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.

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

I'm Amanda McNulty.

I'm a Clemson Horticulture Agent, and I get to come over here and be with my fellow Clemson employee, person Terasa Lott.

Thanks for being with us.

It's been a while, I've missed you.

> It has been a while.

It's nice that the, winter landscape is starting to reawaken from its slumber.

And things are, we're starting to see some color.

And how exciting to be back here on the set of Making It Grow for some new episodes for our viewers.

Amanda> I know.

And the, the bulbs are just popping out of the ground.

They are so much fun to see aren't they?

Terasa> Oh, they are.

And some people talk about the history that they've been in the same spot for such a long period of time.

Amanda> Yeah, yeah.

And I've gotten things off the side of the road sometimes from old home sites, which is kind of fun too, on a back road.

Where they gonna mow it, eventually.

So, you know, I don't feel like I'm doing anything wrong.

Terasa> Right.

Amanda> Yeah, yeah.

Carmen Ketron, my goodness gracious, an Extension Horticulture Agent.

And, we're thrilled that you're here with us.

And, your strawberries are just adorable.

> Thank you.

Here in South Carolina, we do strawberries almost all year round now, it seems.

So I thought... how fun.

And it made me a little bit happy.

But, you know, still enjoying the green for Saint Patrick's Day.

Amanda> And, I think the winter berries, the funky ones that have, that are kind of white on the top... they are so fragrant.

Gosh.

Carmen> And delicious.

You'd never think, oh, this is going to- You think it's going to taste like water, but it doesn't.

These are wonderful.

Amanda> They're stunningly good, I think.

Kind of peculiar isn't it?

Always something fun and new to taste isn't it?

Okay.

So we'll come back later and you'll show us some fun things.

Carmen> Yes.

Lots of fun things.

Amanda> Okay.

And, Brandon Huber, Ph.D.

Anyway, I'm just gonna- <Doctor> I'm tired of calling people doctor.

Anyway.

Dr.

Huber> You don't have to.

Carmen> We can kinda count this as a doctor's appointment, right?

At this point?

Dr.

Huber> If you need a doctor's note, I'm not qualified but I'll sign it.

[laughter] Amanda> Anyway, you're over at South Carolina State University and you're a research scientist, and... are you working in high tunnels or what is it that you're concerned with?

> Yeah, we do high tunnels.

So, I'm... controlled environment agriculture so high tunnels, greenhouse, hydroponics, that sort of thing.

So any sort of controlled space.

<Okay> Indoors and these structures.

Amanda> Yeah.

And, you've got a big greenhouse at home.

Dr.

Huber> Yeah... relatively.

Amanda> Well, it's got a tall- Dr.

Huber> Yeah.

For some of my crazy plants, that I grow.

Amanda> And so I don't think this came out of the greenhouse.

Dr.

Huber> No, no, no, the four-leaf clover.

Amanda> Uh-huh.

Dr.

Huber> Yeah.

No, I was- Well, for Saint Patrick's Day, I thought it'd be great to find a four-leaf clover.

And I said, you know, let me go check the little clover patch on the edge of the woods, and, I found that one, in like a minute.

That was actually pretty, pretty good.

They say the odds of finding one is really, really, like, one in ten thousand.

Amanda> Well, you've got a big, area that you sowed with clover seeds.

Dr.

Huber> Exactly.

So I find it, a lot easier to find them.

Amanda> Yeah.

Okay.

Dr.

Huber> It's fun.

Terasa> Is there a strategy, that helps you pick out the four from all of the three leaves?

Dr.

Huber> I think so.

If you stare, just to stare at at a given square foot or two and you'll, you'll just- You're looking for patterns.

There's three, three, three, three.

In the springtime, they're really fresh and sticking up tall, it is easier to see them.

You're just looking for that outlier.

It's like, "Where's Waldo?"

[laughter] Amanda> Well, I'm glad you brought one, and I hope that it brings you, all of us, lots of luck.

How bout that?

Oh, goodness gracious.

And then we have, all kinds of fun things for you to watch.

We have segments.

Carmen, I think you did one about going over to- Carmen> Kalmia.

Yeah.

We got to enjoy Kalmia Gardens.

Amanda> Such a great, great, great place in the state of South Carolina.

And free.

Carmen> Free and wonderful all year round.

So even if it's a little too cold, maybe damp, it's still gorgeous to go walk around.

Amanda> And of course, you know, has, you know, Mountain Laurel.

<Yeah> Which grows, even in the sands at Fort Jackson.

It doesn't have to grow in the mountains.

But just so beautiful, Kalmia.

All righty.

And then, the Rural Health people came in, Elizabeth Josey and Hannah Shifflette, to talk about simple ways to boost your health.

Making better decisions about what you're gonna drink and pick up to, fill you up or quench your thirst.

And then, a Walk for Water with Water Resources Agent Cassie Castleberry.

And that was pretty interesting.

We just don't realize how blessed we are to have, you know, just turn on the spigot and just have- I mean, so many people in the world don't have access to fresh water.

And I think people die, like, every 30 seconds from getting pollution in their water.

So, we are blessed and there are things we can do to help other people in the world have that resource.

So that was pretty fun to learn.

Well, Terasa?

Terasa> I bet- Amanda> Are there some "Gardens of the Week?"

Terasa> Yes, there are.

And you know, at this time of year you might think, oh, it's a little difficult for people to find beautiful things, but it doesn't have to be outside.

It could be indoor plants as well.

And you, as our viewers came through.

So let's see what you shared this week.

We are starting with Mary Mason, who has daffodils growing beneath her deck that she said have been in the same spot for 15 years, like we talked about earlier in the introduction.

Lori Gunther was pleased to have her holiday cactus flowering again.

Nice long flowering periods usually for those.

And even though you get like a full flash at the beginning, usually some sporadic blooming after that.

From Linda Heubach, she said every year for Valentine's Day, the Camellia blooms bright and leaves a red carpet of flowers underneath the tree.

And she's in Pinopolis, South Carolina.

From Betsy Kaemmerlen, She snapped a photo of her Camellias covered in snow in one of those bouts of wintry weather that we had.

Amanda> And Betsy's a friend of mine, so "Hey, Betsy."

Terasa> Yes, Betsy and I met each other when I first started working in the Carolina Clear Program, and she came and talked about landscaping at a rain garden workshop that we held.

<Yeah, fun.> Last but not least, we have a little unusual photograph from Sharon Templeton, who captured a turkey vulture visiting her yard in Murrells Inlet.

And although, maybe not appreciated for their beauty, they have a very important purpose cleaning up carrion that would otherwise potentially, perpetuate disease.

And I thought our viewers might be interested to know that the turkey vultures, the acid in their stomach, is so acidic that they can eat things that would potentially make other animals sick so they can be exposed to like, rabies, and things.

And it's, they're perfectly fine.

So they're serving a valuable purpose, cleaning up in our ecosystems.

Amanda> Yeah.

And, you know, on my drive over, sadly, I see deer all the time that have been hit.

Every day, almost there's a new deer.

But, it is, I'm glad they're out there, because sometimes there's stuff in the middle of the road and, you know, it's kind of an impediment and danger in a way.

And they clean it right up.

Terasa> That's right.

As our naturalist friend Rudy Mancke used to say, they're taking little bits of whatever it is and turning them into turkey vulture.

Amanda> Yeah, how bout that.

[laughter] Well, I bet you have some questions for us.

Terasa> We do.

And I know our viewers were anxiously awaiting the show.

They kept saying, "When are the new episodes coming?"

So the questions, have been plentiful.

Our first one is from Andy in Marion, who says, "I'm trying to prune my plum and apple trees right now.

What should I focus on if I have a three year old tree?"

That is a great question.

Amanda> Carmen?

Carmen> Yes.

Right now everybody's pruning those trees.

It's a really great time, early spring to, just get out there and clean up a lot of the trees, especially for things like prune- Any of your plums, apples, pears.

You want to make sure that you have a lot of healthy tree growth, but not a ton of growth that can, get in the way.

It can cause, a number of different problems, like rubbing or water sprouts.

So, it's always nice to go through and kind of assess the tree first.

Kind of walk around and look for, the "D's."

Anything dead, anything diseased, anything damaged.

Those are the first things that you want to go, but also you want to make sure that you have some- Make sure that nothing is rubbing against each other.

As well as anything going not out, not inward, but outward.

<Yeah> And you want, especially for plums and apples, a central lead.

A lot of people will want one central lead trunk going up, and then a nice little, vase slash, cone look to it.

So you want to kind of prune inside of that cone anything that is, a little jagged or going left or anything that's kind of popping out from that trunk, that is not at quite a 45 degree angle.

You want to go and snap those off.

You'll see in some of the pictures, how a before looks, really, messy.

We'll call it messy, at the end of the year.

And then, just go to town on it.

A lot of my master gardeners get real nervous when they watch me with the tree, because I am very vicious when they ask me to show them to prune.

But a nice, clean prune, especially young, is going to be, a great return on investment in, say, four or five years.

Amanda> And also, if you've got air space in there, it's going to help cut down on disease and all tremendously, I think.

Carmen> Yes.

Especially, not only the disease but also the weight that then causes a lot of the breakage that also introduces a lot of fungus and disease later.

Amanda> And I wanted to say that we really... you know, you go to the grocery store and they have all kinds of plants for sale.

And it's so tempting to bring some home.

But apples don't grow very well in South Carolina.

I mean, in the way, way, way up in Walhalla and all those places.

So I just don't, I discourage people from planting those because I don't think that they're likely to get the return they want.

And, you know, and pears, I mean, you know, good gracious.

You know, there are pear trees that are a million years old that are still covered of pears.

Carmen> Exactly.

You're right.

Apples, they don't quite get the cold... those cold hours that you need on our side of the state.

But pears, pears are wonderful.

What you actually need to make sure, with the pears is when you start to see clusters of three, four pears.

That's right, snip them off.

You only need maybe one, two at the most on a cluster.

And that way, once again won't bend down and break.

Especially, right at that critical time that you're eating pears usually coincides with hurricane season sometimes, or bad weather.

Terasa> That's hard for people to do, too.

Like you mentioned, the pruning they kind of go, "Uhh" when they watch you pruning.

But I don't know, just something about the idea of removing the fruit, it just seems counterintuitive.

But of course you're going to get better- Carmen> And it breaks your heart a little bit.

But, I'm here to tell you "do it."

Terasa> Just do it.

Carmen> Just do it.

Amanda> Rowland used to say, "Nothing influences the quality and quantity of muscadines better than an annual pruning."

<Yes> And you have to be really tough to do that.

Carmen> Yes, you got to be- Like I said, be more vicious with a lot of these fruit, fruit trees, vines, things like that.

Amanda> Okay.

Good.

All right.

Well, Terasa?

Terasa> Let's see what else we have in the lineup.

This one comes in from Daphne in Orangeburg.

Sounds like Daphne is getting that itch to start gardening.

"I'd really like to start some plants from seed, but I never seem to have any luck.

Can you give me some advice?"

Amanda> Well, it is fun to start from seeds if you've got room to do that.

And you get to have, you can pick varieties that you might not be able to get otherwise.

Any tips?

Dr.

Huber> Yeah.

So, well, the first thing it is, it's a great time to start thinking about, growing, getting those seeds started.

You know, and, you know, the... when you go to the nursery or the box store you're limited in the varieties you can get.

Just like, like you said.

So, I like to start my own seeds, seeds and seedlings.

So, the first thing I'd say is the seed starting media.

You really want a good seed starting, a really fine soil texture that doesn't have a lot of woodchips in it.

Amanda> Are some of them marketed that way as for seed starter?

Dr.

Huber> Yeah, you'll find bags of seeds starting mix.

It's not a- Amanda> And it won't be 50 pounds.

Dr.

Huber> Right, right.

It's light it's thin and it's not a marketing scam.

It's really just a finer product.

And you really want that for some of those smaller seeds.

So, you know that's going to be number one.

The next thing is... you know, pick your seeds, warmth.

You know, you want to you're going to plant those seeds, you're gonna, you're going to you want to keep them warm.

So something like a germination mat is really good.

You want to keep that soil moisture warm, the first couple of days to encourage germination.

<Okay> And, and then it's- And you don't necessarily need a lot of light to start them, but then once they emerge, you need to get strong light on those plants.

Either a sunny windowsill south facing or some sort of grow light.

Which I have a, a more complicated grow light, right here.

This is a research grow light.

I do research in, <Sure> grow light systems and whatnot and optimizing grow lights.

But you really don't need anything too fancy.

You really, a flood lamp would do just fine, Amanda> But they're easy to find, and they're not so expensive.

Dr.

Huber> They are.

And the main thing is, keep that plant close to the light, you know, flood lamp.

Or if your plant's stretching, it's not getting enough light.

So you really want to, you know, elevate that, that tray to the light or bring that light down on it.

You really want to- Here's some tomatoes, tomatoes I grew, that have already been acclimated to outside sun.

You really want them to be nice and compact and get them acclimated young.

Don't wait, don't wait until they're long and stretched.

You just want, two, three weeks inside.

Get them out.

Start toughening them up, gradually.

Or, and not too fast, or you'll burn them.

Amanda> So you can take them in and out.

<Yeah> Take them outside on a nice day.

<Absolutely> And don't put them in the full sun because that might be too strong.

Gradual, be mindful of wind and you know, bright sun.

And you know, you got to, you got to kind of baby them.

It can be tricky.

But you know, it's- And for, for heat, you can put them on top of the refrigerator on that warm part on the refrigerator.

You just want some bottom heat just to get germination.

Once they're emerged, you can go ahead and start toughening them up a little bit.

It can be tricky, but it's done if you follow all the steps.

Yeah.

Amanda> I think we have suggestions of the last frost date for South Carolina, but the weather so wacky now.

It's kind of, iffy.

If you have some out... And we get a really, you know, unexpected cold night, is there any kind of cover you could put over it?

If it was- Dr.

Huber> Frost blankets work good.

You know, a tomato, last I checked, our local- Depending on where you are in South Carolina, for like Orangeburg last frost date is March 22nd, I believe.

And, so, but you know, like last year, we were cold late.

So I didn't plant those till, like April 1st.

You really need to pay attention to the weather, because even though it may be the last frost date, it's just an average.

<Yeah> You know, so frost blanket works good.

Even like cups, little Solo cups or something.

<Come on.> Styrofoam cups, just slip those on there.

I saw watermelon growers do it when they have late frost.

Even at larger scale, I mean... because they don't want to lose that crop.

So, you know, there's little things you can do to get you through that cold night.

Amanda> Thank you for telling us all that.

I'm going to come and get some tomatoes since you don't live too far away.

Will you grow some for me?

Dr.

Huber> That'll be fine.

Amanda> I'll put something out, but you'll probably have better luck.

<Yeah> Carmen, I think, we're going to now see, when you made a visit to Kalmia Gardens.

♪ > Hello everybody, my name is Carmen Ketron.

I am the Clemson Extension Urban Horticulture Agent for Florence and Darlington Counties.

And today I'm at one of my absolute favorite places, Kalmia Gardens.

And I get to be here today with Lucy Contreras, the new Assistant Director for Kalmia Gardens.

Lucy, thank you so much for having us.

> Thank you so much for coming today Carmen.

We are so glad to have you at Kalmia Gardens of Coker University.

This is a wonderful garden to experience throughout the entire year.

And just like with any garden, you can have a great time in the spring, the summer, the fall, and of course, in the winter.

And what we are looking at now are some of our winter flowering plants.

But it's not just flowers that bring you to the gardens in the winter, but it is definitely something neat to see.

Carmen> Yes, I love it.

And one of the best things that we can do is look at all the different parts of the plants.

But tell me a little bit about what we can see right now in winter at Kalmia.

Lucy> Absolutely.

So there are a few things that are absolutely amazing right now.

One of them is Edgeworthia or Paperbush which is just starting to flower.

We still have a lot of flower buds on them right now.

Since they are a plant that like growing in the shade, they can certainly light up a shady area with those white flower buds.

They also have an intense fragrance which is absolutely amazing.

So you might smell the plant before you realize that it's flowering.

Another thing that we have flowering now is Prunus mume or the Flowering Apricots.

And they are another super early flower that you get to experience and just love in the winter.

And we have a cultivar called Cobaea which is flowering and it has semi-double flowers, is also quite fragrant.

You can also catch the Japanese Camellias or Camellia japonica.

Many different cultivars that are flowering now like Pink Perfection.

Carmen> How gorgeous.

And you would say that Kalmia has a whole collection of beautiful different color double bloom Camellias still rock 'n' rolling probably till March.

Lucy> Absolutely.

With the Camellias they will flower... They won't all flower at the same time.

The different cultivars will flower at different times.

So even just walking through, I will see some that have heavy bud set for their flowers that haven't quite opened yet, so we'll be able to look forward to them as the winter moves on.

So I am cautiously optimistic to say that even in March we will still have some flowering.

Carmen> Sometimes the best part about our trees and shrubs and things like that is when there's the absence of some stuff so you can really appreciate things like bark.

Anything like that we can kind of take a look at?

Lucy> Absolutely.

The winter is a perfect time to really appreciate those parts of the plants.

So things like Crape Myrtles and Sycamores, they have really beautiful bark, and while they have that year round, you can appreciate it a lot more in the winter when there is less to see.

Carmen> Yes.

And in winter, one of the big things that I always try to do not because I'm just a lazy gardener, but because I'm doing it, for the nature of it all is leave a lot of our plants.

And so here, when I walk through in winter, I see a lot of stuff that is, left for the birds almost.

Was that intentional?

Lucy> Exactly.

And you can definitely use it as an excuse to get out of some yard work.

But you can go and leave stems, especially on some plants like Helianthus angustifolius or Swamp Sunflower.

And that is your own natural bird feeder to attract the birds to your yard.

And they will eat those seed heads.

You can do other things like, again not, not cutting back, and with that you will also provide some habitat for overwintering insects.

Sometimes in those stems you can leave the leaves and that will provide some overwintering habitat too.

And also a natural mulch if you move it into your beds.

Carmen> And that's wonderful, Kalmia is not only a gorgeous place to see beautiful plants, but also see, sustainable and intentional gardening practices.

It kind of makes me so excited.

And that's why I know the birds here are abundant in winter.

Do you have a lot of bird watchers?

Lucy> We do.

We are definitely a great place to see a neotropical migrant birds.

Carmen> I love it.

And even with all the stuff that's budding now, I know there's more to come.

What else can we look forward to?

Lucy> That's a great question.

So things like the Flowering Quince or Chaenomeles are starting.

There are things like Magnolias, specifically the Saucer and Star Magnolias Magnolia x soulangeana and Magnolia stellata.

And if we look even a little bit further, we'll have things like the Azaleas that are going to be flowering a little bit later on.

Carmen> Oh, how wonderful.

Well, I would be remiss if we didn't get to talk a little bit about the namesake Kalmia.

Lucy> Yes, Kalmia Gardens is named after Kalmia latifolia, or the Mountain Laurel.

And we have them growing along our 60 foot bluff.

And we even have a Kalmia loop.

So you can walk through, and the way that we have it maintained is like you're walking through a tunnel of these beautiful Mountain Laurel, and they tend to flower in May.

So that is going to be really great.

Carmen> Oh, and that's going to be so excellent to see.

And it's one of the kind of a specialty specimen that you can't really see anywhere else, on this side of the state.

So, how exciting.

Lucy, thank you so much for having us today.

If others wanted to get any more information on how to visit, things happening, where do we go?

Lucy> Thank you so much for visiting us.

They can head to our website, kalmiagardens.org where they can find out more about what's going on.

They can scroll down to the bottom if they'd like and sign up for our newsletter, the "Laurel Branch."

We also have a Facebook page and an Instagram page.

So if you search, Kalmia Gardens follow us there and you will stay in the loop.

Lucy, thank you so much for reminding us that it's great to be in the garden even in winter.

♪ Amanda> Well, thank you so very much.

And Kalmia is just a wonderful place to visit.

It is.

And they have that huge, slope going down with, just has like four different zones in it or something, wacky.

Carmen> Oh yeah.

And it's so much fun, if you get out and you do your exercises on it it's a real nice workout.

I mean, the hills and the stairs it's wonderful.

Multipurpose, that one.

Amanda> Yes, yes.

I have 23 stairs in my house and I have a little cup full of pennies and then another cup at the top.

And so I try to go, like 20 times, up and down at the same time.

And it's, it's quite a... Carmen> It's a great workout.

Amanda> It's good.

Carmen> Yeah.

Amanda> Okay.

All righty.

Well, hats, hats, hats.

You know, I mean, Camellias are just the most marvelous things in the world, I think.

And... they don't, you know, they don't spread.

They're not invasive, even- They come from Japan and China and those kind of places.

And they, and of course, they have all kinds over there.

But, we have early varieties, which is Sasanquas, which start in the fall.

And they're usually not quite as beautiful.

But then we get into, the wintertime and it's just amazing.

I mean, we just have these stunning, stunning flowers.

These are from my friend, Hank Stallworth and Ann Nolte, from their wonderful yard.

And also the rufous hummingbirds that overwinter here sometimes, go to them for nectar.

And if you, may not have ever tried it, but, if you have a Camellia and you pull the reproductive structures out.

[plant tearing] [slurping sound] And taste the bottom, there's sugar in them.

Which is fun to do.

<All those mysteries.> Isn't that fun?

Yeah, yeah.

Also... if you, you know, Camellias, usually we just float in bowls of water because they fall apart, all the time.

But anyway, we had, talked to someone and he said he talked to some flower arranging people, and they had found that if they cut them on real long stems, that they sometimes don't fall off.

They'll last up to a couple of days.

I'm going to have to try that because that's what the flower arrangers have said.

Carmen> That'd be a game changer for enjoying those.

Amanda> So, but since they do fall apart, I'm going to show y'all how to bridal, a Camellia.

Because, when Ruthie and I used to do things, we'd always get a bride who wanted a Camellia to put on top of her grandmother's Bible to walk, you know, to go down the aisle.

And they fall apart.

So, you... So you want, some really strong wire, and this one isn't really stiff, quite stiff enough.

And you take, oh, goodness!

Yeah, I've got my clippers, I have everything.

So, cut the wire and, good clippers have a little notch in them where you cut wire, so it, but... so anyways.

Sometimes it's hard to cut.

Dagnabbit.

Brandon, help me out here, see if you can get.

They need sharpening.

People don't realize you have to sharpen them.

Carmen> It's a great winter activity too, sharpen all your tools.

<Mhm> Amanda> Thank you.

Anyway, so you pick up your Camellia, and I take the leaves off.

[snapping sound] And then you run the wire through the, sepals and things that are down here and out the other side.

And this wire, isn't quite strong enough.

So actually, I used a toothpick.

I mean, an icepick... to do it.

[laughter] Oops, just messed that one up.

Anyway, run it through there and then bring it up through the Camellia.

Terasa> And you call this "bridaling?"

Amanda> Well, which, I mean, that's what we called it.

Maybe just because it was for brides.

And then, twist it down and around.

And usually you can hide it, you know, I'm doing this real fast, but you can hide it under the petals and then clip these off.

And then, you know, it's going to stay together.

Isn't that wonderful?

I think it's pretty fun.

<Okay> Yeah.

How bout that?

So you can- Terasa> It looks like it would be a lot of work if you needed to do you know, a few of them.

Amanda> Well, you know, when you're working, you know, when that's your job, you'd do it.

And for a hat too.

Carmen> I've seen it with roses too, to make it look like a giant rose.

Where they just go through and they add individual petals.

And then you're charging like seven bucks a head.

Amanda> Yeah.

Terasa> Wow!

Amanda> I mean, people you know, when you're making, you know, if that's your business, which it was for a while.

Anyway.

But, anyway.

So these have been bridaled.

And Hank and Ann, thank you so much for letting us have these beautiful Camellias to show.

And, if you haven't done it before, try... you know, be like a little rufous hummingbird and try pulling them apart and, and licking down at the bottom.

[sucking sound] Ah!

Get that sweet, sweet nectar.

Isn't that fun to learn about?

Dr.

Huber> I think it is.

Terasa> And so gorgeous.

All the different colors you've got.

Amanda> And shapes.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's they're, they're quite wonderful.

And pretty carefree.

And if you, I found that if you cut, limb them up a little bit and don't have limbs that are coming way down, you're less likely to get tea scale.

I've had real good luck doing that.

And then also, you want them to be open because they need, just as you were talking about with fruit trees, very important to open them up and get them, and get the air flowing through.

But just a marvelous plant for gardens.

And also that they're just pretty carefree.

Anyway, so let me get all this.

I'm not going to stick anybody with the ice pick.

[laughter] Terasa> Safety first.

Amanda> So who else can we help Terasa?

Terasa> Oh my goodness.

Let's see what we have next.

Pat in Lake View, may have some little creatures, some leprechauns, it seems.

She said, "I am seeing some weird stuff these days in my yard, and I'm pretty sure it's the work of leprechauns.

Please advise."

Of course we had to.

You know, be in line with Saint Patrick's Day.

Amanda> Of course.

Okay.

Well, I know you've taken your little girl out to look for leprechauns or something.

Carmen> Yes.

We love to hunt for leprechauns.

And to see what might be happening.

And a lot of the times this time of year, we have the Camellias, we have some color coming out.

But a lot of times, people are walking around the yard and they're starting to notice things that they wouldn't normally notice when everything is in bloom and everything's leafed out.

And so our first picture, of course, is of a stinkhorn mushroom.

[laughter] Terasa> I can almost smell it through the picture.

Carmen> Smell it through the picture.

And a lot of the times when it's wet and... hot, cold, hot, cold, as we have oddly had, for the last couple of weeks, you will see a lot of different mushrooms pop up.

Amanda> And the stinkhorns, which could be somewhat unattractive if you are a prissy old lady and your bridge partners are coming over.

If you have wood mulch, that is, that's what they'll grow in.

So if you have just pine straw, you're not going to have them.

I believe that's correct.

Carmen> I have seen it in both, but a lot of it is based off of things that is, are decomposing that they can eat and then... metabolize.

<Okay> And so a lot of the times you'll start to see them in really good, healthy beds.

So it's a good indication that you've got good microbial community going around.

I will just say that they wonder, a lot of people were like, "oh, that wasn't there last year."

The spores are actually on the top and beetles and bees tend to visit because of the smell, and then they will transfer it.

So it will probably be in another area, by a number of different methods.

<Okay> So... don't worry about those.

And if you're absolutely aghast by it, you can just kick it over and you won't upset any of the leprechauns.

But the next one Ms.

Pat sent was a dandelion puff or some people will call it a "clock."

And a lot of the time and... people are used to seeing the yellow dandelions and then they see the puffs.

If you're not used to seeing it or you're new to gardening, it can look a little funny.

And so it's not quite a leprechaun umbrella, but it is that seed head of the dandelion.

And at that point, a lot of people are like "dandelions, no."

it's too late, though.

They're like, "oh, I want to get rid of that."

Can't really do it at this point because it's already gone to seed and, it's already taken off for the year.

Amanda> And I just did radio about dandelions, they're fascinating.

And, they're all over the world.

And it's interesting the colonists brought seeds with them here because they're rich in vitamin A and K and something else.

And, that we already had them established in the United States in the, you know, in North America.

But, they didn't know that.

And so lots and lots of cultures grow them because they're nutritious.

And I got some dandelion greens one time at a health food store.

And I must tell you... <No> collards and mustard- [laughter] I mean, they were very fresh, and they'd been grown just for that, but I did not find them, very palatable.

Carmen> Well, I will tell you that I was at a brunch spot in Charleston with my mother, and they had sauteed dandelion greens over an eggs Benedict, and it was quite delicious.

So I would say if you can saute them, very good.

But they were charging absurd amounts of money, and my mom was very upset, that she could have gotten it out of the backyard instead and cooked me scrambled eggs and dandelion greens.

So... all good things.

None of them are leprechauns.

We'll have to look for more signs elsewhere next year.

Amanda> Okay.

All right.

Terasa> And isn't it funny that as a child, I remember having the dandelion and then... [blowing sounds] right, you blow on it and you're accidentally spreading seeds all over the place.

Like, here friends and neighbors share the wealth.

Carmen> Well, and that's why it's called a "clock," the puffball is called a clock.

Apparently, the old folktale is how many, however many times it takes for you- Amanda> That's what I did.

Carmen> -To blow.

That's what time it is.

Love that.

Amanda> Anyway, well, now we're going to look and find out about simple ways to boost your health.

Amanda> Today we have two members of the Rural Health and Nutrition team with us.

We have Elizabeth Josey and Hannah Shifflette.

And Elizabeth, tell me what the Rural Health and Nutrition team is all about, please.

Elizabeth> Yes.

So we do a lot of different programs centered around health and wellness.

We do chronic disease prevention and self-management.

We also do family wellness and maternal health.

Probably one of my favorite programs that we offer is health extension for diabetes.

And that's where we work with people who have either type one or type two diabetes and teach them self-management strategies and tips to better manage their diabetes.

Amanda> And what counties do you represent?

Elizabeth> I represent Lancaster and Fairfield.

Amanda> Okay.

What's so special about March?

Hannah> So March is when we celebrate National Nutrition Month, and this is a campaign that's put on annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

And this year's theme I really love is called Discover the Power of Nutrition.

And this is so true because nutrition truly does have the power to help us thrive.

And we wanted to share some simple tips and changes with you all today.

A lot of those you can, do with things in your own garden.

Amanda> Whoa.

Well, let's learn about some of them.

I'm sorry.

What counties do you represent?

Hannah> Oh, Chester and York counties.

Amanda> Okay, but I think y'all love to do programs together.

Elizabeth> We do.

Yes we do.

Amanda> I think it's so much fun because people pay more attention if you all kind of switch back and forth giving information, don't you think?

<Yeah> Okay.

Excuse me.

All right.

What are we going to swap out?

Hannah> So our first tip here is swapping out our sugary drinks for, water.

So we wanted to give you a little visual, first of how much sugar might actually be in those sugary drinks that you're drinking.

So first, we're looking at this fruit punch drink here.

Amanda> It's fruit punch.

I mean, it sounds pretty good.

Hannah> It sounds like it.

But when you look at it, it does have a lot of added sugar in it.

Amanda> Gosh.

That's a lot.

Hannah> Yes, it's pretty eye opening.

Amanda> Yes.

It certainly is.

Hannah> And then when you look at a soda, it has even more sugar in it.

And some people don't drink just one of these a day.

They may drink several of these a day.

And these both have more than what our recommended, sugar intake is for an entire day in one- Amanda> For an entire today in one drink.

Hannah> Yes, more than.

Amanda> Wow, that's pretty crazy.

Hannah> It is very eye opening.

So instead, you could swap out your sugary drinks, for plain water.

Or if you would like a little flavor in your water, you could use, make fruit infused water or here we, technically, it's, I guess it's a vegetable because we have cucumber water, and you can, you can choose whatever fruits you like, fresh fruits, chop them up, put them in your water.

And you could also find herbs from your garden, try out different fruit and herb combinations, see what you like best.

Amanda> That sounds fun.

Hannah> Yes.

And you can leave it in your fridge overnight after you make it.

<Okay> Let those flavors infuse into the water.

Amanda> And then if you wanted something cold, it's just like reaching for a cold drink, but instead you're getting the healthy water.

Hannah> Exactly.

And it's much more hydrating, just, which is great for our overall health and just our body, bodily functions.

Amanda> Yeah, a lot of people don't drink enough water.

Hannah> They don't.

<Yeah, absolutely.> Amanda> Gracious goodness.

Oh, Elizabeth, what are you going to tell us that we, we could incorporate other than getting away from the sugars?

Elizabeth> Yeah.

So we were going to talk about swapping out refined grains for whole grains.

So that's going to be stuff like instead of white bread, we're going to do, whole wheat bread instead of white rice, brown rice, instead of regular pasta you could do whole wheat pasta.

<Okay> And the reason behind that is because when you have a whole grain, you have the outer layer, which is the bran.

<Yes> You have, and the bran is filled with fiber and vitamins and minerals.

And then you have the middle layer, the endosperm.

And that is mostly carbohydrates with a little bit of protein.

And then you have the nutrient dense core.

So the core, the germ again has lots of healthy fats, vitamins, minerals.

And so during the refinement process they actually strip away that outer layer and take out that germ and you're just left with the carbohydrate.

<Starch> Yeah, just the starch.

Amanda> And that's because it lasts longer that way <Yeah> sitting in the pantry.

<Yeah> Yeah.

Elizabeth> So they're able to preserve it longer.

But the refined grain digests so much more quickly than the whole grain.

And so for blood sugar control, the whole grain kind of slows down that digestion process.

You get that fiber along with it and all those vitamins and minerals.

Amanda> So we feel a little fuller?

For longer?

Okay.

And so what are you doing with this plate that's sitting up there?

Hannah> So our plate is our next healthy habit.

That is a great thing for people to start.

<Okay> And we use this plate as a visual because we like to, visualize that we are cutting our plate down the middle.

<Yes> And then this larger left portion, this entire half, we want to try to fill that side of the plate up with colorful fruits and vegetables.

<Whoa!> Elizabeth> Yes.

So we all know that vegetables are very important for our health.

They have lots of vitamins, minerals, fiber.

Just... good for our overall nutrition.

And remember, the more, or the more colors, the more colorful vegetables you put on the plate, the more you're getting, because every vegetable has something different to offer.

So think, dark leafy greens, bright red peppers, orange carrots, purple cabbage, all of these have different, things that they offer to our health.

Amanda> I cook purple cabbage because I think it has more flavor, I just love it.

Hannah> Sure.

Yeah, they all have different flavors Amanda> Now, some fruits are rather high in sugar, do you, you wouldn't want to just use fruits, I guess.

Hannah> That's right.

We usually try to say, stick to those vegetables that are a little bit, non... on the non-starchy side.

So save your potatoes or your sweet potatoes, and your corn, your green peas.

<Yeah> That would be more for a smaller portion of your plate.

<Okay> And your, non-starchy vegetables would go there.

Amanda> Okay.

So we've got half of the plate we talked about.

What about the other two?

Hannah> So this is where you would have, like, your, this quarter of your plate would be like Elizabeth was talking about your whole grains could go there.

Or your potatoes or more starchy vegetables.

Those are not definitely not bad things, but, we just want to watch our portion size of those.

<All right> And then have lean protein in that other, quarter of our plate.

Amanda> And lean protein examples are?

Hannah> Grilled chicken or chicken.

Salmon would be a good one.

Any cuts of- Elizabeth> Red meat.

Hannah> Yeah.

Leaner cuts of meat, that's where I was going.

Amanda> Yeah.

Okay.

Not some big marbled steak.

Hannah> Not necessarily.

Amanda> Just on a very special occasion.

Hannah> That's okay on occasion.

Amanda> Yeah.

Because we, we all have special occasions.

Hannah> Yeah.

Everything fits in a healthy diet.

Just in moderation.

Amanda> Okay.

And then, what about peas, not green peas, but you know, field peas and things like that, and beans.

Elizabeth> Yeah.

That's a great source of, plant based protein.

And that's a great way to incorporate even more things from your garden and the farm into your diet.

And you can get that same protein benefit from it.

So we have some black beans here.

That's a great option.

They're full of fiber, good for heart health.

And they help... you have a more balanced meal.

I like to have black beans in my pantry in case I don't want to go to the grocery store.

I don't have any meat in the freezer so I can whip something together with the black beans and some vegetables and still have a balanced meal.

Amanda> And you can get them in the can, and that's fine, but they're very inexpensive if you get them and- I think, if you soak them overnight, and then pour that water off, you don't get, gas.

<That's right.> You're not going to pass gas as likely.

Is that right?

Elizabeth> That's right.

So yeah, beans actually have a type of fiber in them that is, our body cannot digest.

So the healthy bacteria in our intestines actually ferments those beans or it goes through that fermentation process.

And that's what causes those gas, and abdominal discomfort.

So if you soak them, the night before and pour the water off and actually if you change the water often.

So the more you change it.

Then that's going to help kind of break that down.

Amanda> All right.

Okay.

And then, y'all do some other things.

I think you do some school wellness programs.

Elizabeth> Yes we do.

So we have, we work with, MUSC in the MUSC Boeing Center for Children's Wellness on their school wellness initiative.

And that's where we, go into schools and help them with their wellness initiatives.

And then they can gain points for what they're doing and get a wellness award at the end of the year.

So we really like that.

We've had schools that do virtual taste tests, <Fun> And that's really cool.

Yeah, so the kids, they may have never tried, you know, a certain type of produce.

And they come in and they try that for the first time.

Hannah> So with the school wellness, we work a lot with school gardening.

So we try to make sure the students are out there being physically active.

They're learning about the process from going from the garden to our plate, so... Amanda> And I think you have a relatively young child, and I think y'all do some encouraging of people to breastfeed.

Hannah> Oh, absolutely.

Yes, we do have a maternal health program.

So we work with mother's milk bank.

And we also offer different programs through our lactation counselors I'm one of those.

And we've started a fairly new program called Ask a CLC, which is a monthly, virtual, breastfeeding support group.

Amanda> And I think y'all do use the computer and online things to keep up with some of your patients.

And I think, y'all really make an effort to keep up with them and keep them encouraged.

Hannah> We do.

And our online programing is special because it's a way that we can reach everyone, no matter where they are, if they have transportation issues or anything like that, so.

Amanda> Well, I don't drink sodas, but, I'm going to pay a lot of attention to just making some water drinks.

I think that really sounds fun and tasty.

And you can keep it in the refrigerator and then when I need something to drink, I can just reach for that.

<Absolutely> I want to thank you all so much for coming.

And if people want to know more about what y'all do, where's a good place to go?

Elizabeth> So they could look on, our website so they can go to Clemson Extension Rural Health and Nutrition.

And that has all our different programs on there.

We're also on Facebook.

So just follow us and see what's going on.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, I'm glad that, you came down to tell us all these things today.

And, I'm glad we're going to be a healthier state with y'all's help.

Thank you so much.

Both> Thank you.

Amanda> The Rural Health and Nutrition Agents do a wonderful job, and we thank them for coming and seeing us.

Brandon, what you got?

I think you just, have a blue ribbon to put on your blue shirt.

Dr.

Huber> Yeah.

So, I brought a little pup of this plant- Amanda> Just keep it still.

Dr.

Huber> Yeah.

So this is a Deuterochonia brevifolia.

Which is basically a cushion bromeliad.

And, it is, I entered one of these in the Philadelphia Flower Show one I've had for, for 15 years now.

And it grows in this giant mound.

<Whoa!> And so bromeliads are in the pineapple family.

So I brought a rooted pineapple with me just to show that if you look at that center- Now, this is a clumping type of pineapples, but it does, they look the same.

They have the same features.

Right?

<Yeah> So, same family but this one is from Bolivia, from, where it grows in full sun.

Most bromeliads are jungle plants.

<Yes> In shade, high water.

This is a desert bromeliad.

It grows at high elevation, high sun, drought, dry conditions.

And it forms this incredible mound over time.

where it's mostly all dead matter in the middle, but creates this natural mound.

And, So I took it up to the Philadelphia Flower Show, plant I've been growing a long time.

And it won a very special, cactus succulent rosette.

Best in show cactus succulent.

Really fun plant to grow.

Very easy.

Just hard to find.

Amanda> Well, anyway, congratulations.

<Thank you.> We're thrilled, thrilled for you, yeah, yeah!

And you got to visit your family while you were there.

Dr.

Huber> I did.

Yeah.

Amanda> Wasn't that nice to combine the two.

Oh, yeah, always good.

And a lot of old, I used to compete in that show many years back when I lived in Philly.

And so it's always good to see those old colleagues and stuff up there.

Amanda> Yeah, it is.

Keep in touch.

I'm so glad that you shared that with us.

And like I said, we're very proud to have you on the show.

Dr.

Huber> Thank you.

Amanda> Well, I'm taking a trip to the 13th Annual Bellfest at Devils Fork State Park.

This is a celebration of the Oconee Bell, Shortia galacifolia.

A fascinating little wildflower that has very limited distribution.

It likes certain things very, very much.

They'll have, some music and, places to eat and things for the kids to do.

But the most wonderful thing will be walks in the woods with people who will help you enjoy the things that are there to see.

Well, Terasa?

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

How about if we help Joe in Charleston?

Who said, "I read I shouldn't apply postemergent herbicide during "green up" of my lawn grass.

But I can't tell what "green up" is with all the weeds."

[laughter] Amanda> Well, they are green.

Terasa> I think Joe must have visited my yard.

Amanda> Carmen, do you want to expound on this for us?

Carmen> Yes.

So Joe had Saint Augustine, and, when you start to see the pictures and the videos, what you can easily see is if you go deep into the brown Saint Augustine and you start to see the little green blades just popping out from the bottom.

You may have to dig a little bit, but that is "greening up."

And that's important because some of the weeds that were in this yard were things like Florida Betony and Vetch.

And so they really wanted to be able to get those postemergents out for them.

And you just can't at this point you missed your window.

So it's very important the "green up" is more important than those weeds.

Amanda> Than getting rid of the weeds.

Carmen> Just wait till next year.

You're ahead for next year, at this point.

Amanda> Grass is, you know it's hard to grow here.

I mean, it's just, it's just difficult.

And you sure don't want to do anything that's going to hurt it.

Carmen> Exactly.

And for like, things like Vetch, just pull it out.

You'll be good.

You'll be good.

You don't need to spray anything.

Amanda> Okay.

Thank you so very, very much.

Now we're going to talk to Cassie Castleberry, a Water Resources Agent.

Amanda> I'm talking to Cassie Castleberry, who is a Water Resources Agent for Clemson here in Sumter.

And Cassie, you have an event coming up.

Cassie> Yes, we are doing a Walk for Water.

<Yes> And that supports Water Mission.

And the walk raises awareness about the global water crisis.

Amanda> And so where is your event going to be?

Cassie> So our event is going to take place on Shot Pouch Greenway.

<All right> Cassie> Starting at the Heath Pavilion behind Swan Lake.

<Okay> So on March 21st at 10 a.m., is when our walk will start.

And we're going to celebrate World Water Day and do this walk to raise awareness and educate and have a little fun while doing it.

Amanda> So tell us, you know, how this has been aimed at replicating what many, many people have to go through every day in their life?

Cassie> Right.

So, 2 billion people lack access to clean water and of those people that lack access, the trek, the average trek is about three miles a day to walk with a five gallon bucket or container to get water that's not necessarily clean.

And so the idea behind the walk is to simulate that and raise that awareness.

And we are only going to use two gallon buckets.

Amanda> Which is enough.

Cassie> Right.

So we're carrying an empty bucket a mile and a half.

And then we'll scoop up some water and walk it on back.

Amanda> Wow.

And, lots of times, this is kind of worldwide South America, Central America, Africa, India, Asia.

Cassie> Developing countries, yes.

Amanda> Where this is so widespread and the children often go to help their moms.

Cassie> That's correct.

And they miss out on school and if they drink the water, they get sick.

So there's a lot of opportunities missed and a lot of, a lot of things that children shouldn't have to do that, that they end up helping with that water and, and that's heavy.

Water is heavy.

Amanda> Yes, it is heavy.

So, what kind of what can this Water Mission thing do in these places to try to help them get access to clean water?

Cassie> So they, they come into communities and they determine what the best system is going to be.

But they're living water systems that they install are systems that will treat the water, clean the water.

And the locals are taught how to run the systems.

They use renewable energy.

And so that gives the locals job opportunities.

And it creates, you know, breaks the cycle.

Amanda> So this Water Mission started right here in South Carolina.

That's amazing.

Cassie> Yep, they sure did.

They are an engineering company that decided to shift their focus, to provide clean water.

And it partners very well with World Water Day, which was a United Nations proclamation from 1993.

And because their goal was to have clean water available to everyone by 2030.

Amanda> Kudos to these people in, you know, Charleston who have come up with this idea and designed these systems and are managing to get them transported.

This is an enormous project.

Cassie> It is.

It is.

And they also do disaster relief, which is also interesting because they can take these systems and move them around if they need to.

Amanda> You mean, within the United States?

Cassie> They, they helped with Hurricane Helene.

That was the first time they were able to help in the U.S.

<My word.> But they definitely have been disaster relief.

And in refugee camps and areas like that where they can just move that system and provide clean water for a set amount of time.

Amanda> Gracious.

Well, that just sounds like a good reason to get out and do something that would benefit our fellow human beings.

Cassie> Yeah, it's a good thing to rally around locally to provide something globally.

Amanda> Well, thanks for sharing this with us.

Cassie> Thanks for having me.

Amanda> I love to get fresh pineapples at the store, and you've got the top that you take off.

And I think that, it's pretty easy to start another pineapple plant.

Dr.

Huber> Yeah.

That's right.

So I actually just grew my, I grew a pineapple.

Picked it in the fall, and it was delicious.

It was homegrown.

It took about two years to grow from the top of a pineapple, where you just kind of pull those bottom leaves off that- You want to get all the fruit pulp off of it, and then place it in a, in a relatively small pot.

You don't want it- They're easy to rot.

So they're, <Oh> make sure they kind of can dry a little bit in between.

And then they, so I like to root them in a small pot just to help with drainage.

<Yes> And then, they'll quickly take off.

It's very easy to do.

You're just getting a well-drained soil.

Once it's rooted, shift it to a bigger pot, it takes about two years.

It's not hardy here in South Carolina.

So you are going to have to find a spot, inside.

And they're a little prickly.

Amanda> Not that prickly.

Dr.

Huber> It could be a little, you know, just put them in a safe spot.

But, they're very easy to grow.

Amanda> Well, many, many people here have small greenhouses.

And so you can certainly put it in there.

I guess that's what you did.

Dr.

Huber> That's exactly what I did.

I just stuck it under the bench.

You know, they don't need a whole lot of light.

So in the winter, a greenhouse is a little full.

All my plants trying to overwinter.

Amanda> Okay, so you just put it under the shelf?

Dr.

Huber> I put it under the bench, yeah.

Amanda> They don't need that much sunlight.

Dr.

Huber> They prefer it.

But you know, when it comes back out in the summer when it warms up again, I acclimate back to full sun and get it back out.

And, it does stay- They grow very fast when they're happy.

A little fertilizer here and there, you can have yourself a pineapple in two years.

Amanda> Okay.

And you don't have to go to Hawaii to taste a fresh pineapple.

Dr.

Huber> That's right.

And they're the freshest.

You leave them on the vine, on the plant till they're yellow, fragrant.

And it's the best pineapple you're going to get.

Amanda> Yeah.

They really are just delicious, a fresh one.

<Absolutely> That's so much fun.

And so very simple really to, to root.

Dr.

Huber> I think so.

Carmen> Where does the pineapple come out?

Dr.

Huber> So, this is the, this is the top of a pineapple from the one I just produced in the fall.

This plant will get larger and larger.

These will basically elongate and they get bigger and bigger.

And then all of a sudden a stem will come out.

A really pretty flower will start in the middle and it'll, elongate and then it'll open.

It has little purple flowers that surround it.

And the pineapple just comes out of the middle.

So it's a really fun, it's a really fun process.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, thanks for telling me.

Dr.

Huber> Not a problem.

Thank you.

Amanda> I'm going to try it.

Okay.

Well, thank you all so much for being back to our "inaugural show."

I guess I can call it and, I hope y'all will come back frequently, and I hope all of you will keep up with us.

And, join us every Tuesday.

♪ ♪ ♪ 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.