Dec 28, 2012

Recycle those Orange Skins


Orange Cornbread Muffins
After juicing all those oranges from your orange tree you can recycle the skins and use them to bake cupcakes and muffins. I just hated to throw all those beautiful orange skins into the compost bin, so I came up with a way to recycle them by turning them into muffin and cupcake pans. Years ago, when I was a young Girl Scout hiking the Appalachian Trail, we would cut the top off an orange , eat the inside and poor cake batter inside the orange –about ½ way and replace the top of the orange and wrap in foil, and place on hot embers and bake. That was back in the days when Girl Scouts still cooked on fire. So that was my inspiration for the orange cupcakes and muffins. This recipe makes about 8-9 muffins. Pre heat oven to 405 F® Clean & Cut 4 oranges in ½ and juice them. I use a Phillips electric juicer and it works great. The orange skins can be stored a few days in the refrigerator.
 Ingredients
 1 pk of Martha White Sweet Yellow Cornbread & Muffin Mix ( 7 oz)
 1 beaten egg
 ½ cup fresh orange juice
 1-2 tablespoon flax seed meal
 1 tablespoon brown sugar or raw sugar
 1 pk or teaspoon of stevia
 Spice it up –options
 1 teaspoon or more cinnamon
 Some orange zest- 1 tablespoon or more or boiled tangerine peelings (boiling 15 min. removes bitterness)
 ½ teaspoon mace or nutmeg.
 I used a 2 cup size glass measuring cup to mix everything. First add the ½ cup of orange juice and zests or peels and use a hand blender to chop up the peel and juice. (Or put it in a kitchen blender) Add the muffin mix, top with beaten egg and spices and mix it all together with a fork. Do not over mix Place the orange skins on a muffin pan. Add 1.5 tablespoon of mix to each – fill to just below the rim. Do not over fill. Place in hot oven and bake 17 min. Thick orange skins may take a little longer to cook the muffin mix. Muffins are best eaten with a spoon while hot.

Oct 27, 2012

October Color


Fall is one of the best times to see wildflowers in bloom in coastal South Carolina. wild flowers photos

Sep 10, 2012

back by popular demand -


Arlene Deans Hypertufa Workshop at Cypress Gardens

September 29-30, Learn to make molds, mix tufa cement. Make a stepping stone and a flower pot, 9 am to 11:30am. Saturday. Return Sunday 11-to 3 to unmold your projects and learn concrete carving and finishing techniques. $35 Call 553-0515 to sign up. Limited to 15 students. www.cypressgardens.info


Arlene Dean’s Sand Cast Leaf Workshop at Cypress Gardens
September 29-30 Using real leaves as molds learn to make decorative ornaments for your garden. Saturday 1pm to 3 pm mix portland cement and cast 4 leaves. Sunday 1-3 unmold your leaves and learn to trim and paint them. $30 Call 553-0515 to sign up. Limited to 18 students. www.cypressgardens.info

Jul 21, 2012

Hypertufa and Sand-Cast Leaf Workshops




Hypertufa and Sand-Cast Leaf Workshops at Cypress Gardens. Concrete project takes 2 days to complete, the first day you make your molds and pour the concrete mix. The concrete sets up and the project is removed from the molds the second day. Sunday return to do concrete carving and finishing the projects to make them look old and weathered. The Hypertufa workshop will be in the morning and the Sand-cast leaves in the afternoon on the weekend on August 15-16


Hypertufa Workshop August 15 -16, Learn to make molds, mix tufa cement. Make a stepping stone and a flower pot, 9 am to 11:30am. Saturday. Return Sunday 11-to 3 to unmold your projects and learn concrete carving and finishing techniques. $35 Call 553-0515 to sign up. Limited to 15 students. www.cypressgardens.info

Sand Cast Leaf Workshop at Cypress Gardens
August 15-16 Using real leaves as molds learn to make decorative ornaments for your garden. Saturday 1pm to 3 pm mix portland cement and cast 4 leaves. Sunday 1-3 unmold your leaves and learn to trim and paint them. $30 Call 553-0515 to sign up. Limited to 18 students. www.cypressgardens.info


Wear old clothes, bring rubber gloves, pebbles, broken tiles and china, marbles, sea glass and other junk or use what we have. 

Jun 10, 2012



Plant Sale Saturday June 16; 9am to 2pm.
Friends of Cypress Gardens  will be selling Hydrangeas, Gardenias, Azaleas, Camellias, butterfly bushes, daylilies and more.   

May 3, 2012

Daylily Bloom

Beautiful, large Daylily that was donated and planted by volunteer Bill Hayes last year.

Apr 1, 2012

Early Iris Bloom


The native iris and waterlilies are blooming early this year too. We have Iris versacolor, virginica, hexagona, tridentata and Louisiana hybrids. The yellow iris is pseudacorus is native to Europe. They normally bloom mid-April. 

Mar 16, 2012

New Plants to Try




Frosty Fern (Selaginella krausianna variegatus), African Clubmoss, A fast-growing, creeping house plant whose stems quickly reach a foot long or more. The stems root wherever they touch the soil. Do not let this plant escape in your garden. The stems are bright green marked with white edges. Not a true fern, but it does produce spores instead of seeds, like a fern. Relative of clubmosses like running cedar. Try it in corsages and small designs.

Rattlesnake Plant (Calathea lancifolia) or (C. insignis)
One of the very best indoor ornamental houseplants, “Rattle Snake Calathea” has long, medium green leaves with dark decorative spots. The undersides of the leaves are deep purple. A beautiful accent plant for the home or garden, Calathea lancifolia grows to 20” tall. This one is the most resistant to tip-and-edge-browning, being virtually free of that cultural issue. As with others in this family, keep the soil evenly moist and grow in a well-drained potting mix.

Triostar (Stromanthe sanguinea 'Triostar')

This calathea relative is sold under the names ‘Tricolor’ but it also known as Tricolor Stromanthe or Triostar Ginger.
Stromanthe a genus of 13 species of evergreen, rhizomatous herbaceous perennials from forest floors in Central and South America. Stromanthe is compact and low-growing like Maranta prayer plants, but the foliage is marked with the distinct tracery of Calathea with which it is easily confused. Part sun to full shade , It needs even moist soil and the air must be moist. Survived the winter on James Island.

Pink Rhoeo (Rhoeo discolor or Tradescantia bicolor). Variegated Moses-in-the-cradle. A native to Tropical Central America. Prefers full sun to part shade, the coloration of the leaves will be most distinct in full sun. Small white flowers form nestled in the leaves which resemble little boats. Makes a great ground cover. Tolerates light shade and filtered light
Keep evenly moist -avoid over-watering, Feed lfertilizer lightly every 14 days, water moderately and mist when leaves appear dry. Great indoor plant; keep out of warm or cold drafts. Hardy in zones 8b-10. Hardy to 27 degrees F. Can be heavily mulched for winter and cut back hard in Spring. Survives winters at Cypress Gardens.

Aglaonema 'RedGold'

A evergreen perennial from tropical forest in Asia. The leaf blades are borne on long, sheathing leaf stalks from a central growing point. The aglaonemas (the Chinese Evergreen) are grown for their large and colourful foliage. Aglaonemas tolerate some shade. In winter it requires warm and moist air. Aglaonema 'Redgold' is a low growing cultivar having broad medium green leaves heavily marked with yellow spots and red to red-pink veins and midribs.
Curly Whurly Rush
Needs to be in a very wet location. Good for small designs.
Dwarf Cyprus, Needs to be in a very wet location or in water, may not be cold hardy. 

Mar 6, 2012

Azaleas now in Bloom

Azaleas are now in bloom. About 2 weeks early this year. A few camellias are still blooming along with a few late daffodils. 

Feb 3, 2012

Breath of Spring Flower Show 2012


The Berkeley Area Gardens Clubs will present the 5th Annual Breath of Spring Flower Show at Cypress Gardens March 1-4, 2012. The Theme for the show is Honoring the 80th Anniversary of Cypress Gardens - "Berkeley's Natural Gem" The show will feature daffodils, camellias and floral designs.
The public may enter blooming cut flowers, shrubs and potted plants on Feb 29 from 8am to 11am. Please see the rules for entering and other information at https://sites.google.com/site/ourflowershow/ . The show will open to the public from 10-4 each day.
The show is included in the regular admission to Cypress Gardens. www.cypressgardens.info or (843) 553-0515. at  3030 Cypress Gardens Rd., Moncks Corner SC 29460 

 The 2010 Breath of Spring Flower Show won a National Award from National Garden Clubs.