Sunday, February 27, 2011

STAKING PERENNIALS

Join the Master Gardener Volunteers this Thursday, March 3rd, for our free monthly walking tour of the Arboretum.  This month's focus will be on creative ways to stake perennials.  Now is a good time to get plant support in place before plants grow and get floppy.  It also gives time for the plant to grow through the support and eventually hide it.   The tour begins at 10:00 AM (rain or shine) and lasts about an hour.  Additionally you will be able to see the gardens beginning to come to life after such a cold, cold winter.
Pea Sticks
Click on the MAP link in the right column for directions.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

WHAT'S IN BLOOM - Lenten Rose

Helleborus orientalis
You will find this gem in our Perennial Border.  In late winter when there is little color in the garden, this evergreen plant unfurls its rosy mauve blooms to add a beautiful focal point.  It grows only about a foot tall, but its blooms lasts for weeks.  Here at the Arboretum, this plant gets a little more sun that is usually recommended, but still it thrives.  Once established it is drought tolerant.  Ideally it is good for shade gardens.  For more information about growing this in you own garden, click here.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

SAVE THE DATE - PLANT SALE

The Pitt County Master Gardener Volunteers have set the date for their annual PLANT SALE held at the Arboretum: Saturday, May 14, 2011.  


From 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM    Special Preview Sale for Friends of the Arboretum
From 10:00 AM - Noon         Open to All
Starting at 11:00 AM               Plant Swap

Last year we had over 2,000 plants for sale.  Perennials make up the majority of our stock, but we also have trees, shrubs, roses, vegetables, herbs, and some annuals.  Most plants sell for $1 to $2.   More information on the sale can be found here: Plant Sale .  Additionally as we get closer to the sale, check back on this blog site where we will be listing some of the plants we will have available.
 Mark your calendar today!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

EARLY VEGETABLES

It's time to plant the early vegetables in our Arboretum Vegetable Garden.  Earlier in the month the cover crop of crimson clover was tilled into the soil.  We'll be planting crops such as cabbage, carrots, lettuce, onions, peas, and potatoes.  For a comprehensive article on how to prepare garden beds, how to plant, what to plant, when to plant, when to fertilize, etc.  click here:  Vegetable Gardening.

Friday, February 4, 2011

WINTER HONEYSUCKLE

Lonicera fragrantissima
Blooming now is the wonderfully scented Lonicera fragrantissima, Winter Honeysuckle.  As described on the 'Floridata' website:

"Winter honeysuckle is a bush, not a vine, but it has those familiar honeysuckle flowers and that sweet honeysuckle scent. Winter honeysuckle gets 6-8 ft (1.8-2.4 m) tall, and its irregular, tangled branches form a twisted labyrinth as much as 8-10 ft (2.4-3 m) across. The leaves are nearly evergreen in the South, but deciduous in cooler climes. They are borne in opposing pairs along the slender, arching stems. Flowering begins in late winter and lasts for several weeks, filling the air with fragrance when nothing else is blooming. The flowers are extremely abundant, creamy white, about a half inch (1.5 cm) long and arranged in pairs in the leaf axils."


To read about growing it in this area, please click on Lonicera fragrantissima for a fact sheet and more pictures.