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.

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.

Best Horticulture Colleges in South Carolina for 2018/19

The following is a list of some of the best Colleges in South Carolina offering Educational Degree Programs in Horticulture and Landscaping Design.

• Clemson University - A large public university offering 1 Horticulture Degree program.

• Horry-GeorgetownTechnical College - A medium sized college offering 1 Horticulture Degree program.
• Piedmont Technical College - A comprehensive two-year college based in Greenwood, SC, offering several Horticulture degree programs.
• TridentTechnical College - A large public college offering 2 Horticulture Degree programs in Charleston, SC
• SpartanburgCommunity College - A medium sized public college offering 1 Horticulture Degree program.

In addition to these colleges, the following are selected links posted on their web site to various other Education & Training events, activities, organizations, and resources for those interested in Horticulture, Landscaping, Garden Design, and Gardening.

• Cyprus Gardens: Educational Programs
• Master Gardener: Education & Career Roadmap
• National Garden Clubs: Education Programs
• National Gardening Association (NGA) Learnng Center
• OpenCourseWare: Free Online Landscape & Gardening Courses
• South Carolina Master Gardner Program
• Top 'Landscape Architecture' Schools
• Udemy: Online Gardening Courses

* Also, check out the Education & Training resources on the Pink Dogwood Garden Club web site.

Let us know about other horticulture, landscaping, and gardening education and training programs in South Carolina you would recommend to our readers.

Learn more about the Pink Dogwood Garden Club in Summerton, S.C.

Do you love Gardening? Live in Summerton or around nearby Lake Marion in South Carolina? Then perhaps you ought to consider joining the Pink Dogwood Garden Club.

Garden clubs are an organized group of people with a shared interest in gardens, gardening, and plants. The first and oldest organized garden club in the US was the Ladies' Garden Club of Athens, Georgia, that was started in 1891.

The PinkDogwood Garden Club was organized back in 1937. It is located in historic Summerton, South Carolina. The club is a member of both the National Garden Clubs and the Garden Clubs of South Carolina. The goals of the organization include:

• the advancement and understanding of gardening,
• the beautification of the Town of Summerton, and
• the improvement of ourselves, our homes, and our communities.

Horticulture is the science and art of growing plants – e.g. fruits, vegetables, flowers. It covers the fields of plant conservation, landscape restoration, soil management, landscape, garden design, and more.

The following is a list of just some of the major projects and activities of the Pink Dogwood Garden Club:

• Annual Arbor Day Program
• Summerton Downtown Beautification Program
• Memorial Day Program at the Pink Dogwood Mini Park in Summerton
• Veterans Day Program at the Pink Dogwood Mini Park in Summerton
• Backyard Wildlife Habitat Certification Program
• St. Matthias Montessori Pre-School Landscaping and Playground Cleanup
• Magazine Collection and Distribution to the Local Hospital and Nursing Homes.

If you are interested in joining the garden club and need more information, please go to the new Pink Dogwood GardenClub web site or contact the current club President via email at beverlymoberg@yahoo.com

* Don't forget to check out the Pink Dogwood Garden Club Weekly News site.