Augustus "Jenks" Farmer III has spent his career weeding out barriers and expectations of what it means to be a horticulturist and farmer in the Southeast.
The designer of the Riverbanks Zoo Botanical Gardens details his decades-long time in Columbia in his latest book, "Garden Disruptors." The memoir is more personal than his past works, but it's a necessary collection of memories about what it meant to be a gay gardener in an industry where the things that make a person different — their sexuality, race, religion — were to be buried under the soil with roots and rocks.
"I've always loved about Columbia is it's pretty middle of the road, not real controversial," Farmer reflected on his early-career in Columbia during the 1990s. "But it was still tough to be out and gay, as it would be for a teacher today, still."
Farmer's career since he left Riverbanks has been another experiment — he writes books, has a Substack, speaks at conferences and meetings and sells flowers at his Midlands' flower farm. On his website, Farmer describes himself as a "plantsman, author and nurseryman."
Jenks Farmer next to a big lily plant.
With a lifelong green thumb and decades of professional work, Farmer is an expert when it comes to gardening in the Midlands. Here are a few of his recommendations on how to become the "plant people" you always wanted to be:
Must-listen podcast
Farmer recommends "The Gestalt Gardener," an NPR podcast from Jackson, Mississippi, gardener and author, Felton Rushing.
"It's the same climate in Jackson, Mississippi — the same as us," Farmer said of the Midlands. "And the main host, Felder Rushing, knows about real hands-on gardening without pretense."
Get your hands dirty
Need to find some balance, peace or sense of accomplishment? Get dirty, Farmer said.
"People should just be happy to get their hands dirty. Go outside and dig up some weeds and put it in a pot. Ya know, pick up some hickory nuts off the street. Just do it," Farmer urged. "You don't need a recipe. You don't need somebody to tell you exactly how to do it."
Farmer offered an example: when speaking at a meeting in Myrtle Beach, he found an odd-looking weed blooming from a crack in the concrete. He dug it up, took it home and potted it with some soil.
"If that can grow there, then I put it in a little pot and I don't have to water," Farmer said.
What to read
Farmer directed people to his twice-weekly free Substack, Plant People.
"I try to find something beautiful and ordinary," he said of his essays.
Must-have tools
For gardening, "Japanese pruning shears," Farmer recommended. He said Japanese steel is the best there is, which is why he recommends the tool be made with it.
And for everyday use, Farmer always keeps his hook-billed pocketknife handy.
"If you're weeding in your grass or whatever, it gets down in there," he explained, brandishing the hooked tip of the blade. "So that's my essential tool.
Augustus "Jenks" Farmer III prunes a satsuma citrus fruit with his hook-billed pocketknife at Curiosity Coffee on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Photo by Zoe Nicholson/Staff)
For folks with yards
Everyone with the space to have one needs a citrus tree, Farmer said.
"We can have citrus here," he said of Columbia's balmy climate. "I have them my yard. Satsuma, ouzo ... this morning I went outside, I was making steak marinade, and grabbed an ouzo."
Farmer said the Satsuma — a milder version of the navel orange — is the best option for homeowners. "They're beautiful, handsome evergreens," Farmer said. "They have incredibly fragrant flowers, and then you have stuff to eat."
Best local outdoor activity
A free, central space to see gorgeous gardens? Farmer urged people to the gardens at the Hampton-Preston Mansion and Gardens, a Historic Columbia house museum that underwent a renovation in 2018.
"One of Colombia's most spectacular gardens and the impressive house; it's free. I had friends in from Clemson, who are professional horticulturists, and they're like, 'oh my God, I can't believe this is in downtown.' And it's no commitment," Farmer said.
He also plugged Riverbanks Zoo's Botanical Gardens, which Farmer himself designed and built-out in the 1990s and boasts more than 70 acres of local and exotic flora.
Historic Columbia leads tours of Hampton-Preston Mansion.
Unusual house plants
"If you're gonna have a house plant," Farmer said, "go for an unusual house plant."
He recommended the Victorian cast-iron plant and Marlberry shrub; both local varieties are low-maintenance.
To find the plants, Farmer said Gardener's Outpost, which has two locations, one off Devine Street and one in Cottonmouth on Franklin Street, is the best place in town.
"We need to expand our range of house plants," Farmer urged.
Locally made must-have
Farmer said composting company Dirty Chicks is a great way to buy local and get a quality product.
"That's just awesome stuff," Farmer said. "Put on top of your plants if you have pot, or if you're doing a vegetable garden. Just endlessly usable."
A leafy Christmas gift
A Crinum is a tall-stemmed perennial that flourishes around Columbia. Farmer said the bulbs make excellent Christmas gifts.
The African flower variety was "brought from obscurity" by Riverbanks, according to Farmer.
"You see them all around Columbia, and people don't notice," Farmer said. "You see everywhere here, in the medians, in front of the art museum. "
