Sea Island Savory Herbs

 

The January 2024 meeting of the Seabrook Island Garden Club featured presenters Ella Cowan and Danielle Spies, co-owners of Sea Island Savory Herbs plant nursery on Johns Island. They began their presentation by providing some history about the property. The herb farm has been in existence since the 1970’s and is located along Church Creek. The original owner and his wife had a special interest in growing herbs, and the wife was known locally as the “Herb Lady.” Prior to taking over the business about ten years ago, both Ella and Danielle worked on the farm and came to view it as a unique place.

 As the name implies, Sea Island Savory Herbs specializes in selling herbs, with a focus on culinary herbs. Additionally, they sell succulents, perennials, and seasonal vegetables. They are looking to add medicinal herbs to their current offerings. Most of what they sell is grown on the property from cuttings taken from existing plants. Unlike large nursery centers, they specialize in plants that thrive in our local climate. As an example of this, they sell an herb called culantro. It is similar in taste to cilantro but is easier to grow in this area.

Danielle spent a portion of her presentation explaining how to propagate herbs through cuttings. At their farm, almost all their plants are propagated this way as it is much more cost effective than purchasing seeds, plugs, or live plants. She encouraged home gardeners to do the same as propagation is relatively simple—take cuttings, strip off the bottom leaves, use a root hormone to stimulate growth, plant the cuttings in soil, and water daily. Once the cuttings take root, they can then be transplanted to larger pots.

Both Ella and Danielle encourage people to visit the farm. They are more than happy to answer questions about the plants they sell. They want gardeners of all ages to be successful with whatever they grow. Although their farm is relatively “deer proof,” they can offer advice on plants that can be grown in areas with large deer populations. In particular, they have had success with salvias and offer a wide selection of salvias in the spring.

 The farm welcomes visitors of all ages. Even if you are not interested in growing plants, the farm has 15 acres of camellias for viewing. Sea Island Savory Herbs is located at 5920 Chisolm Road, Johns Island, SC 29455. Their hours of operation vary seasonally and are posted on their website: www.seaislandsavoryherbs.net.

                                                                            Submitted by Susan McLaughlin

Light Up Contest December 2023

Thank you for entering the Holiday Light Up Contest.   The displays ranged from classic designs to whimsy and everything in between.  For the first time, we have a tie for 1st Place. 
The winners are:  

• 1st Place  3076 Marshgate Dr 
• 2540 The Bent Twig
• 2nd Place 3028 Marsh Haven
• 3rd Place 2525 Pelican Perch
• Honorable Mention: 3227 Middle Dam and 2779 Little Creek

 

Wreath Making

 Lucie's Very Own

Wreath Making with Lucie Kulze, using native and naturalized plants from the forest and fields around Lucie's home in the ACE Basin of South Carolina.  

Ann Bavier

Carol Price

Julie Minch

Robin Aaron

,Debbie Daskaloff

, Beth Wright

Hydroponic Gardening

 

 

Rogers Kyle, a Seabrook Island resident and former MUSC teaching faculty member, discussed Hydroponic Gardening at the November Seabrook Island Garden Club meeting. Kyle, a do-it-you selfer and gardener, built a simple but efficient hydroponic system to grow lettuce and herbs from seeds year-round. Hydroponics is the technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil.  

 

With minimal technical skills and by watching a YouTube video, Kyle said any of us could build a hydroponic system. But we could also purchase a complete system on Amazon. He said you need plants or seeds, a container, water, a way to anchor the plants, nutrients, and a light source to grow hydroponically. The basic system suspends the plants above a water tank, and the roots hang into the container where they absorb water and nutrients. Every system has pros and cons; some are simple and a good fit for the amateur gardener, while others can get very complex and are suitable for commercial operations.

 

Once planted, the hydroponic gardener must diligently manage the crop to ensure the plants receive the proper nutrients and pH. A pH meter makes this easy to do. Other challenges are keeping out algae and deterring the birds, marsh rats, squirrels, and deer that also like his lettuce.

Dr. Kyle’s system is in the sun on his deck during the summer and under LED lights in his garage in the winter. Within a year, Kyle successfully harvested several lettuce crops without ever having to pull any weeds. 

 

                                                                                                Submitted by Carol Price

Growing Orchids in South Carolina

 American Orchid Society. The mission of the CCOS is to provide people in the Charleston area with opportunities to learn more about orchids and with a forum to interact with other orchid enthusiasts.

 

While most people are probably familiar with the Phalaenopsis orchid commonly sold in nurseries and grocery stores, participants in the workshop were surprised to learn there are over 28,000 different types of orchids. While widely viewed as tropical or semi-tropical plants, orchids grow in many climates. They are found on every continent in the world. The United States alone has over 250 native species of orchids, with each type having differing growing requirements.

 

According to Ms. Greenwood/Koch, with so many different species, it can be hard to generalize orchid care, but she did offer the following tips on caring for orchids. Most orchids prefer indirect sunlight and do best in southeast-facing windows. While orchids like high humidity, it is important not to overwater or allow the roots to sit in water. She suggested never watering the leaves, only the roots. Their roots need aeration, so orchids are typically grown in sphagnum moss, orchid mix or orchiata (New Zealand orchid bark). Orchids also prefer to be root-bound, making transplanting unnecessary unless the potting medium has broken down or the roots have outgrown the pot. Orchids can be grown outside but should be brought indoors once temperatures approach freezing. Throughout her presentation, Ms. Greenwood/Koch emphasized customizing the care to find what keeps your particular orchid plant healthy. She repeatedly stated, “If your plant looks healthy, keep doing what you are doing.” She has a large collection of orchids at her home in Mt. Pleasant. She brought several of her plants to show some of the different types of orchids that can be grown in the Lowcountry. Her interest in orchids began as a result of her husband gifting her orchids for special occasions. She felt compelled to learn about their care, and this led to a lifelong passion and involvement with CCOS. Information on joining the Coastal Carolina Orchid Society is available at www.coastalcarolinaos.org.

 

The next meeting of the Seabrook Island Garden Club will take place on November 10 at the Oyster Catcher Community Center. It will feature Seabrook’s own Rogers Kyle, who will be doing a presentation on hydroponic gardening. Other upcoming events include a trip to the Barrier Island Oyster Company, a “pop-up event” bingo social at the Pelican’s Nest, and a holiday wreath-making workshop. Current members are encouraged to email photographs of their gardens to Debbie Daskaloff at ddaskaloff@aol.com. Anyone interested in joining the Seabrook Island Garden Club for the 2023-2024 year can find information at sigardenclub.blogspot.com under the “Join Us” tab. Membership will remain open until October 30.

 

Seabrook Island Garden Club 2023-2024 “Let’s Talk Some Dirt!”

 

 

Submitted by Susan McLaughlin, Seabrook Island Garden Club Publicity

Photo credits: Vivien Joklik and Susan McLaughlin

 

Join the Seabrook Island Garden Club

 Seabrook Island Garden Club

Whether you are an experienced gardener, or just someone who enjoys the beauty of the flora and fauna of our beautiful Island, we welcome you to the Seabrook Island Garden Club. The time has come to renew your membership or enroll for the first time for the 2023-2024 year!

About the Garden Club

Our meetings are held on the second Friday of each month from September through May, beginning at 9:30 am at the Oyster Catcher Community Center. Our members enjoy visiting with each other over coffee and refreshments. The business meeting begins at 10:00 am followed by a special presentation. Each month we present unique programs that will pique your interest and inspire you to better appreciate our wonderful surroundings.

Our Program Chair has put together another year of interesting programs, followed by our end our year special Garden Club Luncheon in the late Spring.

2023-2024

Membership Form

(Print, Detach, and Return)

Name _______________________________________________

Address _____________________________________________

Email _______________________________________________

Telephone ___________________________________________

_____ I require a Gate Pass for the meetings I’d like to sign up to:

_____ Volunteer for next year’s Club leadership

_____ Serve on a committee - Please specify

________________________________

MEMBERSHIP FORMS MUST BE INCLUDED WITH

A CHECK FOR $25.00 and mailed to:

ANN ZIELINSKI

2403 High Hammock Rd.

Seabrook Island, SC 29455 203-339-0019

ahz2403@gmail.com

Make check payable to:

Seabrook Island Garden Club

While you may join the Garden Club at any  time, to be included in the membership booklet, please return the form and check by October 15.

End of Year Luncheon - May 11, 2023

 Members of the Seabrook Island Garden Club gathered on May 11^th to celebrate another year of cultivating friendships and learning about gardening and more!  The festive, annual End of Year Luncheon was held in the Atlantic Room of the Island House and was well attended with seventy-seven members joining in on the fun.  Special thanks are owed to the Chair of the End of Year Luncheon  Committee, Deb Duerr, and her team, for planning the menu, décor, door prizes and everything that made this event so memorable.

 After outgoing President, Karen Nuttall, called a brief meeting to order, prior meeting minutes were approved and Treasurer, Patti Tully, provided a financial status update.  Julie Minch, Chair of Programs and Events, delivered an exciting update on plans to create a monarch butterfly waystation near the garden plots. Next, the slate of new officers for the 2023-2024 year was announced and approved.  It included:  President – Carol Price, Vice President – Sally Boudinot, Treasurer – Patti Tully, Co-Recording Secretaries – Ann Bavier and Melissa Andrews, and Corresponding Secretary – Blair Pugh.

 After the business portion of the meeting was concluded, Karen provided a heartwarming address to members reflecting upon her last two years while serving as president of the organization. Prior to this assignment, she held the offices of Vice President and Chair of Programs and Events. Carol Price presented Karen with an appreciation gift of a lovely, marble, engraved charcuterie tray with accessory utensils. A delicious three course plated lunch and dessert pastries were enjoyed, and the afternoon concluded with the drawing of door prizes, more socializing and photos.

 

Submitted by Beth Wright, Seabrook Island Garden Club Publicity

 

 

Marilyn Armstrong and Jo Eisenhauer

Table of Members

Julie Minch

Jamie Mixson and others

DebDeurr

Centerpiece

Carol Price

Victoria Fehr