The word “design” can be a bit daunting to most of us.  We immediately think of complex rules and requirements, scientific and/or architectural aspects, and then there’s the artistic element, which can be most intimidating.  There is certainly much to learn in the area of landscape design, and if you are in the mood to do some research, we will provide a few resources at the end of this blog just for that purpose.  But, before you jump in the deep end, let’s start with a few simple, basic principles.

What do you want to accomplish?  Home foundation planting for improved curb appeal?  Creating a quiet space or a gathering place for friends and family? Establishing a vegetable garden?  Whatever the goal, start with a rough sketch (use a pencil, because you will make changes!)  Look for pictures and shop for plants to get ideas on what you like and don’t like.  Take your time and don’t rush.  In your planning, think about symmetry and balance, texture and color, straight lines and curves, and focal points.

• Symmetry and Balance:  We are most comfortable in landscapes that have a sense of balance.  Simply put, it’s just easy on the eye.  There are two major types of balance – symmetrical and asymmetrical.  Symmetrical balance is used in formal landscapes when one side of the landscape is a mirror image of the opposite side. These landscapes often use geometric patterns in the walkways, planting beds and even how the plants are pruned into shapes.  Think of a Charleston garden.   Asymmetrical balance, also known as informal balance, differs from one side to the other and appears to be relaxing and free flowing.  Think of an English garden.  Using a combination of shapes and sizes along with a strategy of placement will create the symmetry you choose.
• Texture and Color:  Just as you decorate a room in your home, your landscape should contain a combination of textures and colors.  You certainly don’t want every plant in a garden bed to be small, round, and green.  Find plants that complement one another with different foliage colors and shapes, growth habits, and mature sizes.  For example, in a shade garden, plant ferns, next to compact evergreen shrubs, like azaleas.  In a more sunny location, plant perennials that bloom at different times to provide pops of color and interest, and, plant a mass of low growing annuals on the edge of a curved bed for a striking border! 
• Straight Lines and Curves:  Lines are created in the landscape by walkways, patios and other hardscapes, fences and garden beds, just to name a few.  These provide the “backbone” for a landscape design.   By incorporating the lawn, trees, and plants, these lines are enhanced and united to create and complete the landscape.  It is important that it all looks like it belongs together, or flows from one area to the next, naturally.  A mixture of straight lines and curves works best in your landscape’s big picture.
• Focal Points:  Hardscapes, such as a fire pit or fireplace, create the perfect focal point for a backyard gathering area.  Trees offer a stand-alone focal point in the yard and many provide color in the fall or blooms in the spring.   Other plant material, for example, Limelight Hydrangea, Adagio Perennial Grass, or Knock Out Rose are good for a garden bed.  Statuary, container gardens, trellises, and yard art add personality and whimsy to the landscape.  A bird bath and feeder or two creates a beautiful wildlife focus.  Remember that a focal point can be either a single object or a grouping.

Select and analyze the area in your yard where the project will take place.  Most important… soil, sun and water.  Have the soil analyzed (Wingard’s and Clemson can help you with this), so you can determine if you will need to amend the soil.  Map the sunlight for a day or two to identify how much sun the area receives.  Because the afternoon sun is SO HOT here in the summer, you must select plants that can take the heat if you plant in areas that receive sun all day or in the afternoon.   Select areas that get more shade for your outdoor gathering spots.  Likewise, choose plants that will flourish in shade for these areas.  Lastly, investigate and correct any drainage issues and determine how you will water. 

Plants and Planting.  The very best time to plant is Fall in the Midlands of South Carolina.  That being said, Spring planting is second best and the time when inventory at your local garden center is abundant.  The key to success is to be diligent in watering throughout the summer.  Choose plants that you like and are appropriate for the amount of sun or shade in the area(s) of the project.  If the plant tag indicates “full sun” it means all day or all afternoon.  Don’t be too concerned with the size of the plant when you purchase it, however, make sure you know how big it will get, and plan your spacing accordingly.  Knowing and planning for the mature size of the plants is an approach that will result in little or no pruning!  Appropriate spacing of plants will also contribute to better health and appearance.  Disease becomes a problem when foliage doesn’t have breathing room. 

It’s OK to change your mind!  Gardening is an on-going process and inevitably brings about change in the landscape, either because we “just don’t like it there,” we find something better, or, unfortunately, “it died”.  Be open to trying something else if you’re not satisfied with the results, or you didn’t have success.  Don’t be afraid to move a plant if it’s not happy where you planted it (just don’t transplant in the heat of summer).  When you plan a landscape project, leave room for additions as you get a new idea or see a “must have” plant.  Let it be a work in progress, and it will provide continuing satisfaction and enjoyment.

For additional information, check out these links:

https://www.clemson.edu  (Master Gardener Training Powerpoint Presentation)
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu  (University of Florida Basic Principles)
https://www.bhg.com  (Better Homes & Gardens Magazine Tips)

If you want some professional help, Wingard’s Market offers a landscape design service.  Click here for more information.

Plants used for the medicinal, savory, or aromatic quality of their roots, leaves, green stems and flowers are considered to be herbs. Practically every culture around the world has a history of some type of herb use. Chinese herb books date from about 2700 B.C. and include extensive lists of medicinal plants. Italy, India, and Thailand are well known for using herbs in cooking. The Greeks and Romans crowned their heroes with dill and laurel. Regardless of the desired usage, growing and harvesting herbs is easy and rewarding. They can be grown in small spaces or containers, intermingled among vegetables and/or flowers in the garden, or even indoors. Herbs are low maintenance plants, being naturally resistant to diseases and pests.

Tips for Planting Herbs:

• Plant herbs in average garden soil with organic matter added to improve texture and drainage.
• Choose a site that receives at least 6 hours of direct sun each day.
• Avoid ground where water stands or runs during heavy rains.
• Compensate for poor drainage with raised beds amended with compost.
• Apply balanced fertilizers sparingly to leafy, fast-growing herbs. Heavy applications of fertilizer, especially those containing large amounts of nitrogen, will decrease the concentration of essential oils in the lush green growth.
• Plan your herb garden by grouping herbs according to light, irrigation, and soil requirements. Most herbs enjoy full sun, but a few tolerate shade.
• Most herbs are grown in SC as annuals. Exceptions:  Rosemary, Thyme, Lavender.
• Be aware of the growth habits of the plants to ensure that adequate space is available.

Growing Requirements & Uses of Common Herbs:

Harvesting, Drying & Storing Herbs:

Harvest herbs before they flower for the fullest flavor. Try to harvest early in the day after plants dry off and before it gets hot.   Only remove about 1/3 to 1/2 of a stem at one time.   Deadheading or removal of flowers as they appear will result in continued production of new leaves suitable for harvest. Use a sharp knife or pruners to make clean cuts.

After harvesting, gently wash the herbs and dry them thoroughly on paper towels. Remove any dead or damaged material.  Tie the herbs in loose bunches that allow for good air circulation. Place the bunches into small paper bags with the stem ends sticking out of the top of the bag.  Punch holes in the bag to allow for ventilation. The bags help protect the herbs from dust and other contamination while drying. Tie the tops of the bags and hang in a warm, dry, well-ventilated area out of the sun.  It may take up to a month for herbs to dry completely.

After herbs are dry, remove the leaves from the stems and package in sealed containers in a cool location.  To preserve the full flavor of herbs try to avoid crushing the leaves when packaging.  Crush them just prior to using them. When properly stored, most herbs retain their flavor for about a year. 

Air drying works best with herbs that do not have a high moisture content, like bay, dill, marjoram, oregano, rosemary and thyme.  To retain the best flavor of these herbs, you’ll either need to allow them to dry naturally or use a food dehydrator.  Microwave and/or oven drying actually cook the herbs to a degree, diminishing the oil content and flavor.

If you want to preserve herbs with succulent leaves or a high moisture content, such as basil, chives, mint, and tarragon, consider freezing them. It’s easy to do and even quicker than drying. Simply cut off individual leaves, lay them flat on a cookie sheet, cover with wax paper and freeze for about 2 hours.  After they have frozen, place them in zip-lock bags and return to the freezer. 

EarthBox Gardening Kit:

Consider using the EarthBox for your herb garden, available at Wingard’s!  Here’s the pitch… You name it, you can grow it in the EarthBox! Poor soil conditions and small backyards are no match for this patented container gardening system. Developed by commercial farmers and proven in the lab and on the farm, this maintenance-free growing system controls soil conditions and more than doubles the yield of a conventional garden—with less fertilizer, less water, and virtually no effort. Just add plants, water, and sunlight for an easy garden that requires no digging, no weeding, and no guesswork! Unlike other raised bed gardens and planters, the EarthBox gardening system is self-watering, sustainable, and easily moveable. Now that’s one smart garden!

Roses bring amazing color to your landscape from early summer to frost. Whether you enjoy cutting the long stemmed blooms of the Hybrid Tea roses, the bursting mass of color from Floribunda, Grandiflora, and Knock Out roses, or their multitudes of fragrances, the labor involved in caring for roses is well worth the reward! The FIRST RULE of growing healthy, vibrant roses, is PRUNING. Establishing a proper pruning routine will open up the plant, letting in light and air circulation, helping to discourage disease, and stimulate growth.

When roses are dormant (asleep and not producing new growth), nature provides the perfect environment for pruning. Typically in South Carolina, this occurs in January and February, when temperatures are low. Make sure you have the right tools for pruning – heavy duty ROSE GLOVES for protection from thorns, and most important… good, clean, sharp  CLIPPERS. These items, as well as a handy SHARPENING TOOL, are available in Wingard’s Gift Shoppe.

Specifically…

Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, and Grandifloras:
• First, prune out dead or diseased growth, then any branches that rub together.
• Young plants should be further pruned to about four canes, by removing weaker canes. Established plants can be allowed 8 or more canes.
• Prune remaining canes back to about one-third original height.
• Remove any suckers growing from the roots of the old plant.

Knock Out Roses:
• Don’t prune Knock Out roses after their first growing season. Give them a second growing season to establish shape and fullness. During the following dormant season, remove any dead branches, as well as branches growing sideways.
• Shape as necessary.
• Rather than making a straight cut across the top of the bush, make cuts at different levels throughout the body of the plant, and cut ends of “leggy” branches.

Climbing Roses:
• Don’t prune a climbing rose for 2-3 years and then only cut lateral branches. Never cut the main canes.

In General…

In the dormant season, when pruning, It is important to make a clean cut on canes at a 45-degree angle, sloping downward TOWARD the bush.

During the growing season, prune frequently by cutting just above 5-leaf leaflets, to encourage repeat blooming.

For a video going into detail about pruning roses, click here.

There’s always something blooming at Wingard’s!

Is there anything better than fresh lemon or lime in a Margarita or a tall glass of Iced Tea?

Well, there is… if you harvested that lemon or lime from your own tree! Yes, you can do it here in the south, with just a little TLC. Because of frost and freezing temperatures in the winter, it is necessary to protect vulnerable tropical plants, by moving them into a greenhouse, garage or sunroom. In order to move it, your lemon or lime tree should be planted in a pot, rather than in the ground. When that first frost or freeze is upon us, go ahead and move it in. And, don’t forget about it …watering and direct light are still necessary!

• Place it near a sunny window or use an indoor grow light (6 hours minimum needed), but NOT near an HVAC vent. Protect it from any draft.
• Be sure not to over water. Let the soil dry out in between waterings.

An added extra for planting citrus in a pot is that you can ensure good, rich, soil. Transplant to a larger pot as it grows – don’t allow it to become root bound. Citrus are heavy feeders, so you will need to be diligent about fertilizing. We recommend Daddy Pete’s Sea & Farm Potting Soil, mixed with a little Stout Ollie Compost (the best organic nutritional additive ever). Fertilize 3 times/year with Espoma Citrus-tone (organic).

Move citrus plant(s) outdoors, once there is no danger of frost or freezing temperatures. Place in a spot that receives direct sun all day, or at least 6 hours.

As the weather warms up and especially during the hottest days of summer, more frequent watering will be required. Soak it when you water, but allow the soil to dry out in between watering. When top 2 inches are dry, it’s time to water. Avoid keeping the area around the trunk wet and NEVER allow plant roots to sit in water. Allow for good drainage by using Pot Pads underneath the pot to lift it off the ground. These are available in Wingard’s Gift Shoppe.

Most citrus are self-fertile, but hand-pollination with a small paint brush improves fruit production.

Little pruning is required, however, suckers, dead twigs and extra long growth should be removed. Clip off fruit as it ripens – DO NOT PULL.

A brand new shipment of citrus has just been received at Wingard’s Market. Stop in soon and take advantage of the large inventory.

Remember…
It’s five o’clock somewhere! Be ready!

There’s always something blooming at Wingard’s!

Check out our video below for more growing tips!

Derrick Gunter & Radiator Charlie Knew A Good Thing When They Saw It

By Tom Poland

Robert Clark and I were on the road running down a story, a story about land, a farmhouse, and tomatoes, a story of war, old ways, and survivors of sorts. On a hot, humid July morning we abandoned I-20 for Longs Pond Road and after a back road or two arrived at a farmhouse near the community of Boiling Springs. Two big blackjack oaks stood out front. Out back, a handsome, clapboard smokehouse looked lonely, its fellow outbuildings long-fallen comrades. “The other buildings were too far gone. We tore down the old cow barn in the summer of 2007,” said Derrick Gunter, the owner of this historic acreage in classic Sandhills Country.

Derrick grows heirloom tomatoes here in ancient sea bottom and he knows his history. (In fact, he teaches it.) Those trees of the Old South, blackjack oaks, almost never get much size to them, but Derrick’s did. He believes they may be the oldest blackjacks in the country. And you could say the trees know a thing or two about the Civil War. About thirty yards past the blackjacks, a low spot runs down Derrick’s property line on across Calks Ferry Road. As saplings, the blackjacks were standing when Sherman and his boys came through on the way to Columbia. Right near those trees Sherman and his troops bogged down in that low spot, a February rain-fed quagmire. The Union troops offloaded cannon balls and minnie [Minié] balls to lighten their load and better get through the morass. Several lifetimes later, Derrick’s grandfather found a cannon ball and “a shoe box full of minnie balls” alongside the road, a story that illustrates how much better supplied the North was than the South.

Another war came along and when housing construction exploded after World War II most homes were built of brick. The Hallman family built Derrick’s 1951 farmhouse with its German siding; it’s probably the last true farmhouse built in South Carolina. The house was built with cut nails and the walls were constructed with 4 by 6 un-planed studs. The house was built of about 90 percent heartpine.

“My dad got the property after a bachelor son died in 2004 and the house soon went to probate,” said Derrick. Derrick’s dad bought the farmhouse nine years ago. “I financed the reconstruction on the house and the land was gifted to me by my dad,” said Derrick.

Derrick began to work on the old home, whose interior sports handsome eastern white cedar tongue-and-groove paneling and real hardwood floors. The main room’s lacquer caramelized long ago when creosote in the chimney blazed up, roaring like a train barreling down the track.

Best Tomato I’ve Ever Eaten

The folks who sold the farmhouse to Derrick’s dad came up through the Depression. “They didn’t throw anything way,” said Derrick. “I threw away thousands of ties that wrapped loaves of bread.” Derrick and his dad had to make seven trips hauling off things like thousands of Duke Mayonnaise and peanut butter jars. They even found a 1920 receipt from Georgia for the Stuart pecan trees growing out back, $6.50 for six trees. Many folks who grew up in the Depression didn’t throw anything away. They had a mantra: “Keep something seven years, and you’ll find a new use for it.”

Derrick’s dad gifted him some land adjoining the farmhouse and that led to a decision. How best to spend summer days. Derrick teaches U.S. History at White Knoll High School. He has his summers free. “You’ve got all that time off in the summer,” said his mother, “why don’t you grow peanuts?”

“The land was cleared before I moved into the farmhouse during 2009. That was before I got married. In 2011, I was questioned about growing peanuts. I researched heirloom tomatoes and planted them instead. Then his dad passed along some sage advice. “Don’t grow peanuts. It’s a lot of work and will drive you crazy. Grow tomatoes,” he said remembering a Russian heirloom tomato a neighbor up the road had brought them. Derrick knew the tomato his dad was referring to. He had made a sandwich from it. “Best tomato I’ve ever eaten.”

That Russian heirloom? It’s called a “Black From Tula.” It’s a big “black” tomato with 3- to 4-inch, slightly flattened, oblate, dark brown to purple fruit. It has deep green shoulders. Its flavor is heavenly, rich, slightly salty, with a smoky-fruit flavor. Another popular heirloom is the Marion, developed by the Clemson Extension Service in 1963. “Old timers love it,” said Derrick.

Radiator Charlie

Derrick started out with 20 plants, a test run featuring eight varieties. Four failed but four did well. History enthusiast Derrick forged ahead. “When my son Jackson Lee—I named him after Robert E Lee and Stonewall Jackson, whom I consider the best two generals in American history—was born in 2013, it didn’t deter my expansion of growing tomatoes. Farming was foreign to my wife since she grew up Rock Hill but she has adjusted quite well to this kind of life.” Today, Derrick grows mainline varieties with names as colorful as they are. Cherokee Purple, Black Krim (Crimean), German Johnson, a pink tomato, and the most colorful name of all, Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter.

“Radiator Charlie,” said Derrick, “owned land. That was the only thing he had. He had ethics and common sense but no education. He had will power and made a success of himself.” Radiator Charlie’s story is one of more than making do, of finding a way not just to survive but prosper. In the early 1930s, Marshall Cletis Byles was going through a tough time in his hometown of Logan, West Virginia. He ran a small repair shop at the bottom of a mountain, a good location, for the mountain was famed for overheating trucks, sending them steaming and hissing back down the mountain. He got a lot of business from trucks that never made it to the top, thus the moniker “Radiator Charlie.”

The Great Depression was making its presence known and Byles decided to develop a large tomato families could feast on. Though he had no training in plants he knew what he liked. He started with a German Johnson, Beefsteaks, an unknown Italian variety, and an unknown English variety. He grew plants from each variety and planted three Beefsteaks, three of the Italian variety, and three of the English variety in a circle. In the center, he planted the German Johnson.

Using a baby syringe, he cross-pollinated the German Johnson with pollen from other plants in the circle. He saved the seeds and planted them the next year. He selected the best seedlings and planted them in the middle of a circle, surrounded by the other seedlings. He repeated this strategy for six years, cross-pollinating the strongest plants in the center with pollen from plants in the circle. He ended up with a pretty good tomato and sold the seedlings for $1.00 each, a nice sum in his day. People drove hundreds of miles to buy his seeds. And here’s why. Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifters are red and pink, amongst the most flavorful heirloom tomatoes, and big, averaging 2 to 4 pounds. They bear fruit in about 80 days, are perfect for slicing, and produce an abundant crop. On top of that they resist disease and produce until frost does them in. Radiator Charlie, unlike all those trucks, climbed a mountain of his own and ascended to legend. Growers like Radiator Charlie and Derrick Gunter free you and me of red, perfect, tasteless grocery store tomatoes.

The Nurturing Cycle

Most American heirlooms trace their heritage to the mountains of Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. Yes, Ohio has mountains. They do well in these areas because of the climate. Down here, heat and humidity are heirlooms’ enemies. Derrick’s do well he says because “I nurture them.” That he does. You can make the case that the cycle of nurturing starts with the preparation of seeds, but we’ll discuss that last. Let’s start with planting.

In spring, he puts in twenty hours a week. He digs holes, plants, and lays down mulch. He prefers rye or wheat straw for mulch. Such mulch really cuts down on weeds. He gets his mulch from Stanley Shumpert, Lexington County’s last dairy farmer and his uncle.

He grows plants organically, though he points out that he isn’t “certified organic.” He plants marigolds as a natural pesticide. “I haven’t used any insecticides at all this year,” says Derrick. Marigolds deliver other bonuses. They attract beneficial wasps and pollinators and repel deer and nematodes.

He uses fish fertilizer on the plants. With the heavy lifting behind him, Derrick works six and a half hours a week during the growing season. When he’s ready to plant them he rinses them in water with just a touch of bleach to kill any pathogens present. A week before Valentine’s Day he puts the seeds in “grow soil” beneath grow lights. “After a month, they go into bigger pots,” said Derrick. “The first of April they can go into the soil.” Derrick plants one variety per row. Tomatoes are self-pollinators. Each plant has both sexes needed for pollination. Isolating tomatoes can reduce cross-pollination but wind and bees will still cross-pollinate them.

Now comes the growing season, the nurturing season’s apex when rain is a blessing, a time that makes many a kitchen a better place, a time that makes restaurant owners happy. “Naturally, one to two inches of rain per week is preferable,” said Derrick. “However, that’s not usually the case. If you are going to water your plants, it’s best to use a slow drip system. I avoid directly watering the plants from the top. That speeds up fungal problems.” He passes a tip along for us would-be growers: “It’s better to underwater than overwater.”

All the nurturing produces vines bejeweled with tomatoes of varying colors result, not the monochromatic red so prevalent in non-heirloom varieties. From these not-so-round heirloom tomatoes come savory flavors. Among them, Derrick seeks the progenitors of next season’s plants.

“I go to the middle of the row and pick out the biggest, healthiest tomatoes for seeds. Once he collects the seeds, he puts them in a cup of water in a jar. He shakes it to break up the gel that coats the seeds. The next step is to place the seeds on paper towels where they dry. When they’re good and dry, into the refrigerator they go until planting time. That’s when the real fun begins for those who love a classic sandwich thick with slices of summer’s savory heirloom tomatoes slathered with Duke’s mayonnaise.

“An heirloom tomato,” says Derrick, “is a heritage variety that has been lost to hybridization that’s red, round, “perfect,” and tasteless. This prompts Derrick to quote the late Andy Rooney. “The federal government has sponsored research that has produced a tomato that is perfect in every respect, except that you can’t eat it.”

Heirloom tomatoes serve up a lesson about people. In our image-crazed society, pretty people generally get a lot more attention than they deserve, sort of like round, red, perfect tasteless tomatoes. How easily we overlook what really matters. Plain people, often relegated to the background, quietly go about their business making the world a better place.

As for Derrick Gunter? Well, he made a good decision when he chose to plant heirloom tomatoes, not peanuts. Consider him a bit of a preservationist. “The benefit of the heirloom is remembering the past and securing the future,” said Derrick. “When you’re dead and gone, your family can enjoy the exact same thing you enjoyed. We as a society, by preserving our heritage produce in a fast-changing world, give others a never-changing world. Something that stands the test of time.”

Derrick Gunter’s Tomato Sandwich Recipe
White Sunbeam Bread
Duke’s Mayonnaise only
Any fully ripe pink or black or mixture heirloom tomato
Salt & Pepper
Armor Brand Dried Beef

Derrick Gunter’s Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe
Any green tomato
Salt for 45 minutes to draw water out
Slice average thickness
Sprinkle with salt
Coat with mix half self-rising flour and half fish fry mix
Fry in vegetable or peanut oil

About the Author: Tom Poland’s work has appeared in magazines throughout the South. Among his recent books are Classic Carolina Road Trips from Columbia; Georgialina: A Southland, as We Knew It; and Reflections of South Carolina, Vol2. Swamp Gravy, Georgia’s Official Folk Life Drama, staged his play, Solid Ground. He writes a weekly column for newspapers and journals in Georgia and South Carolina about the South, its people, traditions, lifestyle and changing culture and speaks to groups across South Carolina and Georgia. Tom grew up in Lincoln County, Georgia, and graduated from the University of Georgia. He lives in Columbia, South Carolina, where he writes about “Georgialina” – his name for eastern Georgia and South Carolina.

This article is also a chapter in Tom’s recent book, “South Carolina Country Roads: Of Train Depots, Filling Stations & Other Vanishing Charms,” which can be purchased on Amazon.com.

Bring the bright and sunny feeling of a tropical vacation to your home with the addition of a few new houseplants. A perfect home décor addition, houseplants not only enhance ambiance, they also cleanse and freshen air. Studies have also shown that the presence of houseplants in your home and office can elevate your mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve focus and performance. Houseplants are able to enrich your life in so many ways, however, we suggest that you take a few things into consideration when making your selection to ensure that your tropical treasure will not only survive but thrive.