Aiken Master Gardener Association

06/03/2026

June is National Pollinator Month and we are celebrating the vital role that pollinators play in our ecosystems, economies, and agriculture. These essential creatures, including bees, butterflies, moths, bats, beetles, and hummingbirds, are the unsung heroes behind the food we enjoy and the beauty that surrounds us. One way you can help them is by planting a pollinator garden! Check out our list of native plants for pollinators at https://www.scwf.org/enhancing-pollinator-habitat/.

Your garden, yard, or greenspace can also be certified as a Certified Wildlife Habitat when you include the essential elements that wildlife needs to thrive by providing sources of food, water, cover, and places to raise young while incorporating sustainable gardening practices. Learn more about certification at https://www.scwf.org/habitats/

Be sure to watch one of our newest webinars "Let's Make a Pollinator Garden", where you can learn all about how to select a site for a pollinator garden, which plants you need, and how to design and maintain one!
https://youtu.be/_m2ymtuQssA?feature=shared

Image caption: Flat-tailed leafcutter bee on a native plant.

06/03/2026

Please understand there are good snakes .

Eastern Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula getula) range across the Atlantic states from New Jersey down to northern Florida. They live in a wide variety of habitats across this range, including woodlands, fields, along streams and wetlands, and in suburban yards. Also called Chain Snakes by some folks, they’re a harmless, non-venomous constrictor that eats small mammals, lizards, birds, and snakes.

Unfortunately, some populations of Eastern Kingsnakes are declining in the Coastal Plain. Habitat loss and fire ants may play a role. Some people also collect them as pets. They can be a good pet snake; however, pet snakes should be obtained from a reputable breeder, not from the wild.

Eastern Kingsnakes are well-known for their immunity to venom and ability to eat snakes such as copperheads, rattlesnakes, and cottonmouths. See an example of this in the comments.

Photo by Seanin Og, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

06/03/2026

Have you been finding frothy, spit-like masses on your plants? Did you blame the neighbor kids for spitting on your plants? It (probably) wasn’t them, it was spittlebugs!

These appropriately named insects feed by tapping into the water conducting tissue (xylem) of a plant. As the nymph (immature insect) extracts amino acids (protein building blocks) from the xylem fluid, much of it is given off as digestive wastes (honeydew) that becomes the spittle mass.

But how does the spittlebug make the bubbles? Great question! First, it secretes a sticky wax into its liquid waste that keeps the bubbles from popping. Then, the nymph pumps air into this mixture using a specialized chamber on the underside of its abdomen. As it pumps its body up and down, it becomes immersed within this frothy “bubble bath.” Sounds relaxing, right? The end result is spittle surrounding the spittlebug nymph, which protects it from predators and desiccation as it develops into an adult.

This one might be a Meadow Spittlebug (Philaenus spumarius). I found it on the underside of a yellow crownsbeard (Verbesina occidentalis) leaf.

06/03/2026

2026 State 4-H Congress Registration is open!!! 🇺🇸⭐️🎆

Join us July 7–10, 2026, for an unforgettable experience at State 4-H Congress in Clemson, SC! 🤩

This year's theme: "Beyond the Revolution" — a celebration of leadership, growth, and the future of 4-H!

‼️ Registration Deadline: June 12, 2026 ‼️
(Don't wait — register early to secure your spot!)
Workshops • Leadership • Fun • Friendships
Register now and go beyond the revolution ➡️ [https://2026State4HCongress.eventbrite.com]

06/03/2026

Heavy rainfall across South Carolina has increased disease pressure and created challenging field conditions, including flooding and saturated soils. Growers should maintain fungicide programs and closely scout cucurbits for downy mildew as peaches, blueberries, watermelons, tomatoes, beans, cucumbe...

06/03/2026

I remember meeting my first cicada killer back in 1984. I remember the date because I got marriaged that year and moved. That creature was big and had a big hole in the ground . I was worried he was a bad guy and I did not know computers back then or a phone to take pictures. I was telling friends and searching library . My science teacher friend fund him.

06/02/2026

Native hydrangeas

Learn about Silverleaf, Climbing, Oakleaf, and Smooth Hydrangeas—native plants that thrive in South Carolina landscapes.

06/02/2026

Do you grow daylilies , hemerocallis?
My mama grew them and I grow them .
They are a tough, clump-forming herbaceous perennials from Asia, renowned for producing trumpet-shaped blooms that each last for a single day. They are a hardy across USDA Zones 3–9, thriving in full sun to partial shade and requiring minimal maintenance. They adapt to soil well. My mamas soil was Middle Georgia pick axe clay and my garden soil looked like beach sand when I started gardening here but has improved through the years .
You can find those used in commercial gardens that are pretty and easy to grow or you can order some much more unique. Most priced are reasonable but new hybrids can be very pricey. It's the prefect time of year to shop for Daylilies since it's blooming time . They have many heights and they have early , mid and late blooming seasons . If you haven't shopped for them recently you will be surprised at all the new ones!

06/02/2026

June 25
Aiken County Library
Creative Lab 6 pm
Topic Great Southeast Pollinator Count