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            • Kalmia Gardens of Coker University - The Laurel Branch

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              August 05, 2024

              Welcome to our e-newsletter, "The Laurel Branch."
               
              Week in the Wild Wrap-Up
              Week in the Wild adventures are finished for the year, and now the happy memories and cool crafts will be what our campers will enjoy until next year rolls around. The campers enjoyed exciting hikes on the trails and created masterpieces inspired by the beauty of nature. Elizabeth Floyd and two wonderful volunteers, Amanda Johnson and Emma Johnson, led campers through our fun activities. Amanda and Emma were once Week in the Wild campers themselves, bringing things full circle. Each group of campers started the week with a morning hike to the Hart House to snap a picture for the famous collectible camp tile. We brought back some of the kids’ favorite crafts, but we also added some new crafts to the fun this year. Campers made tie-dye tapestries stamped with their handprint so they can see how much they have grown next year. Campers also made some fun dragonfly wind chimes to adorn their gardens at home. We had many knowledgeable guest speakers again this year including Holly Sellers (also a former WITW camper) with her famous lineup of excellent animal ambassadors. The campers got an amazing hands-on experience with some fantastic critters of all kinds. Sellers is the director of the Black Creek Wildlife Center, which helps injured wildlife and educates kids about nature. The campers experienced the journey of a water drop in a fun and educational game led by special guest Geraldine Cuypers from Clemson Extension. Susan Harvey with the Darlington County Master Gardener Association provided her time and expertise in planting a fairy garden each camper could take home. We are already looking forward to next year. If you missed camp this year, no worries. We will have the same fun and some new adventures next year. We would love to add your child to the roster for Week in the Wild 2025. Just follow us on Facebook to stay in the loop, and make sure you don’t miss out on WITW camp or any of our other fun events at Kalmia Gardens. Stay cool out there, and have a great summer!
               
              Bittersweet News
              Our esteemed Assistant Director, Elizabeth Floyd, has resigned from her position at Kalmia Gardens as soon as you receive this newsletter. The Kalmia Team will be sad to see her go but happy to know she is traveling down new paths and adventures. Once a part of the Kalmia Family, always a part of the Kalmia Family. We will be cheering her on from right here in the Gardens. Elizabeth says, “I have loved working in the Gardens and being a part of such a sweet, tight-knit team. I have grown and learned so much from my time in the Gardens. Most importantly, I have gained some of the most amazing friends I could have ever asked for. I will not be gone, just changing my title from Assistant Director to volunteer. Since I grew up in Hartsville, Kalmia has always had a piece of my heart, but now it will forever hold a bigger piece than ever and my all heartstrings as well.”

              Elizabeth Floyd
               
              Elizabeth’s Volunteer Spotlight
              This issue of Elizabeth’s Volunteer Spotlight is a double feature that is indelibly linked to our famous Week in the Wild (WITW) summer camp. I am speaking, of course, about Amanda and Emma Johnson. These two assisted me in bringing the very best experience to the campers at Week in the Wild. Amanda has done this for two years now and has only grown and perfected her skills each year. Emma, though new to volunteering this year, was a vital help all week, making sure the campers always had smiles on their faces. I truly could not have made WITW such a blast without all of the hard work and dedication of these two fine people. If that isn't fun enough, we have also become friends, and there is nothing more cool than having good friends to face the hot days of camp. They were both a true asset to the Gardens, and neither ever wavered in their determination and hard work, no matter how hot and humid the days became. The sisters have a long history with WITW, just as I have. These two spent their childhood hiking on the trails as campers in their younger years. WITW left such a mark on them that they could not help but be a part of the camp again, but this time behind-the-scenes. Amanda states, “ I enjoyed watching the kids learn new things every day, from types of leaves to new trails at Kalmia. Through watching these kids discover new areas of nature, I found myself learning right alongside them, from knot-tying to finally winning the Amazing Race. Many of the kids went out of their comfort zone for things which made me immensely proud of them.” This sentiment is mirrored by Emma saying, “I enjoyed seeing the kids thrive when we did the Amazing Race! Getting to see them use the skills they'd been learning all week was really cool.” When asked what made her keep coming back to volunteer, she said, “ I love to give back to the community, and I thought, what better way than to give back to the environment? This was my second year working at WITW, but in my third year volunteering at Kalmia. One of the main reasons for my coming back was the people. I have made so many connections here that I will cherish for the rest of my life.” When Emma was asked the same questions, she said, “I decided to volunteer because my sister, Amanda Johnson, was talking about how they needed extra hands. I'm so glad I ended up helping out because I had so much fun with the kids.” When the two were asked what they felt was most important about having WITW, Amanda stated, “Letting kids learn new experiences that they might not be able to experience daily. I still have skills in the back of my mind from when I attended this camp years ago that I still use today, so helping other kids learn these skills is something that I hold close to my chest.” Emma said, “It's important for the kids to get connected with nature and learn how to stay safe out in the wild by knot-tying and learning about the watershed.” All in all, these two are worth their weight in gold when it comes to being stellar volunteers. I wish them both the very best as they take on the next big chapter of their lives: college!
               
              Chris’s Tip
              My tip for August is a mirror of most other tips you read from me in each issue of the Laurel Branch. Being prepared is the best way to ensure a happy garden and a bountiful harvest. Speaking of harvest, it is time to think about seeds you may want to get started for the fall. Starting plants from seeds can be rewarding in more ways than one. It can yield a bountiful harvest, save some money from buying mature plants, and give you the satisfaction of knowing that your plant has received the best start to life. Starting cold-hardy plants from seed now means that, as your summer plants finish their time in our gardens, the new plants will be ready to take their place to bring in the next season. A seamless passing of the torch from one season of plants to the next means you will never have a long lag between your harvests. It is as simple as it sounds: the early bird always gets the worm. The gardener who thinks ahead is the gardener who eats the most fresh and delicious produce throughout every season. Happy gardening. 
               
              Dan’s Interesting Plant
              The plant I have chosen for this issue is Lizard's Tail (Saururus cernuus). Like our local lizards and reptiles, it enjoys the August sun. This plant loves the sun, but it also loves to be in well-hydrated areas, even growing in shallow water. There is no better place than down in the floodplain for these water-loving plants. This plant can grow up to 4 feet tall. This plant is a perennial that blooms in the summer months. The flowers are small and white, but as they mature, the flowers turn a brown color. The inflorescence is usually between 5 and 7 inches, tapering toward the ends, which only adds to its resemblance to a lizard's tail. The foliage of this plant is alternatively arranged on the plant. The leaves can come in varying shapes, such as arrow-shaped, heart-shaped, or even lance-shaped. The leaves, when crushed, have a very similar smell to the scent of a sassafras leaf. This plant is also a preferred snack of beavers and some other water-loving wildlife. Overall, this plant has a lot in common with other very interesting parts of our environment, but altogether, it is a unique and wonderful plant on its own. Next time you are in the Gardens, keep an eye out for this lovely plant. Happy hiking.

              Saururus cernuus
               
              Beautiful Plants of Kalmia Gardens
              Abelia (Abelia grandiflora)
              Baptisia (Baptisia australis)
              Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii)
              Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
              Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
              Coneflower, Purple (Echinacea purpurea)
              Coralbean (Erythrina herbacea)
              Daylily (Hemerocallis varieties)
              Dill (Anethum graveolens)
              Elderberry (Sambucus americana)
              Feverbark, Georgia (Pinckneya pubens)
              Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides)
              Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys)
              Honeysuckle, Coral (Lonicera sempervirens)
              Hydrangea, Japanese Blue (Hydrangea macrophylla)
              Hydrangea, Oakleaf (Hydrangea quercifolia)
              Jasmine, Confederate (Tracelospermum jasminoides)
              Lantana (Lantana species)
              Lizard's Tail (Saururus cernuus)
              Magnolia, Southern (Magnolia grandiflora)
              Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
              Queen Annes Lace (Daucus carota)
              Rhododendron, Rosebay (Rhododendron maximum)
              Rose, Butterfly (Rosa chinensis Mutabilis)
              Rose, Knock Out (Rosa Knock Out)
              Rose, Pink Knock Out (Rosa Pink Knock Out)
              Rose-of-Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
              Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum)
              Thyme (Thymus species)
              Ti-ti (Cyrilla racemosa)
              Trumpet-vine (Campsis radicans)
              Water-lily (Nymphaea odorata)
              Wintergreen, Spotted (Chimaphila maculata)
              Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
              Yucca (Yucca filamentosa)
               
              EVENTS:
              Christmas Open House
               

                                                                                                                                                                               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
              Contact:
              Dan Hill, Director Kalmia Gardens of Coker University
              dhill@coker.edu, (843) 383-8145