Hyams Garden Center and Accent Store
Serving Greater Charleston Area with Quality, Variety & Professionalism since 1981
Hyams Garden Center carries a wide variety of pots and containers for indoor and outdoor gardening.
Made from the finest ceramic, terracotta, concrete and composite materials; and available in multiple styles and colors, these decorative containers are sure to enhance the beauty of your Low Country garden.
The stunning Orchid is “Flower of the Year” for 2023.
The exotic Orchid has been delighting planet earth with its variety of colors, shapes and species for millennia. It is believed to be among the oldest and largest members of flowering plant families with scientists dating its origins between 76 million to 84 million years ago and its species numbering over 26,000.
In the ancient Chinese, Greek and Roman civilizations they were valued for their medicinal and aesthetic qualities. The Aztecs prized them as a source for warriors’ strength by drinking a mixture of flavoring from the vanilla orchid and cocoa. Today, in Asia, they are frequently displayed during the New Year as symbols of happiness.
Orchids make wonderful gifts for any number of occasions. Their long-lasting blooms delight their recipients with a visual display of exotic, colorful, living art that only Mother Nature could sculpt with such perfection.
We invite you to the Tropical Green House at Hyams Garden Center to experience for yourself the visual symphony our wide variety of Orchids provides.
Orchids are tropical plants that take on many different forms depending on variety. Some orchids are difficult to grow while others flourish with little care.
Lighting: In the home, orchids need maximum light (not direct sunlight). Proper light levels can be determined by the color of the leaves. A healthy orchid in proper lighting has foliage that is light to medium green.
Temperature: In the home, cool temperatures will help guard against dehydration. Most orchids are happy with medium temperatures at 55-65 degrees at night.
Moisture: It is best to water orchids thoroughly and wait until the surface is relatively dry before watering again. Orchids in fir bark mixes needs watering no more than once every 5-7 days. Generally, orchids with a thick fleshy stem and leaves need less water than orchids with thin, more delicate foliage. Always water your orchid in the morning to allow foliage to dry before night.
Fertilizing: Orchids are not heavy eaters and can be safely fertilized once a month with a water-soluble urea free fertilizer. Always water, as mentioned above, (in the morning), before fertilizing and remembering it is better to under fertilize.
Humidity: Increasing humidity levels around orchids aids in their success while growing indoors. Using humidity trays or trays of wet gravel around or under plants can add to the desired amount of moisture to the air around them; however, be careful to keep the orchid pots bottom above the water level.
Soil: Potting mixes for orchids vary, but most are loose mixtures of organic materials such as fir bark, and/or osmunda fiber, with small amounts of peat, perlite, cork, or charcoal. The object is to have a mix that drains well, but maintains some moisture. Repotting is usually only needed once every two or three years.
Insects: Mealy bugs, aphids and scales are the most frequent pests to be found on orchid plants. Outdoors these pests can simply be washed off. Indoors, further measures may be necessary. Eight is a chemical pesticide that will help control these pests. If you are looking for a pesticide alternative, rubbing alcohol can be sprayed on plants, blooms and buds.
Re-blooming: In the fall and spring, when the outside night temperature is between 50-60 degrees, Phalaenopsis plants can be outside in a covered area in the shade for 2-3 weeks. Temperatures at night should be 15-25 degrees cooler than day temperatures. All orchids benefit from a day-night drop of 10 degrees or more.
Butterflies are flowers with wings. These winged beauties delight our hearts as they flutter around in our garden. If you are designing a ‘Butterfly Garden,’ then you need to pay attention to some of the following points.
CLIMATE
Butterflies usually make their appearance in the spring once temperatures are above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and stay around through autumn. Butterflies fly best when their body temperature is between 85 and 100 degrees. If temperatures dip below 80 degrees, you may spot butterflies basking in the sun with their wings outstretched, absorbing the heat. A flat rock is often included in butterfly gardens for this purpose.
SHELTER
Butterflies require a sheltered location to rest and seek protection from bad weather. During the night they roost on the underside of leaves or hide in shrubs and tall grasses.
PUDDLES
Often times you will observe a crowd of butterflies around puddles of water, this is known as “puddling.” It is thought that butterflies are attracted to puddles because they contain and dissolve minerals in which butterflies need to supplement their diet. You may think about placing a shallow birdbath or shallow dish in your garden to attract butterflies.
HIBERNATION
Except for the migratory Monarch butterfly, most butterflies hibernate at the same place that they spend their summer. Butterflies look for places such as loose bark, wood piles, or buildings to hibernate in. Some butterflies over-winter as adults, others as pupa and some as caterpillars. Many people like to place a “Butterfly House” in their gardens, meant to provide shelter to some species for hibernation. Situate your “Butterfly House” in the woodiest section of your garden, near a host plant to increase your chances of occupation.
Shrubs, Trees, Perennials and Annuals that are suitable for a BUTTERFLY GARDEN
Butterflies play an important role in pollinating plants. They thrive around shrubs, trees, perennials and annuals that provide them nectar. It is a sugary solution that gives adult butterflies their energy. However, a sensible butterfly garden designer also thinks of the caterpillars. They do not eat nectar but live on leaves and plants. Shrubs, trees, vegetables and even pesky weeds are host plants for caterpillars. Female butterflies lay their eggs only on suitable host plants as the emerging young ones cannot travel far to find food. Since caterpillars heavily munch on the plants, it may be a wise gardening strategy to plant them in areas of the garden that are not easily visible to visitors.
Butterfly Shrubs and Trees
Abelia (glossy)
Buddleia or Butterfly Bush (Buddleia Davidii)
Blueberry (Vaccinium species)
Citrus
Hawthorn (Crataegus species)
Privet (Ligustrum spp.)
Red bud (Crecis)
Butterfly Annuals
Cosmos
Dill
Fennel
Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena globosa)
Impatiens
Marigolds
Nasturtium
Parsley
Sunflower
Queen Anne’s lace
Verbena
Zinnia
Butterfly Perennials
| Ageratum Aster Bee-balm (Monarda) Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) Bugle (Ajuga Reptans) Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) Chives Coneflower (Echinacea purperea) Coreopsis Daylily (Hemerocallis species) False Indigo (Baptisia australis) Gayfeather (Liatris species) | Godenrod (Solidago species) Hibiscus Hollyhock (Altheaa rosea) Joe-Pye Weed Lantana (Lantana camara) Lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis) Milkweed (Asclepias species) Passion Flower (Passiflora) Phlox (Phlox paniculata) Sage (Salvia leucantha) Sedum Verbena Yarrow (Achillea species) |
