Making It Grow Minutes

If you have a sunny area that needs a screen, look no further than our state flower, Carolina or yellow jessamine.

The flowers of yellow jessamine are powerfully sweet in fragrance, but deadly poisonous to many animals, including humans, and not a favorite of invertebrates.

Spring has sprung, and so has South Carolina's state flower.

South Carolina's state flower is in full bloom, announcing spring's glorious arrival.

Dandelion leaves are packed full of nutrients, as many as are in kale.

Amanda McNulty shares some charming childhood memories about dandelions.

What some consider a weed is a lovely flower in the eyes of others.

Amanda McNulty shares a poem to prompt bird-lovers to set up their hummingbird feeders as these lovely little creatures return from their winter retreats.

The birds will be arriving any day now, expecting you to help them fatten up after their thousands of miles' flights home from Mexico and South America.

Bulbs from the amaryllidaceae family can be coaxed to bloom early, but host Amanda McNulty advises against using wax in the forcing process.

Zephyranthes are beautiful but can be fatal to your furry friends.

Myriad common names never stop for Zephyranthes, but according to Amanda McNulty, a couple make some sense.

Host Amanda McNulty explains the charming origins of the rain lily names 'Zephyranthes' and 'Atamasco.'

Host Amanda McNulty reflects on the beauty of one of the New World's native plants that is a member of the Amaryllis family

First, pick up a pair of knee-high stockings...

Discover how a wasp that doesn't sting and is the size of a sesame seed does grave damage to the invasive stinkbug.

The brown marmorated stink bug was first found on the East Coast in Pennsylvania in 2001.

An insect that's invasive to crops also invades structures, like Amanda McNulty's home.

Host Amanda McNulty discovers she's not the only one who finds her exterior paint color attractive

Learn how Spanish moss was an integral part of the automotive industry, and in particular, World War II.

Discover how the roots of epiphytic orchids function without the need for soil.

Amanda McNulty continues her look at epiphytes and demonstrates her skill in pronouncing genus names.

Host Amanda McNulty shares how a plant with no roots helps its host plant conserve water and energy.

Learn about South Carolina's Lowcountry garland, Spanish moss, and how it survives without roots or soil.

Watering blooming holiday cacti is a bit tricky. Amanda McNulty offers helpful tips to keep your plant happy and healthy year-round.

The "leaves" of Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti are not really leaves.

Amanda McNulty shares helpful tips to ensure your Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti bloom beautifully

Amanda McNulty describes the leaf difference on these two epiphytes, and why caring for them is distinctly different than nurturing their desert-dwelling cousins.

Host Amanda McNulty gets creative with cacti as she prepares her table for holiday celebrations.

While visiting her dying mother, Amanda McNulty brought Chickie Wimberly to comfort, entertain, and provide fun stories for future visitors.

Amanda McNulty's family finds ways to make their holiday meals special by adding memorable main courses.

Host Amanda McNulty has a history of keeping unusual pets, including a chick hatched in her child's classroom.

Host Amanda McNulty of "Making It Grow" shares more childhood stories of her unusual pets, their favorite foods, and the foods she and her family enjoyed.

Host Amanda McNulty of "Making It Grow" shares a vivid childhood memory of one of the many unusual pets she and her brother used to keep.

Street litter attracts mosquitos, but mass spraying harms more than just this one pest.

While "Making It Grow" host Amanda McNulty is usually in favor of planting and growing, she draws the line at her bathroom tile.

Host Amanda McNulty of "Making It Grow" explains how the sweetbay magnolia helps sustain a variety of wildlife.

Host Amanda McNulty of "Making It Grow" explains her preference of the sweetbay magnolia over magnolia grandiflora, a.k.a. the southern magnolia.

Host Amanda McNulty of "Making It Grow" enjoys the scent of tea olives this time of year when she opens her windows for a cool evening breeze.

Although cattle egrets are in the same genus as herons, they have a much different diet than their fish-eating relatives.

Where do cattle egrets build their nests? Host Amanda McNulty points the way on this episode of Making it Grow.

What and where do cattle egrets like to eat? Host Amanda McNulty of "Making It Grow" explains that some of these birds have very exotic dinner guests at their table.

Are you familiar with cattle egrets? Host Amanda McNulty explains how to identify them on this episode of "Making It Grow."

Cattle egrets are fairly new to the U.S. Host Amanda McNulty explains how and when they arrived in our country.

Interested in canning your own foods but don't know where to begin? Amanda McNulty shares a helpful starting point.

With the renewed interest in home gardening comes a renewed interest in canning. Is your equipment properly calibrated?

If you have a family recipe for canning foods, Amanda McNulty shares some resources to ensure your process is safe.

Looking for new ways to preserve your garden's offerings? Host Amanda McNulty shares her favorite ways to can and a great resource for more delicious recipes.

Some family recipes have outdated canning procedures. Host Amanda McNulty offers a helpful resource to update your process to ensure health and safety at the dinner table.

If you have carpenter bees boring into wooden areas of your house, here are some tips.