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Carolina Gardening

New to SC, need seasonal info!

17 years ago

Hello All,

I am new to the Greenville, SC area, and love the area. I have only been here in June in the past years. I am a simple plant-lover, love working outdoors, hard to find me indoors on a nice day. Here goes...what are the seasons like here? Sounds like a stupid question, I know! When do you usually get your 1st killer frost? I just moved from se PA. What are the winters like here? The house I moved into is a small home which needs much basic yard work (filling in holes out back, pruning back bamboo, of which I have never seen grow wild, planting my roses from PA, etc.), and with it, I have inherited a 3 ft. elephant ears plant, of which I know nothing about. Can someone help me get accustomed to the seasons, weather, and new plants to handle? I would love to hear from you. Thanks!

Emma in SC

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Comments (4)

Dibbit
17 years ago
You can get a fair bit of info from regional gardening books - look for the Southern Living Garden Book, Bob Polomski's gardening books, Toby Bost's books, etc., etc., for modern books. As well, Elizabeth Lawrence's books, while mostly written around Charlotte NC in the 30's and on, are a good regional source. Contact your Agricultural Extension agent, and ask questions from the people there. Take a Master Gardeners course - you can then be one of the people answering questions.

The first killing frost depends a bit on your micro-climate. I'm 30-40 mi. NE of you, a friend gardens about 5 mi. west of me. She usually gets her first frost somewhere in the end of Oct., which is when I usually get a killing one, after several light ones. I haven't had one yet this year - maybe on Fri. Don't go by what the weather service or the .com weather providers say, except in generalities - I'm usually a few degrees colder than they say for lows, and higher for highs.

And as for whether I will get rain or not - that's a pure matter of chance - 3 mi. away may get 2 in. and I'll get less than .01 in., or vice versa!! Judging from the weather/radar maps, the normal pattern seems to give Greenville and Spartanburg more rain than I get.

Accuweather.com has a link to the typical weather for the year, and weather.com has a link to monthly weather, which you can scroll forward and back for previous month's and last year's weather - it gives the variation from the averages for the day. That will tell you what has been the regional average in the past, but you will have to learn exactly what YOU get.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
17 years ago
You need to become friends with your local extension office! Plan for a visit soon! Ask for Danny Howard and tell him Dorie (formerly from SC) sent you! He's a gem.

Here is a link that might be useful: Greenville Country Extension
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Hey Bow, here in our area you get 4 true seasons. I usually get my first frost (1 mile from GSP jetport) by about the end of Oct. too. As far as your elephant ears.. i let the frost kill mine back then I just cut back all the dead leaves and you're ready to go until spring, where they will do all the work for you. Just sit back and enjoy the show!!
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bowdoin514
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for all your advice, and I will for sure check out the links you provided. I have been a "light" gardener for years, but feel like I am starting all over again, having moved at a different a time of year, and to a totally new area. Guess it's like riding a bike? Only thing, I never learned, ha ha. Thanks again!
Emma in SC

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