The next two paragraphs will tell a bit more about our state. The links will open a new window to other sites. After that, the photos are from our farm and on our own site, as is the beautiful clematis at the top of this page.

       Nicknamed the Palmetto State, South Carolina boasts Sassafras Mountain at 3,560 feet, Raven Cliff Falls at 420 feet, the Savannah River flowing 238 miles, the wide Santee River (drains 40% of the state) and our largest lake is Lake Marion covering 172.8 square miles, and we have 182 miles of oceanfront beaches. Our State tree is the Palmetto, State Flower is Yellow Jessamine, a woody climbing plant with glossy evergreen foliage. It is sometimes called 'jasamer' in South Carolina. Other common names include woodbine, Carolina, and evening trumpet-flower. Enjoy this flower, but handle with care!

       South Carolina is the home of Francis Beidler Forest, a blackwater swamp forest containing the largest remaining virgin stand of bald cypress and tupelo gum trees in the world. In the heart of the sanctuary, ancient groves of cypress trees tower over clear pools and blackwater sloughs. Many of these forest giants reach the height of a ten-story building before storms begin to tear away their canopy. Species of oak, ash, tupelo, and blackgum make up an understory which grows as high as 70 feet, filling the spaces between the cypress. This 11,000 acre riverine sanctuary embraces 1,800 acres of ancient trees and 300 species of wildlife. It's a haven for everything from the mysterious Cypress Knees and reptiles (like the American Alligator, and the wide variety of turtles, snakes and lizards), mammals (like the Southern Flying Squirrel, Marsh Rabbit, Long-tailed Weasel, River Otter, fox, deer, and much more), and the huge variety of birds (like the Barred Owl, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, White Ibis, many varieties of Heron, ducks, and smaller birds).

Red Barn Farm is a wonderland of pine trees, pink, lavender, and red azaleas, and camellias in pale and dark pink. This red camellia is called is Glenn 40. I planted it for Jo, because his mother had one when he was growing up and he always loved that bloom. All the camellias are planted under the pine trees we have here in the south, because they like the acid soil that the pines produce. We also have Dogwood trees, foxglove, masses of wisteria, silvery tree moss, and the shiitake mushrooms I grow. Our lazy pond is home to a variety of birds. The llamas love to wander among the trees and the young ones seem to play "hide and seek" between them.        My original Red Barn is in West Union, S.C. and it was the barn my Grandfather built, my Father re-built and I re-re-built. I had horses then and later cattle and ponies I saved from being shipped to France for food! When some other property I own sells I plan to build a nice barn here and paint it red too. I still have my 1952 8N Ford Tractor that belonged to my Dad. I try to take as good of care of it as he did, and I also have the 8N Ford Tractor Book that came with the tractor when Dad bought it.

       The shiitake mushroom (pronounced - she-eh-ta'-kay) is the most widely cultivated specialty mushroom in the world. It does not grow in the wild. In order to produce shiitakes, you have to inoculate a hard wood log that's 3½ to 4½ feet long with the shiitake spawn that will produce the delicious and healthy shiitake mushrooms.

       After inoculation of the logs, they are stacked like 'Lincoln Logs' and left in the shade for about 4 months, then they are moved to another shady spot in the yard and leaned up against 2 by 4's being held in place by saw horses. Then we just wait for our mushrooms to appear... sort of like looking for Easter Eggs.