Welcome to our e-newsletter, "The Laurel Branch."

Exciting News for the Kalmia Team
In this issue of the Laurel Branch, we have some exciting news about our newest member of the Kalmia team. Elizabeth Floyd was chosen to receive the BHS Insurance Garden Scholars award to travel to Huntsville, Alabama, to attend the American Public Garden Association’s 2023 Education Symposium. This scholarship will help her continue to grow her knowledge of public gardens and stay on the cutting edge of new and exciting things to bring to Kalmia. Filling the shoes of Dan Hill is a big job, and with this scholarship, Elizabeth will be able to learn how to give the best care she can to the Gardens. We are all very thankful to BHS insurance for the funds that are paving the way for this opportunity, especially Elizabeth who is counting down the days until she can take this exciting road trip to Alabama for lots of exciting knowledge and experiences. The Kalmia team all wish her safe travels and happy learning. We can’t wait to hear all about it when she comes back.

Give the Gardens a Helping Hand
The next time you visit the Gardens, please stop by our credit card reader and give us a swipe. Each swipe is $5, and the funds support projects at your public garden, Kalmia Gardens. You can make a more lasting contribution to the Gardens by buying a brick (with the name of your choice carved into it) to be placed in the Garden for everyone to enjoy. Kalmia is a nonprofit and is free to visit almost anytime you like. Sadly, that doesn’t mean the expenses for keeping the Gardens looking its best are free, too. We greatly appreciate all of your help.

Chris’s Tip 
Seasons are changing and leaves are falling; it must be November. Now is the time that winter really starts to feel like winter here in the South. Halloween is behind us, but so many fun holidays are around the corner. In addition to all the festivities, there are tons of other fun and environmentally friendly things we can be thinking about this fall. Composting is a great way to turn last month’s jack-o-lantern into spring’s composted potting mix. Instead of bagging up fallen leaves and tossing them out, dry leaves also make a great addition to the compost pile. Making your own compost allows you to control the nutrients your soil needs for future plants to thrive. It is important not to turn the compost pile as often for winter and fall composting. Turning the compost pile when it is cold outside will cause a loss of vital heat within the compost pile, which can slow the decomposition process. Composting is a great way to reuse the resources that trees have finished using for the season. Some plants, however, serve a better purpose by being left out for wildlife to use as a winter food cache {or for cover}. Goldenrod and other such perennial plants are a resource for native birds during times when food is scarce.

Dan’s Interesting plant
This issue I have chosen Goldenrod (Solidago sp.) as my interesting plant. This cheery-colored plant blooms from around the end of August to the beginning of October. This plant has 28 different species in South Carolina that can be seen everywhere from country roadsides to winter bouquets in your local flower shop (and, of course, in the Gardens). This plant has been making the South a brighter place for years in that its bright flowers have been used to dye yarn throughout history. It is a wonderful plant to have around, with numerous tiny yellow flowers that stand out wherever it grows. This plant is often blamed for allergy symptoms, but the itchy eyes and sneezing may actually be triggered by a goldenrod lookalike known as ragweed. Goldenrod is a plant that is as bright as it is beneficial to pollinators. Keep an eye out for goldenrod in the Gardens!

Solidago sp.

Kalmia Gardens will host a holiday wreath-making class on December 7th from 6 pm to 8 pm. The wreath-making will be led by Chris Pierce, who will instruct participants on how to decorate a grapevine wreath to brighten their home for this cheerful season. The cost for this class is $50 per person, and space is limited, so make sure to ensure your spot before it fills up. Ticket sales will end on the 6th of December. The proceeds support Kalmia Gardens. To sign-up, please follow this link to pay and secure your spot. 
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hoilday-wreath-making-class-tickets-453856927287 The class will be held at 1520 West Carolina Avenue Hartsville, SC 29550 in the Joslin Education Center Pavilion. We look forward to seeing you there for some holiday fun.