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Click on the flower to visit the Durham Master Gardeners’ blog, which includes a list of things to do in the garden for the month of August.
TRIANGLE ORCHID SOCIETY MEETING & ACTIVITIES
The Triangle Orchid Society’s next meeting will be held in the JC Raulston Arboretum (4415 Beryl Rd, in Raleigh) on Monday, October 14, 7:30pm. Today’s topic will be Growing Cattleya Orchids and Home Orchid Care. Join the group early at Neomonde's (3817 Beryl Rd) for dinner with the speaker at 5:45pm. Visit the Facebook page for more info.
SARAH P DUKE GARDENS
Duke Gardens (420 Anderson St, 919-684-3698); explore the website or click here to register for any of the classes/events below or to become a member (parking is $2/hour):
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Walk on the Wild Side: Asters—Thursday, September 5, 11am–noon; guided tor around the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants (meet at the gatehouse entrance to the Blomquist Garden); $10, $8 for Duke Gardens members
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Just Us Birding with Naturally Wild—Saturday, September 7, 9–11am; this is an affinity space for BiPOC visitors; free, please register
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Observing the Garden Through Haiku—Saturday, September 7, 1–2:30pm; led by poet Crystal Simone Smith; $18, $14.40 for Duke Gardens members
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Meet the Keepers—Thursday, September 12, 1–2pm; meet the horticulture staff of the Charlotte Brody Discovery Gardens; free, no need to register
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EcoSomatics Series: Learning Through Failure—Saturday, September 12, 5:30–7pm; Bex Patterson Markowitz leads this series of talks centered around trauma resolution; choose to pay $15, $25, or $35 (20% discount for Duke Gardens members).
Got gardening questions?
Call the Durham County Master Gardeners at
919-560-0528 on weekdays 9am–4pm, send an email query to mastergardener@dconc.gov, or stop by the office during regular business hours at 723 Foster St. They’ll help research solutions to your lawncare, gardening, or landscaping challenges.
The North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s website is chock-full of gardening tips, including a plant database, and information on community gardens. Click here to start the adventure.
DURHAM GARDEN FORUM
The Durham Garden Forum is an informal group of enthusiastic gardeners that meets on third Tuesdays, 7–8:30pm on Zoom to gain more knowledge and develop skills. Membership is $25 per year, and members get access to an extensive video library. The North Carolina Cooperative Extension–Durham office and Sarah P Duke Gardens are partners of the Durham Garden Forum, and members can enjoy discounts at the Durham Garden Center (4536 Hillsborough Rd) and For Garden’s Sake (9197 Hwy 751). Click here for more info.
Here are some upcoming meetings:
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Annual Keynote & Plant Swap—Tuesday, August 20, 6–8:30pm, at Duke Gardens’ Doris Duke Center (420 Anderson St); free
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Easiest Houseplants Ever, with Style—Tuesday, October 15
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Strengthening Communities Through Urban Gardening for Pollinators—Tuesday, November 19
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Cultivvating a Sustainable Future: Cornell Botanic Gardens’ Native Lawn—Tuesday, December 17.
COMMUNITY GARDEN GUIDE
Don Boekelheide and Lucy K Bradley put together a comprehensive manual called “Collard Greens and Common Ground: a North Carolina Community Food Gardening Handbook.” This 74-page paperback is a national award-winning guide for community groups and other folks who are vying to work with their neighbors to create viable spaces for flower and edible gardens. You can click here to buy one for $12 from UNC Press, or you can click on the book cover to read it online for free!
NC STATE GARDENING HANDBOOK
The North Carolina State Cooperative Extension put together a training manual for Master Gardeners called the “North Carolina Extension Gardener Handbook.” The 728-page second edition is an incredible work, with color images, detailed graphics, case studies, frequently asked questions, and specific management instructions about insects, diseases, weeds, other pests, etc. You can call 800-848-6224 to buy one for $60, or you can click on the book cover to read it online for free!
GARDENING RADIO SHOW
WPTF’s “Weekend Gardener” radio show has been on the air since 1985 and is a wonderful 3-hour exploration of flower and lawn care, soil improvement and pest control ideas, and much more. It airs every Saturday, 8–11am, on 680am and 98.5fm. If you’re not able to listen to the live broadcast, you can always click on the radio below and enjoy past shows.
