Some lessons on the South's most well-known drink: tea
There were questions galore at the opening meeting of the Hilton Head Island Herb Society. Member Marcia Sullivan introduced us to the ins and outs of the drink most often associated with the South: tea. We learned what's good, what's not and how to tell the difference.
Tea bags are the crumbs, Sullivan told us. They contain what's left over when tea is processed. Green tea is most often served in Chinese restaurants; it's the least expensive.
It's too hot here to grow tea, but just a bit north in Charleston is exactly where it should be grown. Charleston has the acid soil that is required. There are species there of samples brought here by the English. The popular Charleston Tea Plantation is a working plantation owned by Bigelow Teas. It's the only tea plantation currently in the U.S. and is open to visitors.
Harney & Sons is an English purveyor of Chinese tea. It prides itself on its full leaf white or Emperor tea. It's pure tea, and it's expensive. There are four Chinese teas. In the order of processing they are white, green, oolong and black.
Herb Society members recessed for lunch that included samples of several loose teas and more questions for tea lady, Marcia Sullivan.
Questions from readers
Question. I love the look of Heucheras. Can we grow them here?
Sherry Wojtulewicz
Answer. Sherry is a Master Gardener, so she's not likely to hit me with a common plant name. Heucheras are called "Coral Bells" and this is a very good question. If asked a year ago, I would have said they don't grow in our heat zone -- and I would have been wrong. Like so much in our ever-growing garden world, Coral Bells have been developed to include 10 varieties, five of which can take our summer heat: Blackberry Ice, Peppermint Spice, Green Spice, Hollywood and Midnight Rose. Unfortunately, the variety sent to me from the grower to determine if it is in our hardiness zone is marked only Buttered Rum. I gave it a shot and kept it in full shade all summer. It has gorgeous foliage, but no flowers. I've moved it into morning sun. If we don't have an early freeze, maybe I'll get some buds. My fingers are crossed.
Q. Vinca are my "go to" for summer color; I planted a flat of them. One by one they shriveled up and died off. If I re-planted, the same thing happened. Could I have planted before the soil warmed? When I pulled them up, there was no root growth. I planted some closer to the house -- where perhaps the soil was warmer -- and they thrived. Any thoughts for next year?
Ann R.
A. I think Ann has answered her own question. In our rush to get our summer annuals in -- and it does seem that the stores get them in earlier each year -- we do tend to put the heat lovers in the ground early on. Buy them, keep them in their containers in a protected place for a couple of weeks, and then plant.
Sixty-year master gardener and environmentalist Betsy Jukofsky has spent three decades on Hilton Head Island learning the peculiarities of Coastal Lowcountry gardening.
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This story was originally published October 11, 2014 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Some lessons on the South's most well-known drink: tea."