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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 July.
AUCTION OF GARDEN SUPPLIES
Wester Auction will be holding a Garden Supply Company Online Auction on Saturday, July 25, 10am. You can bid on a wide variety of nurses stock, planters, garden décor, outdoor accessories, and more. If you’d like to get a sneak peek in person, visit the store at 1421 Old Apex Rd in Cary from Saturday, July 18 to Friday, July 24 during regular business hours. The first lot will close at 10am and the winning bids must be removed on Sunday, July 26 between 11am and 4pm. Click here to register to bid and to see the items being auctioned off.
TRIANGLE ORCHID SOCIETY MEETING & ACTIVITIES
The Triangle Orchid Society of North Carolina’s next meeting will be the annual Ice Cream Social & Members’ Plant Sale in the JC Raulston Arboretum (4415 Beryl Rd, in Raleigh) on Monday, July 13, 7:30pm. Ice cream and toppings will be provided; trade or buy plants (cash only). Click here for more info. Be sure to start getting ready for the Triangle Orchid Society’s 10th annual Fall for Orchids Show in September.
SARAH P DUKE GARDENS
420 Anderson St, 919-684-3698); website
Enjoy 55 acres of beauty, including the Historic Gardens (original terraces and surrounding plantings), the HL Blomquist Garden of Native Plants, the WL Culberson Asiatic Arboretum, and the Doris Duke Center Gardens (which includes the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden).
If you’re inspired to learn more about gardening and to apply your newly acquired knowledge to your own yard, garden, or patio, check out these workshops, which are held in the Doris Duke Center; call 919-668-1707 or 919-668-1708 to reserve your spot. Register online or ask questions by writing to gardenseducation@duke.edu. Click here for info on becoming a member of Duke Gardens (they often receive discounts).
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Triangle Bonsai Society Expo—Saturday, July 11, 10am–4pm; free
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Beginning a Bonsai Workshop—Sunday, July 12, 9am–1pm; $75
- Triangle Bonsai Society Expo—Sunday, July 12, 10am–3:30pm; free.
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 Deep Roots Natives (3666 Guess Rd, 984-329-7412), the Durham Garden Center (4536 Hillsborough Rd, 919-384-7526), and For Garden’s Sake (9197 Hwy 751, 919-484-9759). Click here for more info.
Here are some upcoming meetings:
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Ferns for the Garden—Tuesday, July 21
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[no meeting in August]
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Most Delicious Poisons—Tuesday, September 15
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Pruning Japanese Maples—Tuesday, October 20
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Small-Scale Stormwater Solutions: Rain Gardens and Other Practices—Tuesday, November 1
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[TBA]—Tuesday, December 15.
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!
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!
COMMUNITY GARDEN GUIDE
NC STATE GARDENING HANDBOOK
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.