Dusty Miller: A Southern Gardener's Reliable Friend

I love Dusty Miller. My mother used to grow it in Virginia. She paired it with pachysandra in the front of her beds. The bed would wind around and underneath some gorgeous pink peonies. Such a loyal and hardy plant. Swings from the heat of summer right into the Southern frigid days of winter. I feel bad....I've taken it for granted for so long. Shame on me. It deserves high honors for making other plants and flowers look great! It's insane the different varieties now: wide leaves, lacy. Texture, no texture.

On 'Design Sponge' I love what they've done with Dusty Miller. You rarely think of it as a cut flower/plant, but these ideas are truly inspiring. It gave me some great ideas for next Christmas. Red camellias, pyracantha, and dusty miller in a gorgeous hurricane lantern vase.
http://www.designsponge.com/2010/11/flowers-a-z-d-is-for-dusty-miller.html

Here is my Dusty Miller, a photo taken yesterday, paired up with my waning, and nearly spent, impatiens. Still going strong. Next year I vow to pay more attention to putting the focus on IT!

Charleston Snow and the Holidays!

(fabulous photos were taken by my niece Alaina!)

It was an unbelievable December. We had lots of family in town for the holidays and we all had so much fun. We had the big Christmas Eve party with lasagna, ham, and chili, an oyster roast overseen by the fire pit master--my brother-in-law Adam--along with fried shrimp whipped up by him and my sister-in-law Lisa, New Year's Eve tacos & fireworks, and a fabulous New Year's Day feast made by Grandma Dianne complete with collards, and black eyed peas with rice. To die for....

No one goes overboard like I do at Christmas time. My daughter says I have at least eight Christmas trees (I might actually have 10, but I'm not sure). Above are two of our largest trees. A white tree with blue lights and ornaments that goes up on Thanksgiving day in the living room. My husband Lee calls it a "Landing Beacon" for the C-17 planes flying over. And then a great smelling fresh Frasier fir in the den with homemade ornaments that we put up the first weekend in December.(Thymes candles has an incredibly realistic smelling Frasier fir candle that I buy every year. They're expensive, but well worth it! www.thymes.com.)
One of the best things that happened Christmas weekend is that it snowed! I've been waiting for this for years! It was the second time in one year that we've had snow in Charleston(unheard of). we also saw measurable snow on February 12. For a town that gets measurable snow only every 10 years or so, and maybe a flurry every three years it was an amazing site! Attached is a video of the snow falling over the spartina grass and marsh in my backyard. And the fact that it snowed during the day (which is even more of an anomaly because it's usually too warm) we had some great opportunities to get some photographs.


What a wonderful time I had with my husband and daughter, and family. I preserved every moment with photos and will remind myself all year long of just how lucky I am!
Happy New Year!

New Year's Week: 2012

Pretty soon our coldest week will be here in Charleston. Our last chance for snow, which is what my daughter and I look forward to every winter. Time to cut back all of the coleus, Persian shield, and dead ligularia & hydrangea blooms. Looking forward to several months of camellias though! And can't wait to see how many color combinations that local gardeners make out of pansies with decorative cabbages. On a side note: Hyams Garden Center on Folly Road has a new website. If you love boutique garden shopping in Charleston, then you've been there. They also have a blog and an e-newsletter you can sign up for. www.hyamsgardencenter.com This Palmetto, SC state tree, was gorgeous this morning at sunrise towering over a frozen puddle. Frozen puddles are a rare sight in downtown Charleston.

Camellias are back! My neighbor has more than 40 varieties in her backyard, but doesn't know any of their names since the previous homeowner planted them over 25 years ago. These drape over the fence into my yard. More camellia photos to follow....

I found this funky fungus growing in my next door neighbor's yard growing in their mulch. It looks so incredibly poisonous but after reading up on this "column stinkhorn" it appears to be OK. But the smell is so terrible, I don't see how anyone would get close enough to even find out if it was poisonous!

2011 Year-in-Review: Lowcountry gardens and Landscapes

So many gorgeous things to document this year.... The owners of this live oak have been decorating this tree like this for years. The entire area around it is illuminated.

A live oak at the James Island County Park Festival of Lights. I LOVE this idea. Can't imagine how long it took someone to do this!

My daughter and her friend pulled this really old dead christmas tree (frasir fir) out of the marsh and decorated it with sasanqua petals, pine cones, and long leaf pine needles.

"Marsh Christmas tree" ornaments.

Ligularia always starts blooming in early December. The flower stalks stretch out over two feet! The yellow flowers are such a bright addition when everything else appears spent. My blue hydrangea, flowers now dead, take on a beautiful purple shade. I'll cut them back around New Years.

Sasanqua is always in full bloom on Thanksgiving Day. This thing had been running wild and growing out of control so my husband and I cut it back so that it felt more like a specimen. To our delight it produced twice as many blooms this year!

My daughter and I made this little appetizer label out of pin oak leaves.

"Halloween porch"

Folly Beach in July. The dunes are so huge now. Back in the '70s I remember there were no dunes. Now sea oats cover the entire Folly Beach coastline.

Wild morning glories on Folly cover the dunes during the morning hours.

Hurricane Irene brushed the Charleston coast on Friday, August 26. It brought little more than gusty winds, big tides, and a gorgeous sunset.

The last outer band of Irene exiting the coast. Marsh is full.

Sunset as Irene began to move away from the coast.

Back yard paddling during Irene's high tide

This gorgeous live oak is actually in the parking lot of the Bessinger's in Mt. Pleasant. It's so gorgeous.

This gaura comes back up every spring. I love the way it bounces in the wind or sways when a bumble lands.

Another beautiful scenic foggy highway on James Island.

My daughter took this with my iphone from the car on a really foggy morning on the way to school. Spartina grass looks like it was painted.

One of my daughter's favorite reading places in the back yard. My husband made this great swing that hangs from a towering live oak.

Early summer back porch.

Folly Beach shells

Downtown Charleston window boxes in the spring

Spring is back. And so is the pollen!

Clematis has returned. Blooms are a little bigger than last year. Wonder if it has anything to do with the past two frigid winters.

Another great hay rack at Hyams Garden Center. This time they've incorporated a small crimson queen Japanese maple. My daughter loves the little bridge and tiny yard furniture.

We went to Nashville last month and stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. The atriums were spectacular. They literally had an army of gardeners. Not one piece of dirt crossed into the paths, and not one weed was seen anywhere. Some of the palms were more than three stories high.




And I love this photo of my daughter and her friend looking at a gorgeous window box in downtown Charleston. I mean they were truly mesmerized by it and really appreciated its beauty. (million bells, dianthus)

We have 16 oaks in our yard. A small hand full are gorgeous live oaks, which I'm pretty sure were named based on the fact that they're never dormant! They are beautiful how they reach out over the yard like long arms. But they are constantly dropping twigs, small branches, acorns, pollen tassels, and leaves. LOTS of leaves....covered in LOTS of pollen. My poor husband was hit with bad allergies this season, which then turned into a really bad sinus infection. So we decided better to leave them for now and worry about them later. Finally yesterday he got the mower going with the leaf catcher attached and conquered the yard! He's awesome!

And here's a great way to start off the growing season. Some of my previous liriope was hit hard by the cold and looked a bit tragic. So I simply had my husband mow over all of them along with the spent daffodil stalks. A clean slate! Within a week fresh green sprouts started jutting up through the ground.

Mark Your Calendar for Fall Garden Tours in Charleston!

I can't believe I've never been on a garden tour in Charleston. I need to fix that this year...


SEPTEMBER 23-OCTOBER 24
Fall Tours of Homes & Gardens
Admit it: it’s near impossible to strolldowntown after dark without stealing a glimpse into a lamp-lit window or two. Luckily, for five weeks each fall, the Preservation Society of Charleston gives lovers of history, interior design, and horticulture a chance to get their fill—without any furtive peeking. The annual Fall Tours of Homes and Gardens invites guests inside architecturally significant residences, churches, and public buildings, as well as stunning horticultural displays typically kept behind private garden gates. Choose from among 15 routes, each including about seven city blocks eight distinctive buildings. Trained guides wait at stops on the self-guided tour to share interesting facts about the locale’s history and current condition. You’ll be able to satisfy your curiosity and support the society’s preservation efforts all at once.
Locations vary. Thursday & Friday, 7-10pm; Saturday & Sunday, 2-5pm. $45; $120 weekend pass.
(843)722-4630, www.preservationsociety.org


OCTOBER 3
Gardens for Gardeners Tours
Take a stroll through some of the Holy City’s most ravishing gardens with the Charleston Horticultural Society. After a self-guided tour of Mazyck Wraggborough, also known as the Garden District, enjoy a light reception with fellow tour-goers. Proceeds benefit the educational mission of the Society, as well as its commitment to maintaining the excellence of Lowcountry horticulture. Tickets are limited and the tours are rain or shine, so plan accordingly for the private excursion.
Mazyck Wraggborough.
Sunday, noon-4pm. $45; $25 member. (843)579-9922,
www.charlestonhorticulturalsociety.org
http://charlestonparksconservancy.org/events/view_event/charleston_horticultural_societys_gardens_for_gardeners_tour

What Gardener Doesn't Watch the Weather?

I'm such a geek about weather. I amuse my husband and daughter all the time with how I keep a constant watch on the sky, and the local radar. I follow it all: hurricanes, snow (yes even in Charleston this past February), dry spells, and even dew points. I prognosticate and sometimes I get it right. Maybe even as much as any of our fabulous local meteorologists. So when I heard about the Weather Spotter Certification class given by the WCBD, the local NBC affiliate, and Charleston's National Weather Service here in Charleston, I jumped at the opportunity. We learned about what to report and what not to report, the difference between a funnel cloud and a land spout. My eyes glazed over from starring at the screen...a room full of people who love weather as much as me...all raising their hands to see who could answer the questions first....more fun than a human should be allowed to have!

Now if I could only slow the copious amounts of rain we've had this August so the grass will stop growing two inches every day.

Weather Spotters Report:
1. Tornadoes, waterspouts, funnel clouds or rotating wall clouds
2. Hail (Any size)
3. Estimated or measured wind speeds of 50 mph or greater
4. Flooding
5. Rainfall amounts greater than 1 inch per hour
6. Damage by wind or lightning
7. Downed trees and/or power lines

To learn more about becoming a certified weather spotter and to download their brochures, go to: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/skywarn/

And More Bugs! Visit the Butterfly House at Brookgreen Gardens

Whispering Wings Butterfly Experience

Somehow I missed this one until I just found it on the Brookgreen website:

I plan to take my husband and daughter here sometime in April and get some great photos.

It features a lush garden filled with tropical plants where hundreds of butterflies soar through the air. Monarch, Zebra Longwing, Polydamas Swallowtails, Pipevine Swallowtails, Spicebush Swallowtails, Julias, Buckeyes, Queens, Painted Lady, and American Lady are just a few of the species that call Whispering Wings home. Interpretive signs throughout the exhibit and benches provide a restful place to watch their delicate beauty in flight.

http://www.brookgreen.org/calendar-of-events.cfm?themonth=August

DETAILS: The exhibit is open daily from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $3 - adults and $2 - children, for a 30 minute timed visit in addition to garden admission.

The exhibit closes October 31

Aracnofriendly!

We've got some friends in the garden. My husband Lee and I do our best not to disturb them too much. We know they have a waited-all-summer appetite for mosquitoes....So with all the rain we've had lately, let the feast begin!

Above: Spiny Orb Weaver which looks kinda like a crab, Golden Silk Spider (growing several inches wide through the fall), and a Golden Orb Weaver.
(They're non-venomous but will bite if you compromise their safety.)

The Dog Days of Summer are Here

It's hot. Not just a warm day, but heat indices in the 110-degree-range-hot. I decided to be an arm-chair gardener this weekend. Maybe I'll just do some watering.... Maybe I'll just make some notes of what needs to be done soon. Real soon.
-Weed (especially pesky smilax and wild blackberry. OUCH!)
-Put pine straw down
-Fill in white impatiens
-Top off coleus
-Remove pleathery dead magnolia leaves which CONTINUE to fall late into the season (note in the photo)
-Cut back azaleas

Breaking a sweat just thinking about all that needs to be done. Time to take a break and get a glass of ice tea.

(ventured out long enough to snap a photo of part of the garden today. Ligularia, coleus, caladiums, autumn fern, holly fern, persian shield)

Ode to a Husband of a Gardener

I love this photo of my husband Lee in front of our house. Sun setting, sprinkler spraying in from the side, nothing better. He helps me so much in the yard and garden. And it's none of the fun stuff. Pull old shrubs. Clear 8' tall weeds. Craft new pretty mailbox. Mow, mow, and MOW millions upon millions of live oak leaves that fall each spring.

Whenever I have a new "vision" for improving the yard, he listens. Recently he spent over three hours pulling down 40-year-old thorny smilax and trumpet vines from a small group of tall oaks. It opened up the decades-dark side yard so much that the sun actually began to shine through!

How to thank such a wonderful husband? Maybe if I learned how to adjust a chain saw link, or change the mower blade, or fix the weed whacker. In all reality that's probably not going to happen, so I hope a smile and a kiss on the cheek will do.

Pondering Cacti: A Personal Mini Desert

I'm not too familiar with the thirstless cactus since I'm more of a shade gardener, but I loved this zen-inspired, potted prickly bunch that I saw at Hyam's Garden Center recently. Here are a few that I'm thinking about putting together in my own mini desert:
Jade Plant
Kalanchoe
Aloe
Sphaeroids/Mimicry (those neat little compact succulents that look like green rocks)
Aeoniums
Strings of Hearts
Haworthia
Echeveria
Sedum
Plover Eggs
Fairy Moss

Here is a really fun site about nothing but cacti. Grouping ideas, inspiration, identification library, and even desktop downloads: www.cactuscollection.com

My Winter-forlorn Clematis Has Reluctantly Returned....

We've only lived in our 43-year-old house for 5 1/2 years. This clematis that returns every spring in my "Chimney Herb Garden" is one of the only things I kept from the previous owner. Normally it's covered in giant five-inch wide blooms. This year, and after the February 12 snow, along with many below-freezing nights in January it was reluctant to come back. Faithfully it has, but note how some of the poor little blooms near the bottom half only have four petals, and look so sad. I gave it a boost of mushroom compost a few weeks back. So along with the heat, sun, and maybe some much needed nutrition, the blooms began to get larger and larger, as they are at the top of the vine.

Keeping it company below are: A misplaced day lily, Rosemary, mint, thyme, tarragon, sage, dill, and one lone tomato plant.

Check out all things clematis here: www.clematis.org