Spring Flowers in Clarendon County, S.C.

FLOWERS ARE BLOOMING EVERYWHERE

     Flowers are blooming everywhere! Riding around the area you can see late Daffodils, Azaleas just starting to bloom, native Shad Bush and the invasive Chinese Wisteria.  Although the Chinese Wisteria is beautiful at this time of year, it is invasive and covers trees, weighting them down and reducing their ability to photosynthesize. Below are pictures from the Santee National Wildlife Refuge of Shad Bush, Toadflax, and one of the Zephrantes lilies.  We have two species of the Zephrantes lilies at the Santee National Wildlife Refuge "Native Plant Garden", one is the typical one growing in low shady areas in Clarendon County, and the other is adapted to dryer areas.

Everyone is invited to come visit the Santee National Wildlife Refuge and see our collection of native plants and flowers. You might also want to check out the following local web sites: Summerton Nature & Outdoor Recreation and the Pink Dogwood Garden Club.

Career Fair at Scotts Branch Middle High School in Summerton, S.C.

Scotts Branch Middle/High School held a Career Fair in their gymnasium on March 13, 2019, from 8:30 - 11:00 am. Some of the many organizations present included representatives the US Army, the National Guard, US Navy, McLeod Health, McDonalds, the Lake Marion Artisans, Summerton Weekly News, Clarendon Fire Department, and more. Hundreds of students from both the Middle School and High School attended.

This was the first time I had actually been inside the school since moving here five years ago. It was very impressive. The school is modern, well kept, well run, and one can’t say enough about the students who all seemed bright, inquisitive, well disciplined and very polite. Teachers and parents are to be commended for raising these students who will help form the backbone of the future for our great state.

I look forward to participating in similar events at the school in the coming years. I’m sure all participants would like to thank Ms. Lisa Carter and the administration for setting up the event. Also to be commended are the many Junior ROTC members who helped ensure we were welcomed, shown where to set up, and that everything moved along smoothly.

Swan Lake Garden Presentation for Pink Dogwood Garden Club

Phillip Carnley, a horticulturist for Sumter county, gave a presentation to the Pink Dogwood Garden Club at their well attended March 2019 meeting in Summerton, S.C. Prior to moving to Sumter county, he was a horticulturist at the Edisto Memorial Gardens in Orangeburg. Mr. Carnley is a graduate of Clemson University.

The focus of his presentation was Swan Lake and Iris Gardens in Sumter, S.C. He started with a bried overview of the history of Swan Lake, then talked about the many practical and economic benefits of Swan Lake to the county and surrounding communities. His slideshow presentation contained many beautiful pictures of the azaleas, iris plants, swans, cypress trees and much more. If you haven’t visited Swan Lake yet, you really need to go.

All local residents living in Summerton or in nearby communities surrounding Lake Marion who have an interest in nature, gardening, horticulture and landscaping ought to seriously consider joining the Pink Dogwood Garden Club.

Lake Marion Artisans Visit Sumter County Art Gallery

Members of the Lake Marion Artisans visited the Sumter County Art Gallery this month. It turned out to be very educational and inspiring on several levels. The visiting group from Summerton spent several hours touring the facility and talking with their staff. They truly have a great facility that is well supported by local businesses and the county government. It serves as a model for the future growth of the arts in Clarendon county.

After the visit to the art gallery, the visiting group had a great meal at one of the local restaurants in downtown Sumter with lots of lively discussion about what they had just seen. A visit to the South Carolina Artisans Center in Walterboro is planned by the Lake Marion Artisans for next month. 

DAVIDSON HORTICULTURAL SYMPOSIUM

Tuesday March 5 was the 35^th Davidson Horticultural Symposium held in Davidson, N.C.  This symposium is sponsored by the Davidson Garden Club and they do an amazing job. The location, the accomodations, and the program were wonderful and I would encourage anyone interested in gardening or landsacaping to attend next year. The four speakers were truly amazing and I am already planning to incorporate many of their ideas.

First speaker was Thomas L. Woltz “Designing the Productive Landscape: Balancig Ecology, Culture and Agriculture” Woltz runs a large international landscape design firm, working with estates, parks, and farms. His designs are based on scientific studies of the land, climate and the people, then adjusting the design to maxamize ecological benefits with productive agriculture.

Second speaker was Claudia West who is co-author of the book “Planting in a Post-Wild World”. She is a dynamic speaker emphazing beauty in design of gardens. One of her guiding principles is “plants make the best mulch”. When planting a landscape garden, don't plant one of several species, but plant many of the same species to make an impact and eye appeal.

Tradd Cotter wowed the audience with his talk on mushrooms and fungi. Fungi are amazing in their ability to evolve. Evolving lets fungi obtain the ability to consume many chemicals (like pesticides and oil), and to attack many pest insects.

Brie Arthur, a great speaker and educator, intrigued the audience with her many ways of growing plants and adding vegetables to your diet and even to your front yard garden.

* Also, don't forget to visit our local Pink Dogwood Garden Club web site.