Aiken Master Gardener Association

10/09/2026

https://hgic.clemson.edu/october-05-week-1-garden-photos/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly-updates

“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” -Oscar Wilde (The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1890) American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)Julia Nichols,...

10/09/2026

https://hgic.clemson.edu/south-carolina-field-update-october-5-2026-fall-weather-brings-fall-harvests/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly-updates

Cooler weather and fall harvests are bringing strong yields across South Carolina. This week’s field reports cover pumpkins, brassicas, tomatoes, pests, diseases, and preparations for strawberry planting.

10/09/2026

https://hgic.clemson.edu/this-month-in-your-garden-october-2026/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly-updates

Find regional gardening tasks for October in South Carolina, from planting garlic, onions, pansies, and spring bulbs to managing lawns, drought, houseplants, fall flowers, pumpkins, and mums.

10/09/2026

Mums, Mums, Mums everywhere!
Chrysanthemum morifolium
It's is fall and we love to see all the bright colors.

These are perennial flowering plants, daisy family. They are heavily celebrated worldwide as a definitive symbol of autumn. Back in the late 60's, homecomings, young ladies dressed in nice suits with a big florist mums , pinned to the lapel.
And years ago, the potted mums, were the plants used at funerals. They were inexpensive, living plant, and could be planted in your gardens. I have pink mums in my garden from my daddy's funeral.
Mums , the prices are generally low so using them as fall deco is affordable. Since the container mums are very rooted , they need a lot of water but once they are planted in your garden, they are not heavy drinkers They are generally hardy USDA 5-9 therefore in the Aiken area we can plant them and next fall they will be beautiful.
So go find you favorite mums, display them now , then plant them.

https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/chrysanthemums-how-to-grow-garden-mums-in-south-carolina/

10/09/2026

Since I just got home from Aiken The Aiken Camellia Society I will share a little information. This is a great time to add camellias to your garden. They are hardy here and the camellia sasanqua are already blooming.
Remember these are trees, not shrubs, find a big place.
Plant them high. Many times I get questions about camellias not blooming. The answer might be you planted them too deep.
Plant them about 1 to 2 inches above the surrounding soil line. Remember they often sink into the soil some since you dug a deep hole. Soon Camellia vernalis ‘Yuletide’ will be in bloom. I'm is in full bud now.
And at the camellia meeting each month several camellias are auctioned, only $5. One of the many auctioned tonight was Jimmy Carter Camellia.
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/camellia/
https://www.americancamellias.com/

10/08/2026

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/friday-garden-forays-fall-2026-tickets-1993850188587?aff=oddtdtcreator&source=ecat

Explore different areas of the SCBG each month with naturalist, James Wilkins.

10/08/2026

https://blogs.clemson.edu/savannahvalley/its-time-to-make-fall-gardening-plans/

It’s Time to Make Fall Gardening Plans Posted on July 13, 2026 by gerij Marion Barnes, Senior County Extension Agent – Clemson University With temperatures in the mid to high 90’s and the high humidity levels that is so common of the summer months in the low country, planning a fall garden may...

10/07/2026

🌿🦋 THIS SUNDAY: NATURE ROCKS! 🦋🌿

The wait is almost over! ⏰🎉 In just 4 DAYS, Hopelands Gardens will come alive for the 4th Annual Nature Rocks! 🌳🐝🌱

📅 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2026
⏰ 2:00–5:00 PM
📍 HOPELANDS GARDENS
🎟️ FREE COMMUNITY EVENT!

Come spend the afternoon exploring, creating, learning, and having fun with the whole family! 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦💚

🌱 Get creative with nature crafts
🔎 Take on a scavenger hunt
🐝 Enjoy interactive demonstrations
📖 Join Mother Goose for Story Time
🎨 Get your face painted
🌳 Take a guided history walk through the gardens
✨ And SO much more!

Whether you’re a nature lover, a curious explorer, or just looking for a fun way to spend your Sunday — Nature Rocks is the place to be! 🌿🦋

💚 Presented by Friends of Hopelands & Rye Patch, Inc. in collaboration with the City of Aiken Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department.

🌿 THIS SUNDAY. 2–5 PM. HOPELANDS GARDENS. FREE FUN FOR EVERYONE! 🌿

👉 Tag your family and friends and make plans to join us! We’ll see you Sunday! 🐝🌳🦋

10/07/2026

We had a rain day Monday so today, Wednesday , is day 9 and the weather was perfect . Notice the picture, we pruned at very tall crepe myrtle . It was so tall you could not see the blooms. We , MGers, preach not do ‘crepe murder’ but this one needed to be cut back hard. The general pruning rule is only cut back about 1/3 of a shrub and we did more than that. Crepe myrtles are very strong plants and will probably have problems. Greg was doing the heavy lifting . We are removing the stones in walk way ,turning it all into gardening area. This is not a landscaped garden but it will still be beautiful when it is all abloom.