Annual Farm Tour

Larry and I had a wonderful time touring Billy’s Boer Goat Meat Farm, owned by our friend, Gaylene Carson and her husband.  The weather was perfect and Gaylene gave an excellent tour, explaining the various aspects of a self sustaining farm.  We got to view the barn and the areas where the momma goats give birth, the raised garden beds, herb gardens and the bee hives.   Gaylene had a “viewer’s box” set up where you could actually see the hives and the bees doing their “thing”.  It was quite interesting.  Gaylene’s son, Billy (the namesake for the Farm) also provided some excellent information throughout the tour and gave a great demonstration on vermicomposting (composting with earthworms) and answered questions from the tour participants.  Billy is an active member of the Local 4-H.  After the tour was completed, Gaylene’s husband had the goat meat burgers on the grill hot and ready for everyone, complete with baked beans, chips and drinks.

Thank you to Gaylene and her family for giving of their time and for sharing their wonderful farm with all of us.  We really enjoyed it!

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Rain Gardens Class at the Walhalla Library

I enjoyed a very interesting class at the Walhalla Library this week.  The topic was on Rain Gardens and our instructor, Laurie Churchill, gave a very good presentation showing the many ways that we can save and reuse the rain water by piping it from our rooftops to the natural areas on our property where the water runs or by using rain barrels connected to a downspout.

She also provided some handouts with very valuable information.  The links to the sites are listed below:

www.clemson.edu/public/carolinaclear/                                                                                           www.scnps.org                                                                                                                      www.raingardens.org

Thank you to Laurie Churchill and all of the Master Gardeners who have been so generous to give of their time and expertise to offer these FREE Gardening Classes at the area Libraries.  We all really appreciate it.

Learning About Herbs & Their Uses

Today I enjoyed a very interesting and informative FREE class at the Library in Pickens.  The topic for today’s class was on Growing and Using Herbs.  Master Gardener, Jo Ann Brewer, gave a wonderful presentation and gave everyone a couple of handouts with some great information.  She also brought a nice assortment of herbs, both dried and fresh, as well as small pots of different herbs from her garden for participants to take home with them.  There was a good turnout.  The libraries in both Pickens and Walhalla are having FREE gardening classes through the month of June.  Check out our MEETINGS & CLASSES tab for schedule of upcoming classes.

Prior to going to the class, I picked up 16 clay pots in assorted sizes and 1 really big wooden planter with a plant roller that I won at a local auction.  I got the entire lot for only $23.00 which was a fantastic deal.  They even threw in a cute little birdhouse.

After leaving the class, I couldn’t wait to get home and start transplanting my herbs into the clay pots.  I had them growing in some window boxes but they were starting to get crowded.  Now they will be able to grow and thrive with plenty of room.  After removing the herbs from the flower boxes, I planted some flower bulbs in them.  Can’t wait for them to start coming up.  I was able to get everything planted except for the big wooden planter because I ran out of soil.  One more bag ought to do it.

There is nothing more enjoyable or fulfilling than getting to dig in the dirt and see the results of your labor when the plants start to grow and thrive AND as an added bonus, getting to smell all of the wonderful fragrances of the various herbs.  Aroma Therapy at it’s best!!!!                   

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Music on the Mountain

We spent a delightful afternoon on Saturday at the Table Rock State Park Lodge listening to old time country, gospel and bluegrass music.  Every 2nd Saturday of the month, local musicians meet to play together and to pass the mike.  People bring covered dishes to share for a donation and the setting of the lodge makes for a perfect background.  The lodge was built in the 30′s and 40′s by the CCC and is located in a beautiful, picturesque setting overlooking Table Rock Mountain and the Lake below.

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SC Botanical Gardens in the Spring

Larry and I spent the afternoon on Good Friday enjoying the beauty of the South Carolina Botanical Gardens located in Clemson.  There were so many varieties of plants in full bloom and the smell of the blossoms permeated throughout the area with light breezes.  It was nice sitting under the arbor covered in beautiful white roses while watching for butterflies and hummingbirds in the butterfly garden area.  Every Friday evening, starting at 6:00 PM, they have FREE concerts in the ampitheater area of the park.  The guest musician was a lovely lady named Gentry Rose.  She sang and played  an accoustic guitar and the music echoed throughout the gardens.

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Gardening for Butterflies Class @ Pickens County Library

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Today, I enjoyed a very interesting and informative class on Gardening for Butterflies at the Village Branch Library in Pickens.  John and Carolyn Turner gave a wonderful presentation and everyone received handouts with lots of good information including what plants to use to provide nectar and what plants to use as host plants for the caterpilllars to feed on.  There was also a question and answer session.   We had a very nice turnout of both men and women.  Each month, the libraries in both Pickens and Oconee County hosts free classes such as this.  Give them a call or check out their websites for more information.  Also, click on our tab “Meetings & Classes” for a schedule of classes being held in the Upstate over the next few months.

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Basket Weaving from Recycled Materials

This month we had our monthly meeting at Lela’s House in Six Mile.  I taught the ladies how to weave a basket using recycled materials that we usually just throw away, ie newspapers, paper grocery bags, etc.    Special thanks to Barbara Thompson with the Farmfolks Farmgirls down in North Florida for teaching me how to do this.  Everyone had a good time learning this neat craft and enjoying good conversation.   Some of the girl’s who missed our first farmgirls meeting, when I taught them how to do chicken scratch embroidery, expressed an interest in learning how to do it at a future meeting.    For those who were unable to make tonight’s meeting, we missed you and hope you will be able to join us next month or at a future meeting.

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Don’t Forget about the Free Gardening Class on Monday

SOIL AMENDMENTS & FERTILIZERS                                                                                                            Monday, February 13th @ 1 PM @ the Walhalla Library – FREE                                                            Speaker:  Karen Terry                                                                                                                                   The basis of a good garden is the soil.  Learn how to change red dirt into rich, fertile soil by using amendments to provide for the needs of plants while building an inviting environment for beneficial organisms to enrich the soil.  A brief history of previous farming techniques which led to the loss of topsoil in the area will be included.

Couponing 101 Class at Library in Westminster was Great

Enjoyed a very interesting and informative class at the Oconee County Library in Westminster this evening.  The topic was on Couponing 101 and the room was packed.  We were all given lots of handouts with wonderful information on the stores in our area and what they offer with regards to coupons, rewards cards and other types of savings incentives.   The Branch Manager, Leah presented a wonderful PowerPoint presentation with lots of good information, and then offered to email it to anyone who was interested.  I’m looking forward to getting it.   A few websites that were brought up were:             **  My Points www.mypoints.com                                                                                                                 **  Saving Star  www.savingstar.com                                                                                                           **  Southern Savers www.southernsavers.com                                                                                           **  U Promise  www.upromise.com .                                                                                                               Be sure to check out the Oconee County Library website at www.oconee.lib.sc.us for information on upcoming topics and events. **************************************************************************************************************************   All references to websites are for informational purposes only with no attempt to profit from them in any way.   **************************************************************************************************************************

Woody Stem Florals Class was very Informative

Today, the Oconee County Library in Walhalla, hosted a very interesting and informative FREE gardening class. Today’s topic was on Woody Stem Florals, with particular emphasis on the Pussy Willow.  Master Gardener, Lou Christensen of Cane Creek Harbor, brought many different varieties, all of which were grown right here in Upstate South Carolina and gave each participant a clipping from two of the varieties with instructions on how to root them. We were told that there are 350 different types of willows with 35 of those being in the Pussy Willow family. It was also interesting to hear stories on the history of the pussy willow. Ann Miller, of The Happy Berry in Six Mile, was also on hand to give information and instructions on getting our sprouts to grow and flourish.  If you are interested in obtaining more information on woody stem florals and pussy willows, be sure to check out this show or contact Lou Christensen at (864) 886-9966 or ludchris@bellsouth.net.

The Oconee County Library in Walhalla is hosting FREE gardening classes every month thru June.  Click on the MEETINGS & CLASSES tab on this site for the upcoming schedule and topics.              

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