Posts by Jenks Farmer
Cold Hardy Crinum Lilies: Complete Guide to Growing in Zones 6
Expert guide: How to successfully grow Southern crinum lilies in cold northern climates with proven varieties and techniques For decades, crinum lilies have been considered strictly Southern plants—those magnificent bulbs with dramatic foliage and exotic blooms that seemed destined only for warm, humid gardens. But thanks to a group of peers from Florida to Texas,…
Read MoreUpcoming Garden Lectures: Discover the Secrets of Southern Gardening
Join renowned garden expert Jenks Farmer for an exciting series of lectures celebrating the release of “Secrets of Southern Gardening” – the essential guide to creating thriving gardens in the American South. From North Florida, the Georgia Gold Coast, the LowCountry, Grand Strand, and the Midlands, gardening is different. Jenks tells stories of success and failure so…
Read More🌿 Secrets of Southern Gardening: How to Tell the Difference Between Crinum, Amaryllis, and True Lilies
✅ Learn to Identify Summer-Flowering Bulbs in Hot & Humid Climates It can be confusing to tell summer bulbs apart, especially in Southern gardens where heat-loving plants thrive.If you’ve ever asked, “Is this a lily or a crinum?” — you’re not alone.This guide will help you confidently identify crinum lilies, amaryllis, and true lilies using simple visual…
Read MoreTop 5 Crinum Lilies to Plant Now for Hot and Humid Southern Gardens – 2025
Some Southern gardeners start hibernating in the a/c now. Plants can’t do and I see lots of perennials burn up, sprawl, flag, or rot from the summer swelter. So many perennials, like so many snowbirds, just don’t want to be here. But some of us love it — and some plants thrive in it. Why…
Read MoreEVENTS 2024
Join our very special guest in a cozy setting. Janisse Ray has inspired people across the world to look and connect with their place. This workshop focuses on writing journals, letters, even photo descriptions as a way to train and convey your connections to a places. March 16. More Information. Young local artist share their…
Read MoreHistoric Columbia Members Only Plant Sale Sept. 28 4-6 p.m.
The crew will be on hand to share our love of these special plants. We’ve tried to pick plants with South Carolina connections and of course, plants that thrive in our zone. This is a members-only sale but you can join now and get to come. Our plants are priced at a great value. We…
Read MorePineapple Lily, New York Times, and A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach
You can skip to various links in this story. 1. NY Times article on Pineapple Lily. 2. Our podcast discussion of pineapple lily or 3. Our shopping page for pineapple lily bulbs. Even as a teenager, I had penpals. Some of them, I still know. One became a famous horror writer. After adulthood and emails…
Read MoreGen Z Artists and Gardeners
Spend a morning with a band of young artists on the lily farm. We’ve asked these local, Augusta high school artists to share their works and vision. They’ll be all over the farm, showing, selling, talking, and learning. We’re also pairing them with renowned ‘mentors’ from Columbia — so they can build networks and have…
Read MoreSnowflakes or Snowdrops Bulbs that Outlast Us and Pretty Things Up for Folks that Come Later
I imagine he wore a fedora. One passed on or left accidentally by some traveler. His wife, the cook, the kitchen manager asked him to do it. Her kitchen, 100 yards from the house, revolved around a roaring fire. Like other outbuildings on the farm, it’s a practical, white, box of a building designed to…
Read MorePlants make our medicine, our arts, our breath, and our utilities…..
This story was published in Augusta Magazine, May 2022.
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