Places We Visited in 2007

There are gardening centers that specialize in certain types of plant material. Then, there are garden centers that specialize in just about everything for the home landscape. Such is the case for Hyams Garden and Accent Store located on James Island, just outside of Charleston, South Carolina. Join Roland Alston and Team Making It Grow as they visit with George Hyams, a former Clemson football player, and owner of Hyams Garden and Accent Store.

Team Making It Grow had the chance to visit John Morris in Greenville, SC, where he not only has a formal garden he has a lot of fun with his garden.  John shares of how you can make any garden look appealing while incorporating some aspects of fun.

Team “Making It Grow!” had the opportunity to visit one of the largest turkey farms in South Carolina. We found out about the turkeys and their expensive feed bill. We also had the chance to eat a delicious Thanksgiving dinner by a local caterer around Camden, South Carolina.   This is one Thanksgiving Dinner you don’t want to miss.

Roland Alston visits a large 14 acre gourd farm near Laurens, SC. Ghost Creek Gourds is one of the largest gourd farms in South Carolina, growing a wide variety of different shapes and sizes of gourds right here in the Palmetto State.

The South Carolina State Fair is well known for its delicious food and its abundance of rides, but it’s also an educational event for all South Carolinians. Roland, Amanda, and Debbie take us to the Ellison Building, and for those who are interested in horticulture you will see why it’s educational in nature.

Team Making It Grow visits Black River Tools a family enterprise just outside of Manning, South Carolina which has come up with wonderful ways to make bird houses that can add beauty to your yard and feed our feathered friends.

Roland Alston and Team Making It Grow visit Mount Vintage in Edgefield County, which is known for giving South Carolina ten governors, and their tremendous amount of history and gardening. Following along with a current trend, Mount Vintage has taken an old plantation and turned it into a golf course and resort area. Join us as we explore the beautiful landscaping of this historic resort area.

Team Making It Grow visits James Island, SC, where Roxanne Werowinski makes a difference in the Palmetto State by not only gardening in her own yard, but also on public land by landscaping the right away. Showing how an individual gardener can make a difference in their community.

The MIG Team wants to prove that gardening does have sentimental reasons for the gardeners who tend to them and this episodes guest is no exception. Rowland Alston visits Nelson Smith in Greenwood,SC. Alston discovers that old logs make great centerpieces for gardens and with every unique item in a garden there almost certainly is a unique story to go along with the item. Alston knows this and asks Smith to elaborate on that back-story. He does and said that he begged a friend to let him have the log and he did. The next step was accenting the log so Smith preceded to accent the log with Black Eyed Susan, hastas and some Begonias but that is not all there is a creepy alligator. Smith calls his Hasta Garden Shade Garden his “air conditioner in the morning.” If one visits Smith’s garden one will see circles for a reason because Smith has a large Plenum bush that rounded out quite nicely into a circular shape. Do you like containers to showcase your plants in? Well, if you do you are not alone because Smith does too! Please be aware that you will have to water the plants everyday in the containers even though it is a hard job.

8-4-07

The host of “Making It Grow” Rowland Alston visits The Dunes Golf Course of Myrtle Beach, SC. Rowland Alston speaks with Steve Hamilton, Golf Course Superintendent of The Dunes Golf and Beach Club. Alston and Hamilton discuss the fact that the golf course is the second oldest golf course in The Grand Strand area. It was built in 1948.The oldest was built in 1927. Golfers who like the sight of water when they are golfing are in luck because The Dunes Golf Course features the lovely view of The Singleton Swash, which leads out into the ocean. Hamilton also reveals that the staff at The Dunes Golf Course try to copy the grasses found in the swash itself and bring them inward closer to the golf course. The MIG Team wants to know more about how to manage a golf course therefore Alston asks about many different processes. There is a putting grass that can withstand massive amounts of sodium and Hamilton goes on to explain the history behind the putting grass. He says that the putting grass is Seashore Pass Pallum, which is becoming more popular with today’s golfers and the golf industry. Hamilton has the understanding that the greens were brought over on slave ships. The slaves kicked the grass onto the beaches and it thrived near saltwater. This golf course is as clever as a fox. This golf course has many animal foxes in their dens.

Did you ever wish to know about the growth and development of trees? The MIG team did as well so Rowland Alston paid a visit to The Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories in Charlotte, NC. Alston talks with owner Robert Bartlett about the pride of this business being a family run business. To the family’s dismay they can not take pride in the fact that the Bartlett pear was named after them because it was not. The Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories have a very well rounded staff six of the employees have P.H.D’s,, four of which work in Charlotte, NC, and several are HM professors at Clemson University. Alston also talks with Dr. Thomas Smiley is a researcher for Bartlett Tree Laboratories. Smiley and Alston got to the root of homeowners’ questions.

Team MIG visits with an old gardening friend Sidi Limehouse of Rosebank Farms in the mid-90’s and they back again to discuss the expansion of the farm, which located in Charleston, SC. The expansion deals with having over 2,000 types of plants and Limehouse may not have rosy cheeks but that is fine because has several different types of roses to make up for this fact The Walnut Hill School and Museum may be found behind the farms. It has great history that a tie in nicely with farm itself and with Low Country S.C. Alston asks Limehouse to explain the history further. Limehouse says that the school was built in 1860 that Limehouse rescued and now it is a museum telling people about John’s Island. What is missing one might ask? Well, nothing except the chickens, roosters, and goats. Do not worry Limehose has thought of that as well. He has chickens, roosters and goats.

7- 24-07

“Making It Grow” has always wanted to relate the show to everyday viewers like yourselves so to bring home the down-home message of the show. Rowland Alston visits Master Gardener Marie Land in Manning S.C. When visiting her garden one can only say that she has a little bit of everything. Here are some spectacular facts about this residential house and a South Carolina history lesson at the same time. In 1995 the SC State house were uprooting some trees of the SC State House. The SC State Hose said that they would give the trees to any SC resident who would paid to get the trees of state house grounds and Land being the true plant lover that she is said that she would pay. She now has SC State House trees on her property and Land gives dedication to them. Alston marvels at this fact. This garden is a family affair because Land’s son crafted the entrance gates to her garden. Fish ponds are coming back at to Marie Land because has one. In addition to the many mystical features in Land’s garden there is a “secret garden” where fairies can be found. You may also put a penny in a jar to see a very pretty and ever-changing picture show!

7-17-07

Team MIG wants to experience the water with an extraordinary art form. Alston talks to Charles Williams a Gullah Artist in Mclellanville S.C. Williams makes cast nets. Alston wants to admire the brilliant craftsmanship of how the nets are put together piece by piece. There are big nets and small nets for as Williams humorously points out small fishermen at small ponds who catch small fish.

Team “Making It Grow!” had the opportunity to visit Hopeland Gardens in Aiken , SC. Hopeland Gardens is a 14 acre retirement community which has gardens that offer an escape from your overly busy day.  This is a special segment from the ETV Roadshow.  Don’t miss it!

The wine industry is growing in S.C and Rowland Alston host of making “Making It Grow” knows this fact but to investigate just how much the industry is indeed growing Rowland Alston visits Les Jayne of Victoria Valley Vineyards in Cleveland S.C. I trick you bet you thought I was going to say Cleveland Ohio. Jayne that says for his vineyard he says he uses bunch grapes instead of the typical muskadine grapes. Jayne believes that wine.tasting should be a joy for the palette and that a bunch grape produces that joy because one gets a combination of flavors such as a musty apple and a pear overlay. The vineyard takes great pride in their personal wines and to establish the unique taste of the wine the wine must stay in the barrel for nearly or two years. The wine is not the only that looks good at the vineyard the outside and inside has a European feel. Take us away!

4-24-07

Gardeners take pride in the seeds sow and florists take pride in the flowers they cut. The Tiger Lilly Florist in Charleston S.C owned and operated by Manny and Clara Gonzales is no different. The MIG Team wanted to see first hand the effectiveness of running a great and respected flower shop. The Gonzales won second runner in Florist Review Magazine for Florist of the Year. They tell Rowland Alston that for weddings and business events tropical themes are in so next time you ever need bamboo visit The Tiger Lilly Florist!

Team MIG rides over to Lexington to visit Erma Izard of Lexington Church of Christ to examine how their members incorporate their faith into a garden in front of the church. Izard explains why faith and gardening go hand in hand. She says the members of the church including her get to put their belief systems into action. The members want to create a welcoming environment. Rowland Alston admires the landscaping and the beautiful mixture of plants. The landscaping includes a water fountain and rocks. Alston points out an important part of the church which is the location the church on a wetland. Enjoy the landscaping and butterflies!

The MIG team visits Spartanburg S.C and the kudzu farm to join the fight for kudzu control by visiting Newt Hardie kudzu college and experiment station in order to show the public that kudzu is a major problem for their garden Since kudzu control is not well-known problem with a well-known solution in the world of gardening Rowland Alston questions with hard hitting questions to the long awaited answers and some disturbing yet hopeful facts. Alston’s only regret in his mission against kudzu is his lack of time to teach his viewers more.

Rowland Alston discusses the wonder that is wood and certainly it is a passion and a hobby of Alan Wooten’s who owns Boykin Tree Farm in Boykin S.C. Wooten gets to the heart of the heart of the matter when he looks inside a log of wood. Wooten’s wife as explained by Wooten himself says he would rather spend the whole day with wood than spend the whole day golfing because of Wooten’s strong passion Alston seemingly enjoys delving into how a typical sawmill runs.