If you have ever wondered about whether soil preparation was really critical, or if that was just an “in a perfect world” condition, let me share my personal experiences. This spring, I started a new planting bed in an area that had been compacted by construction equipment. In some areas, I carefully dug and amended before planting. Other areas (I got tired and impatient), I just chiseled holes in the sticky red clay of upstate SC and plopped in seedlings. Thankfully, the holes of shrubs and perennials were all loosened and amended. The annuals did not receive the same care because, well, they ..read more

The large bag should last a long time. I finally broke down and bought the mother of all bags of horticultural vermiculite. A whopping four cubic feet, it filled the entire back seat of my small car. In past years, I have purchased standard-sized bags found in home improvement garden centers or big box stores. During the coronavirus pandemic, the product was scarce. I had to make do by recycling media that had already been used for rooting or using smaller containers. I do a lot of home propagation because I’m too cheap to buy full-size plants at the nursery. Vermiculite is my product of cho ..read more

Fig season is approaching in the Snoddy garden. I grew up eating fresh figs, and as an adult was surprised to find that not everyone loves them. The sweet, gritty flesh is an acquired taste, like coffee, dates, olives, or beer. For some, the flavor is fine but the texture is unpleasant. Figs are nutritional powerhouses, containing fiber, antioxidants, minerals, vitamins. Figs consist of 55% natural sugar, making them one of the sweetest fruits available. They can be eaten fresh or dried, plain, stuffed with cream cheese and drizzled with honey, or wrapped in bacon and baked. Figs makes a great ..read more

To keep a small garden from looking chaotic, show restraint with the number of flower colors. Smallish gardens can look fabulous with only two colors. This is not to say only two types of plants. Yellow and purple flowers pair well and give the gardener a large number of choices. Repeating the same flower colors but using different sizes of blooms and leaf forms provides attractive contrasts. Because flowers bloom on their own timeline, the use of different plants with the same bloom shades will keep the garden colorful even if some of them are taking a blooming siesta. For my own small courty ..read more

I have been experimenting with ways to keep deer from eating my precious garden plants. Native wildlife habitats are being transformed into new housing developments to accommodate the tremendous population growth in the southeast. Sightings of deer, turkeys, raccoons, possums, bears, and skunks are becoming common, even in city locations. I live in a rural area, where the deer seem to believe that I have prepared a buffet for them. They have a pronounced appetite for my hydrangeas, daylilies, hostas, and sunflowers. Fencing my acreage would be cost prohibitive. I have tried several repellant t ..read more

I try to stay informed on current gardening trends, so when I heard the new-to-me term “chaos gardening” I went into sleuth mode. Chaos gardening has recently gone viral on TikTok. One site describes it thus: “… letting go of the strict rules that come along with gardening and letting mother nature do the work instead” and “a haphazard and laid-back approach to gardening in which rules and meticulous garden planning are thrown out the window.” Condensed version: Gather seeds packets, mix them together, and throw them on prepared (tilled, and raked if that is your choice) soil without a pl ..read more

Thanks to pleasantly warm temperatures and plentiful rains, my garden is thriving right now. So are the weeds, meaning that much of my outdoor time is spent in uprooting little monsters before they become big monsters. Recently, I have received numerous inquiries from new gardeners, asking for plant recommendations. Every one of these gardeners has told me that they want to plant perennials only and no annuals. I get it. Annuals need to be replaced yearly, a recurring expense and effort. Yet, gardens benefit from the additional of a few annuals to add a lush appearance while the perennials are ..read more

Why fence your garden? As population growth booms in the southeast, so does the need for housing. Many modern developments of single-family, standalone homes in our corner of the world feature smaller lots than in past decades, putting neighbors closer to each other than before. No matter how fond we are of our neighbors, sometimes we feel the need for more privacy. Homeowners Association Covenants usually have specific rules on height, type, and placement of fencing. Even those that prohibit “front yard” fencing usually are more lenient in back yards. Back yard fencing can benefit the gardene ..read more

A crowd gathered in the garden of a friend recently. I assumed they were admiring a new plant, so I hustled over to share in the appreciation. But no, this was no new perennial. Emerging from the mulch was a group of orange finger-like growths wearing dark brown caps. Their slightly naughty appearance spurred a lot of jokes. When I bent down to take a closer look, the nasty odor caught me by surprise. My brain churned a minute until I was able to dredge up its proper identity: Stinkhorn Mushroom. There are several forms of the stinkhorn fungus, ranging from rounded to those in front of my grou ..read more

Agapanthus (pronounced ag-ah-PAN-thus) or Lily of The Nile makes me think of Allium, but the leaves are more substantial and the bloom appears more robust. Given a choice between the two, I would choose exotic-looking Agapanthus. I attempted to grow this plant many times in the past. My plants would last a year or two, and then would dwindle away or even die outright during a cold, wet winter. New cultivars are on the market now, with enhanced cold tolerance, so I am trying again. Some varieties are evergreen while others are deciduous. Check the label to know what you are buying. Agapanthus i ..read more