,

people don't often
think of it.

We often put them
in spaghetti sauce,

because we think that
it makes it taste earthy,

and I don't know,
that's just fun

how you'll kind of
get an idea in your family

and all of a sudden,
everybody in your family

thinks that there's a new
tradition of using things.

>> I love it.

<Amanda> Thanks, so much
Stephanie. >> Of course.

>> Well, Eric we're going
to instead of going to

another question, we're
going to talk about a trip

that I got to make to
come up to see you,

thinking about planning.
If anybody has to plan,

because y'all have such
incredible annuals

and color that
you got to put out.

So, we came to see -

when do you start
putting out seeds

and cuttings and all these -

>> Usually for spring,
I'm starting in late January,

early February.
Then coming up in fall,

I'm going to start
in the middle of September.

<Amanda> So seeds are just,
you must just have

thousands of seeds
that you're dealing with.

<Eric> For fall, it's
usually just brassicas,

that's your collards, kales

everything in that vein
of leafy greens

For spring and summer,

it's a lot of variation.
You have a ton of

different genuses
and different cultivars

within the genus,
So it's a challenge.

It's more so a
challenge in spring

than it is in fall.

<Amanda> Do you
go places when

things are normal,
so growers can tell you

about new things,
because y'all are always

to me kind of the cutting edge
of having new things growing.

<Eric> We actually do that,

but we allow our staff
just to look through

the catalogs that
everybody can access.

They just spend a lot
of time looking

for that new thing.

It's becoming increasingly
rare to find something that

just blows your socks off,

but we love going
to the Trial Gardens at UGA.

I've always enjoyed
going down there

and seeing what
they've got going on,

and just paying attention
to what does well

in different catalogs like
perennial plant of the year.

We always pay
attention to that.

Sometimes we can grow it
and sometimes we can't.

<Amanda> Then we walked into

the green house where
you have things that

are big plants that have
to stay in the greenhouse

and you had a lot of succulents,

and you said that they come
from an unusual source.

So, we get a lot of some
of our plants that we have

to keep come from
a U.S. Customs seizure,

meaning that they come
into the country illegally

they're usually seized
at the port of Miami.

Miami is a huge port where -

<Amanda> Hub for all that.

<Eric> It's a hub
for international trade

so there's a lot of
black market back dealing

that can come through there
and usually people think

about animals,
but in this case,

it's the plants for us.

So we got
a collection of euphorbias.

When people
think of Euphorbias

they think of that cute
little diamond frost that

they get at the nursery.

Euphorbia is a massive
genus of plants

and it includes poinsettias.

So, we got
some rare Euphorbias in

I have no idea
where they came from,

but US Customs called us,

offered them to us
and we took them.

<Amanda> So, it's not
that these are invasive,

what it is,
is people who

aren't the kind
of nice gardeners

that we'd like
to think gardeners are,

are paying to kind of have
smuggled things in,

and you said
often they're endangered.

<Eric> They are.
>> You're keeping these alive,

because it's important

>> Yeah it's important
to keep them alive

and keep them in population,

so if they if they ever
need to be sent

anywhere,
we can just send them

>> And then the bromeliads
were a lot of fun.

<Eric> Oh yeah. We have
a lot of Bromeliad.

<Amanda> They're holding
that water.

>> You told me that sometimes
they have some surprises.

<Eric> Yeah. Don't bump them,
because they'll turn over

and pour water on you
and probably a frog or two.

<Amanda> I just think
that's so wonderful

to think that the frogs are
over wintering inside the water

in the Bromeliads <Eric> Yeah.

<Amanda> Y'all sure
do work hard there

to have it look beautiful

any time that somebody comes.

<Eric> Thank you.
<Amanda> Thanks a lot.

<Eric> You're very welcome.

<Amanda> Well, Terasa?

<Terasa> How about a question

from near my neck of
the woods so to speak?

Society Hill. Mary asks
when is the best time

to plant spring
flowering bulbs?

<Amanda> Andy, y'all have
a huge display of bulbs.

I love the fact that
there's that one alley

that's so crazy
and y'all spray paint it

and stick it around.

>> Allium schubertii. Yes.

[Amanda laughs]

It gets abou
volleyball size.

>> When do you start
planting the bulbs

for your spring displays?

>> Well, in times
like August

and September when I
might still be like

really hot
in the afternoon

that's a great time to sit
inside with a bulb catalog

and search through
and see what

you want to plant
for the following spring,

but typically with bulbs,
you want to wait

till the soil temperature
cools down...a good bit.

So, our kind of target date

depending on the
weather is usually

sometime,
the middle of November.

We'll plant all the way
into January too.

We have so many
bulbs to plant

that sometimes
we don't get

them all planted
immediately.

So, we're still
planting in January,

sometimes even into February
to get a nice display.

<Amanda> They're pretty
forgiving too.

<Andy> That's the great
thing about bulbs is

they are so forgiving.

There's so many great bulbs
that are perennials.

Lot's of
great daffodils,

your smaller tulips,
your species tulips are great.

A lot of your Alliums,
the flowering

onions do really well.

If you pick
the right varieties,

they're going to come back
year after year.

They're going to offset.

Some of them are
going to naturalize,

make big clumps.

I like bulbs so much,
because you put

so little work into it,
and they give you

so much back.

Basically, everybody's
like how do you plant a bulb

and
I technically tell them

you're going
to plant the bulb

two to three times as
deep as the bulb is tall.

So, if your
bulb's that tall

you're going
to plant it that deep,

but basically in our
climate where we don't

get deep freezes, you
just get your trough,

you scrape a little hole,
throw the bulb in there,

and cover it up with
dirt and call it done.

<Amanda> So, you don't -

they're always trying to tell
you. "Special bulb food!

"Special bulb food!"

<Andy> If you've
got decent soil

and at the botanical
garden and zoo,

we're
constantly amending

on a yearly basis
with compost.

So, we have pretty
good soil to start with,

so we really don't rely

on a lot
of fertilizers, in general.

we have good healthy
soil to start with,

and we rely on compost
a lot to give us our nutrients.

So, if you've got
a pretty decent garden soil

to start with

I don't fool
with a lot of

putting something
in the bottom of the hole

and top dressing
with this or that.

Your bulb will typically
tell you what it needs.

If it
starts to decline,

you've seen daffodils sometimes,
maybe it's a nutrient thing

or maybe they just
need to be divided

and every so often
they need to be divided,

because you've got a
clump of a bulb.

They're all competing
for that same amount of food

So, you kind of got to
spread them out sometimes.

>> Okay. So, with the
tulips a lot of people

who come
to South Carolina

don't understand that they
generally don't persist here.

Is that? I'm sure that's -

>> Most of your big florist
kind of tulips

are the ones you think of
in these beautiful

winter displays.

They're not reliable
perennials for us

and sometimes
they're not even

reliable annuals for us.

A lot of it just depends
on the temperature

and South Carolina
temperatures can be so fickle.

You can be
75 or 80 degrees

in the winter
time one day,

and you might be
30 degrees, another day.

So, sometimes you'll see them

blooming two inches
off the ground.

If you get the year,
that it's absolutely perfect,

and everything works right,

and the temperature
works right,

we have put
together some amazing

tulip displays
over the years.

>> But, the species
tulips generally

are a little more
reliable for us.

>> They're very
reliably hearty.

They'll come
back year after year

even multiply some.

They are more
diminutive in size.

They're not going to be this
big, long cut flower stem.

<Amanda> I think a lot of them
have some real cool features.

Don't you?

>> I planted them
in the lawn before,

just had
swods of them

coming up in the lawn,
and it always

turned out when it
was about time to cut

my grass
for the first time,

in the spring, would
be about the time,

when it was okay to cut
the tulip foliage out.

>> Okay. That's another thing
that I'm glad you mentioned

is that with our bulbs -

Well, if I plant
regular tulips,

I just throw them away,
because I don't expect

but with my daffodils,
we don't want

to cut the foliage back -

>> No, you want to

painfully watch them
for a while.

Watch them start to turn
yellow and brown

and when it gets to about
the point where you're

just ready just to scream,
that's usually

about the time it's okay
to cut them back.

So, that's why we like
to enter plant bulbs

with other things.

So, as the foliage
on the bulb is senescencing

in the spring,

you've got something like
maybe a daylily

or something,
but a summer bloomer coming up,

that bulb
is just going to cover up

the old foliage of your mold

>> Okay, well I think
that was a wonderful example

of what to do with bulbs
and they are just so reliable.

We ride down
the side of the road

and see old house sites
with daffodils and things

that are still blooming.

Thanks a lot. I think
that you have maybe

one of our other
favorite topics

going on now.
Don't you?

>> Would you be
talking about

our Spotlight Garden
of the Week? <Amanda> Yes!

>> Yes, we do. So, this
is a chance to show off

one particular garden,
a little more in depth

than our
Gardens of the Week.

Today we are featuring
Annette Brown Mishoe

of Myrtle Beach

Annette shared an
assortment of photos with us.

She's included
some statues in her garden

and one I
particularly like is a stone,

which she has in a
bed that says,

One who plants a garden,
plants happiness.

Annette created her
very own Gertie Gardener

as a tribute
to Amanda and her hats.

She says Gertie is lovely,
just like Amanda.

So, thanks Annette
for giving us a little glimpse

into your yard.

[laughs]

Well, I think it's
a remarkable likeness

[laughs]

<Terasa> Especially
the lipstick.

Did you notice the lipstick?

[laughs]

>> Well, I do like my lipstick.

[laughs]

>> Oh my goodness!
So much fun.

Well, that's sort of
like a show and tell.

Many of us like to
incorporate larval host plants

in our yards,
and I thought maybe

Stephanie might have
some takers to her host plants

that she'd be willing
to share with our visitors.

>> Stephanie, I know that
you have a sharp eye,

because you often
pointed out things to us.

Do you have
some pictures of things

that you run into

that you've really been
excited to find

nibbling on your plants

>> Why, yes I do.

And I don't know if my eyes
are very sharp,

because one
hitchhiked its way

inside my house
on a bouquet, I had cut.

I cut some stems
of blazing star of the Liatris.

We've talked about it
in a previous show.

I brought it in a bouquet.

I was working
in my kitchen one day

and I noticed
on the countertop

some little black specks.

Those of us that
know caterpillars

will recognize that
little trail of frass

or droppings that you can
see underneath caterpillars

as they're feeding.

So, I inspected my
bouquet more closely

and really had a hard time

finding these little
hitch hikers,

because they are camouflaged.

This particular larva

is the larva phase
of a moth,

and it sticks little
pieces of the blossom

of the plant
that it's feeding on,

on it's back.

It was just happily eating
on my Liatris in my bouquet,

When I took
those stems outside

I found I actually
had three of them.

So, I brought them back
to my clump of plants

so that they
can continue on in feeding.

So, you will see
some photos of that

the little camouflage looper,

and that is actually
the Wavy-lined Emerald Moth

that does that.

When those
caterpillars mature

that's what
those would be.

So, that was my first
little share of show and tell.

Then secondly,
I was checking on

my limelight hydrangeas,
the hydrangea paniculata

and the blooms were just

starting to come out
this summer

and I noticed
something had been feeding

on the leaves
and so I was looking closely,

and it was just about dusk
and saw some very fluffy

woolly bear caterpillars,

some white or actually yellow

their common name is the
yellow wooly bear caterpillar.

So, to me they
appeared more creamy

white and very,
very fluffy.

They were feeding
on the leaves there

and that is the
Virginia Tiger Moth Larva.

I guess I would just recommend,

and just remind everybody that

if you have an insect problem

try to hand pick your
caterpillars first,

because you don't understand
how many caterpillars

are in your garden
and in your yard.

You're just not seeing
them every day.

You're just not looking
closely or maybe you're

just missing the time
that they're out feeding.

So, keep that in mind
when you reach for a pesticide

or a treatment.

So, just target it,

and only use it as much
as appropriate.

>> And usually with these

it's not -
if you're trying

to grow brassica,
sometimes you have

to use some -
take some actual steps

to reduce the number,
the feeding,

but these
unusual caterpillars,

generally aren't
going to eat

that much
of the plant. Are they?

>> No. As a matter of fact,
I can't even tell

there's been any damage
to my hydrangeas

or my Liatris
at this point.

There's just a few on there.

I'm not even sure

if these folks these
little caterpillars

matured too long
this year,

because we have a lot
of birds in our yard.

So, they may have
ended up being bird food,

but you never know.

[laughs]

<Amanda> All part of
nature's plan. Thanks a lot.

>> Exactly

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

>> This question comes in
from Diane in Cayce.

Diane asks, "We are frequent
visitors of Riverbanks

Zoo and Garden. How are
the sides connected?

Do you grow plants
specifically for the animals?

<Amanda> Well, you certainly
have a lot of herbivores, -

>> Oh, yes!

>> and y'all are doing a
lot of plant growing.

Is there some overlap there.

>> So, we don't exclusively

provide any whole diet
to an animal.

We do supplementation
and emergency backup supply.

So, supplementation

not a lot of people
know that guerrillas

will develop a
condition called

Fibrosing cardiomyopathy,

which is
a heart condition that

can ultimately kill them.

It is a heart condition that all
primates can get, even humans.

So, they
would rather take care of it

with a plant than
with giving them

another medication
or something like that.

So we grow a ginger that
is native to Rwanda

This is Aframomum melegueta.

It is actually
grains of paradise,

which is an additive
in beer.

Sam Adams Boston lager.

>> That's a good reason
to have a beer.

>> It might
help your heart.

At the same time,
I'm not a doctor.

Don't listen to me,

but they eat this, all parts of
the plant, >> Really?

>> They rip it
out of the ground.

They'll eat the roots, shoots,
stems and everything.

>> They like it.
>> They do.

A paper came out several
years ago saying that

they really do chow
down on it,

and the gorillas in the wild,
the populations

that were eating this
with regularity didn't

really have a problem with the
Fibrosing cardiomyopathy

<Amanda> So, do you grow it
at the river's edge?

Does it grow here?
>> So, it is a tropical plant.

Rwanda is a good bit
closer to the equator -

<Amanda> It's hard to believe
it's warmer, but sometimes -

>> Yeah, but it grows
in 25 gallon tubs

in our greenhouses.

So, that's another thing that
I'll grow out for the animals.

<Amanda> So this
one you can grow

enough to supply that
portion. <Eric> We do,

and they eat it regularly,
but not with every,

not every day. Yeah so
they're getting

a supply of it.
Let's just say that.

<Amanda> They really do like it.
>> They love it.

The keepers when we first
introduced it,

they were actually very
surprised that they went

to it as fast as they did.

You can crush it in your
hands and smell it

and it really
smells amazing.

It's like a
sweet ginger smell.

It doesn't take much.
>> No, it doesn't.

<Eric> Yeah, it's their
sweet gingery smell.

>> Have you ever
chewed any? >> I have not.

>> Maybe at the end of the show.
>> Maybe so.

>> Okay, well then

I know that you have
koalas there

and they only eat one thing.

>> Yes, so they
only eat this.

Eucalyptus. So, eucalyptus -
there are types that

are hearty for us, as
many, many people know.

They do not eat those types.

Of course, they have to be fussy
and eat types from Australia,

So we grow - there's a list of

about 10 to 15 of them that they
will eat natively in Australia.

We grow two of them on premises

as an emergency backup

in case our populations
in Phoenix and Miami

where we ship our eucalyptus
from, if they encounter

a frost which does
happen in Miami, very

un-regularly and in Phoenix too,
or a natural disaster.

<Amanda> If an air plane
couldn't land. <Eric> Exactly,

<Amanda> If we had a hurricane.

<Eric> Exactly.
<Amanda> That you have to have

a special greenhouse
just in case you need it.

<Eric> It's actually a
requirement of us having them.

<Amanda> That's fair.
<Eric> It is.

So, this is the only thing
they eat

and we have to have it.
So, we do.

we only grow
two varieties of it.

It's Eucalyptus robusta
and eucalyptus tereticornis.

<Amanda> Alrighty,
and it seemed to me

that one time that y'all were
starting to plant bamboo

in some of the parking lots
and all, because sometimes

that's useful to use
in the enclosures.

<Eric> Most animals will get
enjoyment out of it.

Birds can use it
for perching.

Bamboo has always been
used traditionally

for years just
to make different things,

but many animals use it for

what we call enrichment.
So it helps them in captivity.

They don't get bored,
and they think get to use

some of their natural
tendencies to tear up stuff.

I would much rather
them tear up the shoots

of bamboo that we pull out
of the parking lot than -

<Amanda> What a perfect thing,
if it's in the parking lot.

You're getting
the visual aspect of it.

>> Exactly.
>> Then if you need to,

you can let - it's a toy
and a supplement -

>> Absolutely. >> for enjoyment
for the animals. >> Absolutely

>> That's really, really cool.
Thank you very much.

>> You're welcome.
>> I appreciate it.

>> As you know, we like
to find beautiful places to go

and Sean Flynn our producer
made a friend on Facebook

who wasn't very far away,
and we had a wonderful

visit to the garden of
Parrish Rabon in Camden.

♪

>> I'm in Camden, South
Carolina enjoying

the beautiful garden of
Parrish Rabon in her

predominately shade
garden and this is a

pleasant place to be
in the summer.

I'm glad we came
to visit you today.

And your
garden is very shady,

because you
have massive oak trees.

>> We do. I enjoy that.

<Amanda> It really does combine
the front and the back too.

So, that you, although
the lots not very large,

you do get that
sense of continuity.

<Parrish> Yes. <Amanda> You have
a favorite flower

and I believe having a shady
yard gave you ample

places to use that flower.

<Parrish> Yes,
I love hydrangeas.

I love to cut hydrangeas
and share hydrangeas, so.

Yes I plant a few.

<Amanda> Talk a little bit
about the front yard.

What was there, kind of the
bones of it?

Then, how you've used the
hydrangeas there, please.

<Parrish> Well, we did add some
white ones there, at

the entrance to
the drive. When we

moved here there were
the camellias, the azaleas,

the boxwood hedge,

but traditional plants, yeah.

<Amanda> And then as we
come around I see

tucked away in various
places, a lot of

containers that seems to be
something that you enjoy using.

<Parrish> I do.

<Amanda> Because, the
containers are different

and they add color in places,

and then it gives you some
staggered height, as well.

<Parrish> Yes, it does

make it feel more like
a room I think

when you're outdoors
to have the containers,

and the
different heights and colors,

and of course
you can move it around

if the plant's not happy.
You can move it a

little more sunny spot
if it's in a container

<Amanda> Well, I
particularly enjoy the one

with the four seasons who's
kind of tucked back there.

<Parrish> and the azaleas.

<Amanda> Yes.
That's really a sweet one,

because I didn't see him,
and so it's nice

as you're walking to see
things that make you

pause for a moment
and when you pause,

you see other things,
that you wouldn't have noticed

including your
front porch which

has a few places
to sit down,

but has a
lot of places for plants.

<Parrish> Yes, and I love that.

I love that because I
love to share my garden.

That makes me happy,
that we stroll through

that you see little
things we can stop

and look at.

<Amanda> Then we come
back into the back;

and y'all have done
a good bit there.

<Parrish> Yes. <Amanda> With
pavers and brick edging.

Tell me about some of the
improvements you've made.

<Parrish> Well, just because
the lot is sloped

and anytime there was a storm,
there was a lot of down flow

of the rain so the little
edgings in the beds,

my husband put
down the bricks

and works in different ways
to try to slow down

water through there,

but also it just gives the
good definition for

that little pathway of
grass, and then we fill

the beds with a multi
color hydrangeas. Yeah.

<Amanda> You have some
Calla lilies.

<Parrish> Some calla lilies
tucked in there.

<Amanda> Then a few other

plants that I think
you're experimenting with

to get a little
cover on the privacy fence.

<Parrish> Yeah. <Amanda> It is
mostly again hydrangeas.

<Parrish> Yeah and
except, I was looking

up in the oak tree, one
of the trees

and thought goodness
gracious,

Parrish's husband has to get
on a ladder. <Parrish> Oh yes.

<Amanda> I didn't quite
understand from the ground

looking up, why those
pots were so important,

but when you took me
up on your porch,

I really saw
then why they were

worth putting your husband
on a ladder every year.

They make a nice show
from up there. <Parrish> Yes.

<Amanda> And draw your eye
back down towards the backyard.

<Parrish> Yes.

<Amanda> Your porch
and you said

do I need to clean up
or do anything

when I was speaking
on the phone before I came in,

I said, No, we want to see
how you live all the time,

but you are kind of an
experimental gardener.

It looks to me like you
want to have things

trying things
all the time.

>> I do and I guess
I'm a little resourceful

with just I never want to
give up on a plant.

So, I always try to nurse
one back to health,

but also the cuttings, I've
put many things in water,

and just watched
the roots develop.

So, I make
a lot of cuttings

and stick them
in water up there

and re-pot them and hopefully
as I can do more and more

that I can share more and
more plants with other people.

<Amanda> You got
seedlings coming up.

You have to start
seeds and then transfer them.

One of your porches
is almost a potting show.

<Parrish> It is. It is.
The zinnias were from seeds.

Some of them were looking
pretty good. >> They do.

>> Yeah, yeah. >> Then you
and I are sitting in -

we've got some sun here.

You've got a few
slightly raised beds

and you've really taken
advantage of these

to get some color back
here as well.

<Parrish> the lantana and the
daylilies. Yes.

<Amanda> and besides
the containers,

you also like to tuck
around funky little,

are they toad houses?

>> Yes. I have some
little toad houses.

It's only been once,
but there was

one time that the
cutest little toad

had taken up
residence in one.

<Amanda> That was
just the one time

that you noticed
that he was in there.

I'm sure you have lots
of overnight visitors

to your toad B and B's.

>> That's true.
<Amanda> Well, Parrish,

it really is a lovely garden
and I think you're fortunate.

So many people can
only work in their yard

during part of the day,

because it's so
full blazing sun. >> Right.

>> There are many times
when you can come out

and you told me if you feel
a little stressed,

you look up into the almost
cathedral like feeling

that you get
in the backyard yard

from the beautiful oak boughs.
>> Yes. >> - and enjoy this

wonderful little spot
of Eden -

>> Oh, thank you yes.
It does. The canopy

almost gives it,
back to being a room.

It almost gives it a
ceiling like effect

and yeah if I ever feel
like I need a break

from stress or life, I can find
it in my garden pretty quickly.

<Amanda> Well, I think that
you're very fortunate

to have this. I thank you
for sharing it with us.

>> Thank you for coming.
I loved having you.

♪

I really enjoyed
my visit with Parrish

and she was so happy
to have made

such a nice shady place
for her family to enjoy

getting out when
there's a hot summer day,

and she is really
a gardener's gardener.

She has something
sitting around

and rooting or starting
in almost every place.

It was really fun.

She's a gardener's gardener

and not somebody who's ready
for the garden club to come by,

Although her
garden is certainly

lovely enough that
people should go by and see it,

and I want to thank her
for letting us show it to you.

Well, I felt like
Christmas came early

because your wonderful
co-worker Diane Baker came over

and sent you over with some
things for me to make a hat.

I didn't have to lie awake

in bed worrying about what
my hat was going to be.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank
you, Diane and so she sent

some Eucomis. Is that
how you say it?

>> Eucomis. >> Pineapple lilies.

>> Then she sent those wonderful
red fire engine red Anthuriums.

I think I've got -
if I'm having a heart condition,

I should just
munch on my hat.

>> Munch on your hat.

>> - because that's the
plant that the gorillas -

>> That's the ginger
that they love.

>> The ginger that they love.
Yeah. Well, that was such -

Tell her thank you very much.
I really do appreciate it.

Terasa I think we've
just been having some

great questions. What's
next on the pile?

>> We'll give this one a try
from Earl in Catawba.

Earl says, "I saw the Rocky
Shoals Spider Lily

"while visiting
Lansford Canal State Park.

I understand
it's relatively rare.

Are there measures being
taken to protect this plant?

>> Well, Andy y'all
are at kind of that fall line

of the rivers of the water
system in South Carolina.

Y'all have some
rocky areas there.

Is this? What do you
know about this plant?

>> Well, Lansford Canal is
the big, well known population,

but there are some populations

in both the Broad
and Congaree Rivers

right in downtown Columbia,
usually in May or June,

you can ride across the 126
bridge into town.

Cross over the river
and look down in there

and you'll see little blobs
of white blooming

and that's the Rocky Shoals
Spider Lily

growing right there
in the middle of the river.

>> My word.
Well, do y'all

try to be involved in it
in any way in protecting it?

<Andy> Yeah, off and
on over the last 20 years or so,

we've been involved when
we have time, we'll go out

to the river and try
to collect some seeds

and we'll take them back
and Eric will propagate them

in the greenhouse,
and you can look here.

These were a few little
seedlings that I think we

collected probably a
month or so ago.

They were just seeds we
collected from the river,

and then Eric brought
them back to the greenhouse

<Amanda> How did
you know it was

the seed for the spider lily?

<Andy> Just from years of
knowing what it looks like.

So, if you can look right
here I don't know

if we can focus in on it.
This oblong green blob is

actually the seed.
<Amanda> Oh!

So it's pretty visible.
>> This is the seed,

so it'll look like this
on the river.

This is actually the food source
for the plant, >> Yes.

>> The plant doesn't
start with leaves on it.

It just starts with the
seed. So, it's got to

have something to
generate the energy

to make this foliage
and you can kind of see

at the bottom here, you can see
these roots coming out.

That's the start of
a little bulb. <Amanda> My word.

>> It'll keep
feeding off of this seed -

<Andy> Feeding off the seed
to make a bulb which will

then be a perennial
part of the plant.

<Andy> The seed is providing
the energy for it to make these

leaves in order
to make the bulb

and then some of the
bulbs can get the size

of a half dollar
in diameter.

What we do
is we grow these

and we use it kind of
for multiple purposes.

Number one, it's a
great educational tool,

because while it is not
an endangered species yet,

it is a species of concern

due to increased usage
on the river,

the change in water flows
for generating electricity.

>> Yeah, because that's pretty
different.

>> A lot of fluctuation.
More people are using the

river and they see these pretty
things bloom in their yards

and they'll want
to pull the clump out

and they'll plant it
in their yard.

The populations are
dwindling and so we are

trying to encourage people

not to take these
from the river,

so we will take them back
to Riverbanks

and grow them out to sometimes
to blooming size plants,

and we have done
some experimentation

with reintroducing them
into the river,

but I will
say it is very difficult

to reintroduce
a plant into running water

and especially if
you get a torrential rain

the next day or two
and all the water

is coming down from the
upstate into the river

and just super high flows
can wash things away;

but these seeds will drop into
the crevices of rocks

in the middle of the river.
>> So, therefore Rocky Shoals.

<Andy> They'll nestle
themselves in there

and the seed can kind
of sit there static for a while

in between the rocks and then
it can send it's foliage up

above the water,

and it's got this bulb
that forms

and gets rooted in all the
little nooks and crannies.

>> How about that! Well, with
all y'all do,

my hat's off
to you, literally,

>> Thank you. >> For your
concern with the environment

I think that
one thing is that

y'all have told me that
there's not a limb

that falls at Riverbanks
that's taken off site,

y'all have used, almost
everything is re-purposed -

>> We re-purpose
quite a bit of it.

If it doesn't go into our
compost pile;

if it's a
good looking stick, Amanda

somebody will make
something out of it.

Some kind
of structure or arbor.

So, we are very resourceful
in re-purposing things.

>> Well, Diane Baker
when I was out there

was actually using
some mountain laurel

that had one place,
one or two of them and died

and that twisted gnarly,
beautiful texture.

she was using it in a display.

So I do admire how
creative y'all are.

>> We definitely have
some crafty folks out there.

>> Yeah you do.
Okay.

Well, Terasa, I think we've
got time to see what else

is coming up in
the list of questions.

>> This one is from Libby
in Columbia.

I've got a really big aloe

that's been outdoors
for the summer.

I'd like to repot it before
bringing it in for the winter.

Can you provide
some how to tips?

>> Aha! Well,
Stephanie since you're

sauteing radishes
and all that kind of stuff,

you probably keep an
aloe plant or two around,

just because it's a
nice thing if you

burn your finger.

Would this be
a good time to do that

How easy is it to separate one?

She can maybe share it
with a neighbor if she could.

>> Oh, yeah!
Aloe is a great houseplant

and it's one that has
special memories for me.

I know lots of
people have certain plants

that their mom or their grandma
always have in their home

Aloe's one of those for me.
Always my grandmother,

always my mother
have aloe plants.

So, if you had
a boo boo,

you got some
aloe gel smooshed

on your wound.

Aloe is great. It will
propagate vegetatively

and so as your plant
gets bigger

and more robust,
you might notice that there's

smaller little plantlets
coming along across the base,

and those little pups

are offshoots can be
easily removed when you

pot up your aloe plant.

What you want to do
is carefully remove the plant

from the pot
in the container that it's in,

and investigate those little
pups, sometimes you can

just kind of gently pull
or wiggle them away.

They'll be separate enough
or you may want to take a

really sharp knife,
if, they're pretty close,

or connected to the base,
you can take a really

sharp knife and slice
that little off shoot off,

and a lot of times they
already have their own

little set of roots
on the base of it.

And you can take that
and let it rest or cure

for a day or two,
out of the sun, somewhere dry,

so that where you sliced
it can heal up and dry out,

and then you can go
head and pot up however many

little off shoots you've
gotten off the parent plant

and pot up the parent plant

in some moist soil,
but not overly moist

and you really want to wait

to water it the first time
until it gets completely dry.

>>Oh, really. So, put it
in a moist medium,

but you don't
water it in, then.

>> No. you just want it
to get settled

in that new medium.

Let that moisture
be absorbed and then after

that you can do your first
watering when it's dried out.

>> Are they large water
users or are they pretty

forgiving if
you forget about them?

>> They're very forgiving.
That's why they're a house plant

that works for me
because I'm a neglectful

house parent plant parent.

I water mine very sparingly
about once a week,

maybe once every other week,

but very, very sparingly.

I don't water it thoroughly
till the water comes out

the bottom.
I just give it a little sip

and off we go.

>> Okay and what
kind of exposure

do you have for
it in the house?

>> You do want bright light.
You want a good sunny spot.

A good sunny window.

>> Special doesn't go
over there and mess with it.

It's okay for house cats.

>> Well, it is
a good little scratch

for your whisker area,
right there.

those little aloe leaves.
She does like that,

but no, she doesn't she
want the way she chews on

any floral bouquet that
comes into my home.

Thankfully, I can get away
with aloe.

>> Well, I'm glad that
she can scratch her cheek.

That's a sweet thing
to think of.

Well, thanks a lot
for giving us that tip.

We appreciate it.
>> You're welcome.

>> Terasa, I think we've
got time for one more question.

What have you got over there?

>> Isabella from Myrtle Beach
wants to know;

I love using annuals
for color in the fall,

but it doesn't seem like
there are many choices.

What do you recommend
besides pansies?

>> Well, pansies are great,

and Johnny jump ups, too.

>> They are. They just look like
little smiling faces to me.

>> My mother used to
have a little container

that was made just
to hold pansies,

and she'd
walk by in the morning

and sprinkle
their little faces.

It was kind of -
I don't know if she was

trying to encourage us to
be cleaner children or what,

because we kind of
lived outdoors.

Y'all have so many gorgeous
containers and things there

I'm sure that
you've got some things

that we don't think of
that would

you would approve
that would work.

>> Pansies, definitely
come in an array of colors,

all the pansies and violas.
They serve their

purpose but
sometimes we look for

something that's
a little more,

for the lack of a better term,
3-D rather than 2-D

because the pansies
stay down low to the ground.

I mentioned before using -

we were talking about
using the kales and collards

and mustards and all
of those various

things that we
integrate lots of times

in our beds
and seasonal color and design

that gives you
a little more height,

a little bit of
a different texture.

We've also used a good
bit in the past few years,

Erysimum, that's wallflower.
>> Yeah.

>> That's been a good bloomer,
especially in our mild climate.

>> What colors is it?
>> The whole range. >> Really?

>> Reds to yellows to purples,
lavenders, pinks, everything.

<Amanda> Whoa!
>> It's getting popular

in even the big box stores
to see them now.

>> It's easy to find.
>> Yeah, it is.

>> It's a good
It is like the pansy,

a little more
of the bedding plant size,

probably a little
bit taller,

and we also use
getting back to

some of the other
things we use.

Things like cardoons.

>> Oh, yes!

A cardoon in a single
season, they perennialize

well for us here,
but in a single season,

we might use them
as a winter annual,

because their foliage really
comes out

with this glaucous
silver gray foliage,

in the winter
as it starts to heat up

in summer usually about
July, the foliage starts to

wither and fade

and we just
kind of cut it back,

>> That's the one, I think it
looks like a rooster's tail.

>> Yeah, it's a
thistle, artichoke relative,

but looking for something
big, bold and tropical

for the winter,
we use cardoons a lot.

They grow pretty quickly.

Eric, maybe you can talk
about the grasses we use.

>> Yeah, we don't
stick to just flowers.

I think that's one of the most
important things to learn

is that we mix up. Flowers
are great, but in winter -

It is true. We don't
have a ton to offer.

>> I mean we've got shrubs.
We've got our camellias

and things. <Eric> Yes,
of course and we are

blessed to have something
blooming every month of

the year
in South Carolina,

but we pair things
like Heucheras

with grasses
and pansies in a pot

and it looks great,
because the Heuchera

or the coral bells can be
any color that you really want,

green, red,
purple, dark, light.

There's so much breeding.
>> Yeah.

>> We have sedges
and grasses that we use,

lime green sedges, green sedges.

>> These carex.
>> Carex, all those blue -

- >> Blue fescue.
>> Blue fescue. Blue sedges.

It's like you have the
painter's palette,

just not in flowers. >> Yeah.
>> It's just like so mixing

texture and color
and shade and sun -

>> Even like seeding
in just regular annual ryegrass.

>> Yeah. >> We use that
in the display sometimes.

We'll just
direct seed rye grass

and if it's easily gotten to,
you can kind of clip it,

and keep it maintained,
but we try to get creative;

and we use - >> What do
you use to spill over?

>> We use a lot
of perennial ground covers

and vines sometimes.

We will use an
Asiatic jasmine to spill over

some of the more colorful
ones there's one called

summer in snow,
or snow in the summer.

I get confused, but it's just -
>> I have seen it.

>> It's just beautiful,
because it's not going

to lose its color
in the winter.

Talking about re-purposing
sticks and things

from the garden,

a can of spray
paint goes a long way.

<Eric> We always
say that you can do

a world of good with a can of
spray paint.

[laughs]

>> I do sometimes
as we talked about

that wonderful
volleyball sized Allium.

>> Yeah, Allium schubertii.
Just mixing your bulbs in,

in these displays helps,
as well. >> Yeah, because you

can tuck them down lower
as you said, although the

recommendation is just
that if you tuck it lower,

it's okay and you could
put something on top of them.

>> It's not all about
balancing the height.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Well, I
think to think about

using some of
the sedges and all,

because that's a great
texture.

<Eric> Mix your sedges with your
mustards and your cabbages

and kales and pansies
and just throw it all -

Let's not forget
about snapdragons.

<Amanda> Of course. Yeah.
Gosh, well I think that

certainly that we
can do a lot more than

just with pansies, can't we?

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

We had a real good time.

We hope to see you
right here next week

on Making it Grow.

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music) ♪

♪

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