By Joanne K., Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer With spring blooming all around us, what gardener doesn't want to continue such a colorful display in their yard all summer? While gardeners like to plant perennials for their beautiful color, shape, and longevity, most perennials only bloom for a specific time. To enjoy garden color all summer, add annuals to your planting mix, whether in the ground, in containers, or in hanging baskets. To really extend your color and get the most bang for your buck, select colorful annuals with staying power. At JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh ..read more

Story by Joanne K. and Ann H., NC State Extension Master Gardener Volunteers. All photos by Ann Hamze, CC BY 4.0. With local nurseries and big-box stores overflowing with colorful blooms and leafy greens, gardeners are ready to create their summer container gardens. Dusty Miller, Snapdragon, and Chinese Sedum provide height and depth in this container. Heuchera, Coral Bells, and Creeping Charlie gracefully cascade from this container. These gardens offer you the opportunity to create a new look every summer, combining old and new plants, annuals and perennials, or vegetables and herbs. If you ..read more

By Joanne K. and John W., NC State Extension Master Gardener When sunny 70+ degree days start popping up in March in eastern NC, gardeners become eager to start digging in the dirt to plant their veggies. Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) come in a variety of sizes and colors . Anh Van, Public Domain Mark 1.0 However, not all vegetables are happy in the ground when temperatures fluctuate between 30°F and 70°F, with the possibility of frost lingering in the air. One of these vegetables is every gardener's favorite — the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Who doesn't love the taste of the homegrown to ..read more

By John W., Cindy C., and Joanne K., Pitt County Arboretum Extension Master Gardener Volunteers What should you do when you walk in your garden and find that something has eaten the cabbage, the tomatoes have black ends, the azalea leaves have been eaten, a plant failed to grow, and dead patches have appeared in your lawn? Most gardeners have run into these or similar problems. Below are resources to help you try to solve your problems. First, carefully look at the plant problem, collecting as much information as possible. The more you know about the problem, the easier it is to find a solutio ..read more

Building a Home Vegetable Garden One Step at a Time Pitt County Arboretum Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Why do people like to grow vegetables? There are so many different reasons. Many people find gardening to be a source of relaxation, a way to enjoy their backyards. Some people like growing their own produce because they like to know where their food comes from and whether it has been sprayed with herbicides or is organic. Others appreciate being less dependent on grocery stores with their rising prices and limited inventory. Then there are folks who welcome variety and trying new food ..read more

Look for signs of spring in your garden Although the recent cold snap says winter, signs of spring are everywhere in eastern North Carolina as evidenced by the swelling buds of many trees and woody shrubs. But you might wonder, what is a bud and how does it know to start growing? A bud is an undeveloped shoot from which new leaves or flower parts arise. In summer while the trees and shrubs are covered with leaves, next year's flower and leaf buds are already forming in the axil of the leaves (the small angle between the plant's stem and the leaf attachment).   Bud formation happens becaus ..read more

By Joanne K., Pitt County Arboretum Extension Master Gardener Volunteer With the leaves on the ground and winter upon us, this is a great time to see the bones of your garden to determine if changes and/or additions are needed. Perhaps a shrub didn't live up to expectations or has outgrown its space. Maybe a tree has been damaged beyond recovery. Or your plants are fine, but you'd like to add more color and variety to your landscape in order to attract more birds. In any case, when adding new plants, consider native plants with their colorful flowers, seeds, fruits, and fall leaves that will p ..read more

By Joanne K., Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer With the holiday season upon us, evergreens are decorating everything from churches and front doors to streetlights and car bumpers! These greens appear in many forms, including trees, wreaths, and garlands. Evergreens as Christmas symbols were derived from pagan-inspired traditions begun thousands of years ago when greens were used as decorations for pagan winter festivals. During the winter solstice, Egyptians celebrated Ra, the Sun God, by making wreaths and garlands and decorating conifers. Druids decorated evergreens to ensure ..read more

By Joanne K., with contributions from Diane S., Dell E., Tommy M., and Alta A., Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers Gardens are always changing, and the Arboretum gardens are no exception. Plants die, outgrow their space, fail to thrive, or a garden just needs to be rejuvenated. A case in point is our new vegetable garden, the latest work in progress! When the irrigation system no longer functioned in the old vegetable garden adjacent to the Children's Garden, the vegetable garden team, in consultation with the Horticultural Extension Agent, decided to create a new one in an area ..read more

Extend the Life of Your Summer Annuals Coleus displays  in many home and public container gardens around the area have been spectacular this year. Perhaps you have a favorite coleus or another summer annual that you don't want to lose when the frost comes. As summer winds down, many annuals have luxuriant growth from which cuttings can be taken to propagate over the winter to enjoy in your garden next spring. Propagating cuttings is a fun way to extend your gardening season. Following are two easy propagation methods using stem cuttings. ii) Angel Wing Begonia leaf cut in half horizontall ..read more