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            • Kalmia Gardens - The Laurel Branch 5/6/2022

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              May 06, 2022

              Welcome to our e-newsletter, "The Laurel Branch."
              Week in the Wild
              Exciting summer fun will be happening at Kalmia Gardens again this summer with Week in the Wild! Week in the Wild is a great way for your child to have a safe, fun, hands-on learning experience in the natural environment. Our program is open to rising 1st through 6th graders. Nature study, arts and crafts, hikes, and games are just some of the activities we have planned for these not so lazy summer mornings. Registration is now open, and the half-day week-long camp costs $125. Dates for camp are July 11-15 for rising first and second grades, July 18-22 for rising third and fourth grades, and July 25-29 for rising fifth and sixth grades. We look forward to seeing your child in camp. Email Dan              dhill@coker.edu for more information.
               
              Chris’s Tip
              Today I am going to let you in on a little secret that’s actually no secret at all. If you are looking for information on any gardening topic (say, for instance, weed control, right plant right place, integrated pest management, turf care, or anything you could possibly think of), I would encourage you to point your browser to the Clemson Extension Home and Garden Information Center-HGIC (              hgic.clemson.edu), or you can access it HERE. This website is packed with research-based information. Not only does the site cover gardening topics, but also it covers food safety, nutrition, physical activity and health. The Clemson Extension HGIC site is truly a one stop shop for information, and I encourage you all to take advantage of it, I know we sure do!
              Dan's Interesting Plant
              This interesting plant is a broadleaf evergreen that is usually a 12-20 ft. shrub, but is occasionally taller and single-trunked, attaining small tree stature, and it is in full bloom at the Gardens right now. The description of this interesting plant which is blooming like crazy at the Gardens is as follows; Evergreen, many-stemmed, thicket-forming shrub or sometimes a small tree with short, crooked trunk; stout, spreading branches; a compact, rounded crown; and beautiful, large, pink flower clusters. Its flowers are very showy. They are bell-shaped, white to pink with deep rose spots inside, and occur in flat-topped clusters. The leaves are oval, leathery, and glossy, and change from light-green to dark-green to purple throughout the year.
              For me this is one of the most beautiful native flowering shrubs, and it is displayed as an ornamental in many parks. The stamens of the flowers have an odd, spring-like mechanism which spreads pollen when tripped by a bee. The wood has been used for tool handles and turnery, and the burls, or hard knot-like growths, for briar tobacco pipes. Linnaeus named this genus for his student Peter Kalm (1716-79), a Swedish botanist who traveled in Canada and the eastern United States.
              Have you guessed the name of this interesting plant? It’s Kalmia latifolia(Mountain laurel). This year we are experiencing an extraordinarily heavy bloom, and you really should come see it!
              DCMGA Plant Sale Wrap Up
              If you are reading this, I REALLY hope you were able to make it to the DCMGA plant sale, it was AMAZING! The plant sale volunteers once again outdid themselves. The three day event was a huge success, and happy customers went home with all sorts of wonderful plants. The sale had most everything, from tomatoes to pitcher plants, columbine to buckeyes, ornamentals to succulents and even more variety than will fit in this article. In fact, they even offered to plant your empty container! Those who took advantage of that offer came away with some truly beautiful showpieces. We are very lucky to have such a talented and dedicated collection of Master Gardeners at Kalmia; the Gardens would not be the same without them. Thanks to the DCMGA, and thanks to all who came out to support them at their annual plant sale.
              Earth Day Wrap Up
              Friday, April 22 was Earth Day. Every day should be Earth Day, of course, but the Gardens celebrated it on Saturday, April 23. There were a variety of exhibitors, arts and craft vendors, music, guided tours and more. This event is a free and fun way for the Gardens and the community to come together and celebrate our home, spaceship Earth.
              Go Public Gardens Days May 6-15, 2022
              Go Public Gardens is an ongoing, Evergreen Association initiative to drive the public to visit, value, and volunteer at public gardens in their area and when they travel.
              You can find gardens near you on the interactive               Garden Map. If your browser's location services are active, it will geolocate to your area. Otherwise you can search using the searchbox.
               
              Beautiful Plants of Kalmia Gardens
              Anisetree (Illicium anisatum)
              Bladderwort (              Ultricularia inflata)
              Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberose)
              Catawba Tree (Catalpa speciosa)
              Cross Vine (Anisostichus               capreolata)
              Dogwood, Chinese (Cornus               kousa)
              Fetterbush (Lyonia lucida)
              Firethorn (Pyracantha               coccinea)
              Florida Anise (Illicium floridanum)
              Galax (Galaxa phylla)
              Honeysuckle, Coral (Lonicera sempervirens)
              Laurel, Cherry (Prunus laurocerasus)
              Laurel, Mountain (Kalmia latifolia)
              Leucothoe (Leucothe axillaris)
              Mock Orange (Philadelphus inodorus              )
              Pearl Bush (Exochorada               racemosa)
              Photinia (Photinia               serrulata)
              Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
              Sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum)
              Sweet Bay (Magnolia virginiana)
              Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia)
              Titi (Cyrilla racemiflora)
              Virginia Willow (Itea               virginica)
              Yellow Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
              Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)
              EVENTS:
              Registration now open for Week In The Wild
              Week In The Wild:
              Rising 1st & 2nd Grades July 11-15
              Rising 3rd & 4th Grades July 18-22
              Rising 5th & 6th Grades July 25-29
                                                                                                                                                                               
               
               
               
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              Copyright © 2016 Kalmia Gardens of Coker College, All rights reserved.
               Laurel Branch

              Our mailing address is:
              www.kalmiagardens.org
              Contact:
              Dan Hill
              dhill@coker.edu, (843) 383-8145