Hi I live in the upstate of SC and I love it! We came from Up North Michigan and then Arkansas. I loved Michigan but got so tired of the long winters and the ice and snow. Then we moved to Arkansas and hated the looong hot and humid summers and all the tornadoes, so we came to SC. We love it, love the weather and the outstanding views , all the mountains and the friendly people here. The only bad part is all the red clay here. I am not sure just how to make a garden. I have plotted out a semi flat part in our yard and I am beginning to add to the clay to make it better for next year. We live on a hilly piece of land and trying to find a level spot here is next to impossible, but I will succeed I am sure.
I live in the upstate also with a hilly piece of land and red clay. Best advice I can give is get all the leaves, compost and manure you can, you will need it with our soil.