homegrown- Might those be oleander? We have them all over in FL. BTW- they are poisonous.

Hi flgargoyle, nope, it's not oleander. The leaves of this are shorter, broader and shiner than the oleander leaves. Thanks for your response!!

Cherie, I have about 10 of those angelonias in small pots waiting to be planted. I noticed that one of them is even blooming! I thought I would have some to trade at the Greenville Swap, but guess I missed it. Glad the glads are doing well!

I grew up in SC. Sumter was my home. I live in Massachusetts now. Our season is very short compared to SC. We can't plant with confidence until Memorial Day weekend. I love gardening and when I hear from people who can garden almost all year I get jealous. Wishing everyone in the Carolinas a wonderful gardening season.

Peggy

Wow, did I miss a swap in Greenville? I've not been on the board a lot lately but can't believe I missed THAT...boo hoooo!

Cherie - could the plant be Indian Hawthorn? My mother has one side of her property bordered with Indian Hawthorn and they are currently in full bloom...with pink flowers.

RENEE

Renee...I googled Indian Hawthorn and that's it!!! Thank you!! I knew someone here would know. Do you (or your Mom) have any insight into the good, the bad and the ugly about these? I'm off to find out if they are hardy in Zone 7. Again, thank you!

Cherie - I don't know a bunch about Indian Hawthorn. I'd ask my mother but she's on vacation in North Carolina with her sister.
Anyway, I'll tell you what little I do know about the plants growing in my mom's yard.
Not all varieties of this plant are equal..some do better than others. My mother apparently has 2 pink flowering varieties in her border and one of them does much better than the other. The variety that doesn't do well seems prone to some kind of fungal/bacterial leaf spot, while the other variety growing right next to it isn't touched. I couldn't begin to explain why that would occur.

They are planted in a full sun position and get supplemental watering via a soaker hose. I think my dad feeds them once or twice per year with a fertilizer for acid-loving plants, so they must like acidic soil conditions.

I couldn't say if they're hardy in your zone.
If you do a google search on this plant, I'm sure you'll come up with lots of information.
Good Luck -- it's a pretty shrub. My mom's hawthorns get little berries on them in the fall or winter...can't remember which.

RENEE

Hey I am just joining this board. I am in Charleston.

Checkers- We just moved here from Sarasota also.

garden noob- I miss my family and seeing the bayfront when in town, but other than that don't miss much. But, I will say I still feel like I'm on another planet.
Actually, I was born in Sarasota, but lived in North Port the last 14 years before we moved.

I went to Ringling many years ago...those are the best beaches down there.

---Even though we moved to Raleigh nearly 2 years ago, we still have our house of 36 years in Taylors. My wife is a Greenville High graduate and one daughter graduated from Clemson. With all of the family we have in the Greenville area, we will still be coming back 'home' on a regular basis for a long time to come.

Checkers-

Yesterday we pulled out our beach tent for the girls to play in and a bunch of sand from Siesta Beach fell out. It was sad. I love it here, but the beaches don't compare.

Noob

noob- There's nothing like Siesta Key sand. You know it's won "best sand in the world" a few times. The only thing wrong with Siesta beach is parking and the crowds. I used to love getting to the beach early in the day when the water was still calm. I do miss that.
I got to spend time near Asheville this weekend. That drive between Greenville and Asheville sure is prettier than traveling up 75 in Florida.

I am new to the site and live on Lake Wateree near Columbia. I grew up in Pickens county and still have plenty of family in the upstate!

Hi all: I'm in Orangeburg, as you can see by my zone.
Gardening is my vice. I'm in the yard everyday it doen't rain or snow......LOL

Hello everyone,
I live in Manning which is Santee Cooper area, Lake Marion, great fishing. Lived here all my life. Where is everyone's trade list? Very few have any seeds or plants listed. Get busy and add some as I love to trade plants and meet new people. We are having some beautiful days, but desperately need rain.

Have a great day,
Annette

N of Cola.

Who goes to the Plant and Flower Festivals? Held twice a year, spring and fall, at Colunbia, Florence, and Greenville farmers markets. They at least once had one at Ladson farmers market near Charleston but they seem to have given that up.

gonebananas...I went to the one in Greenville last fall and again on May 5 of this year...found some really neat things at neat prices!!

I enjoy the Greenville and Florence shows more than the one here. Those areas are a bit more diverse or exploratory in their gardening tastes. The show here is bigger than Greenville's but it is mainly lots of what you can find anywhere, though at good prices, with only a few unusuals.

Grew up in Clemson and my parents still live there. I like to read this forum to see what gardening is like at home. I didn't actually garden myself until I moved to Baltimore.

If you don't count being forced to mow the yard, with a heart full of bitter resentment that my parents believed in child labor. Which really isn't gardening.

Hello all! I'm in Pelion, SC, in Lexington County. And yes, growing in sand is a real challenge! (Maybe I should change my user name to claudia_WANNABEsandgrower!)

Hi Everyone! I'm Gayle and I live in Columbia. Southeast side of town. Anyone else in my neck of the woods?

Hi Gayle! I work at USC in Columbia... I lived in the downtown area for 18 years until I married husband #2 - the "Pelionite"! What part of the southeast side?

Claudia

Rose garderer in Southeast Columbia here. Love ponding as well. Anyone want to trade plants in Columbia SC area let me know. Got tons to trade or divide.

Hi to all I live in Myrtle Beach/ Conway and i am new to this site.My Husband was born in Lakecity & moved to Charleston sc and we were married in 1992 & i lived there for 8 years and moved back to Conway & bought 15 ac and boy what a job designing a yard.I was born ans rasied in Conway /Myrtle and love it here.

I live NE of columbia! Good to see so many local folks here. Hey...we should do a plant swap some time. Interested?? I hosted one at my house about 4 years ago.

I have all kinds to swap or just give away. I am re-doing a perennial bed and have too many plants now.
email me at JMorris271@aol.com if you are interested.

I just sent you an Email. I'd love to trade with you for some perennials. I just put in a BIG perennial bed that looks mighty skimpy. lol!

Hi Claudia, Jmorris271, and Ccoombs - Fellow Columbians. I'm near the VA hospital. Claudia, I work in downtown Columbia as well. Not far from USC. Jmorris271, if you are still offering perennials in the fall I may take you up on it. I don't think that I'll have my new bed ready until then and need to wait to cooler weather anyway. Did you guys get any of the good rain over the weekend?

I live in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. I've started a small organic vegetable garden (30' x 60') We are new to the area and would welcome any suggestions as to heirloom varieties that would do well here in the sandhills area.

Hi from Florence SC as the crow flies Chesterfield is not that far. I don't do organic gardening but I don't use harsh chemicals. You ought to be able to find alot of heirloom varieties to plant in your veggie garden. My soil is a clay soil so I can't really suggest the heirlooms in my garden. Dale

I'm in Pendleton.

Gerri

Just saw this thread... I'm in the Cherrydale area of Greenville.

Glad to see this thread bumped up. Cherrydale is right in between Greenville and Travelers Rest- we shop there a lot when we visit. Way back, someone mentioned how beautiful springtime is in the upstate- we were there in April, and loved it! Cherries and redbuds were out, and dogwood was just starting. That, and everyone had pansies in full bloom. I can't wait to get started on our place. I'm working with a designer to finalize our house design, so steps are being taken. Since this thread started, we've also cleared the path for our driveway, so at least we can pretend to drive up to our house!

Campobello here, the fourth season and its been a learning experience. From a water garden (all hints and building plans learned here) to the veg and herb gardens. And so much more to learn. Got a great rain storm last night and again this morning so maybe might have grass in the pastures for the donkeys and horse.

Kershaw SC here, about 15 miles SE of Lancaster and about 35 miles NE of Columbia. I'm on the edge of the sandhills, and struggling to learn the sand thing too. I'm originally from the Charlotte area, not that far but a world of difference in Clay and Sand. The one thing I'm enjoying, it's much easier to dig holes here. :-) And my dirt is more of a loam, not pure sand but it does have a heavy sand content. I have 15 acres and am starting my gardens and yard from scratch at my new house. I love this area, beautiful country and quiet!! Exactly what I wanted and why I moved! :-)

I wish I could find more gardeners near Pendleton! I've done a couple of in person plant trades and they are fun.

I'm Gayle on the southeast side of Columbia.

Yemassee, moved down this spring from WV. Loving it.

I'm in Columbia/Irmo, mostly growing roses. Planted a veg. garden this spring for the first time. Can't wait to pick those tomatoes.

I'm in Pendleton too. Thanks gnomey for the recent in person trading. I would love to do more in person trading. Don't forget everyone that there is an upstate sc plant swap on Sept. 20th in Greer, SC.
Erin

I am in Florence, SC. we lived in Myrtle for 10 years and gardeing at the beach is very diffrent from being inland. We are only 60 miles inland but no breeze, less rain and HOT makes a big diffrence in what you can and cannot plant and what needs water etc. Anybody else in Florence??

Up here in Six Mile

My name is Keith. I moved from Shelby, between Asheville and Charlotte, NC, in December. I now live in Yemassee, SC, and have just opened a new garden center on I-95 at exit 33, Point South. The name of my store is Plants on the Point. I have been on Gardenweb for a couple of years, but was using kal2769 as my handle until I moved. I love this site and all the great people I've met through it.
harleygal,
Welcome! What brings you down to this area?
---Keith

Hi all I am in Lexington,Sc just recently moved here from Northern California.....Still getting the hang of growing in the sand...Any expert advice out there? :0)
Natasha

Hi Natasha! I am WAY FAR from an expert, but...

MULCH MULCH MULCH and AMEND AMEND AMEND! (Got that advice a few years ago from one of the regulars here... can't remember who at the moment!) My soil still isn't great, but I started by adding bags of topsoil and mushroom compost and mixing it up into my beds. I hear leaf mold mulch is great, but I haven't tried it yet. I have lots of deciduous trees in my yard, and I use the raked leaves to make my own mulch. Six years later, and I've turned what was nothing but a sand pile into something I can be proud of. Nothing like what the REAL experts and pros here have going on, but we plant and learn! ;-))

Plant acid-loving plants if your soil is acid (it probably is, but you may want to test it). My azaleas grow like crazy and they're beautiful every year. Crape Myrtle loves it here. Purple Heart grows well, as does lantana. If you've got shade and large containers or raised beds, impatiens will give you breathtaking color from April to November.

My mom loves to say, "stick a dollar plant into a five-dollar hole." I do that whenever I plant a new shrub, tree or perennial! I've also discovered the joys of container gardening... I love to use huge to small sized containers of everything from annuals to evergreens. (There's a container gardening forum on GW, too.) In the winter I can move the evergreens around so there's always something going on in the garden.

Containers can also be almost anything! I love to haunt thrift stores and yard sales for "finds". I've got some that I love and paid way too much for, and I have other that I love just as much and got - or made - for free.

I work at USC in Columbia, and the campus has beautiful landscaping. If you have a chance, talk a stroll around it and take your camera. If you don't know what you're looking at, visit the Name that Plant forum here on GW and post a picture or link to a photo-sharing website. (I use PhotoBucket.) I don't know what those guys over there do, but I've never failed to get an answer almost immediately on anything I've posted... once someone in Australia identified my Cabbage Tree!

Best advice of all - visit this forum often! There's are folks here who can answer any question you can possible dream up... even though I'm not one of them!

Welcome to SC - smiles and hugs to you!

Claudia

Hi from Hilton Head. I'm Robin and we moved here on Friday from Upstate New York. We love the climate here.
I can't do any gardening, except containers, yet. I have alot to learn about gardening here.
This is a beautiful island. Difficult to get around but beautiful.

HI,
Just checking things out around here this morning and found yall. I live in Graniteville, or at least that is my address,I also live in the city limits of Burnettown, I have a Bath phone number and Breezy Hill water. If you are still lost I live in Aiken County, just across the river from Augusta Ga. I grew up in Middle Georgia on a small farm and loving gardening. My garden grows in sand and sun!

Hey yall,just happen to pop in and see this thread,I am from Laurens SC,I am most of the time in the brugmansia forum.Nice to know there are a few gardeners close I was begnning to think every one lived in Tx.Nice to met ya.Bonnie