Garden shed

GARDENING TIP: If you want to preserve your flowering shrubs and plants for just a while longer, spray them with water right before a frosty night of near-freezing temperatures. The water will form a layer of protection against the cold and you’ll get to enjoy your flowers for a few extra days or weeks.

NC Cooperative Extension workshops

The NC Cooperative Extension/Durham presents the Bull City Gardener Learning Series on Thursday, February 13, 3–5pm, at their office (721 Foster St). Today’s workshop, Getting Started With Warm Season Vegetables, will be hosted by Extension Agriculture Agent Ashley Troth. Learn how to select the species/varieties of the plants you intend to grow from seed, and how to care for them until they’re ready to set outside. The fee is $6; call the Master Gardener Office at 919-560-0528 for more info and click here to register.

The NC Cooperative Extension/Durham presents the Bull City Gardener Learning Series on Saturday, February 15, 9:30–11:30am, at their office (721 Foster St). Today’s workshop, Getting Started With Warm Season Vegetables, will be hosted by Extension Agriculture Agent Ashley Troth. Learn how to select the species/varieties of the plants you intend to grow from seed, and how to care for them until they’re ready to set outside. The fee is $6; call the Master Gardener Office at 919-560-0528 for more info and click here to register.

The NC Cooperative Extension/Durham presents the First Season Gardening workshop on Sunday, March 8, 3–4pm, at the South Regional Library (4505 S Alston Ave). Learn about our three distinct gardening seasons and when to plant garden peas, radishes, and leafy greens early so they can be harvested by summer. It’s free; call the library at 919-560-7410 and click here to register.

February gardening tips

Here are a few gardening tips from the Durham County Cooperative Master Gardeners for the month of February:

Plant early-season vegetables, like cabbage, carrots, lettuce, onions, potatoes, spinach, and turnip greens. Be sure to work a little fertilizer into the soil.
Prune grapevines and fruit trees; also summer-flowering shrubs and small trees.
Spray peach trees with a fungicide and other fruit trees with dormant oil.
Click here to read the entire article.

Tree Planting with Keep Durham Beautiful

Neighbors are invited to help with Tree Planting: Hargrove Park (208 Hargrove St) on Saturday, February 29, 10am–1pm. All equipment is provided, but you’re welcome to take your work gloves. UPDATE: At press time, all of the spots have been claimed; click here to see other events you’d like to attend and/or volunteer for. This event is sponsored by Keep Durham Beautiful in partnership with the Duke Carbon Offsets Initiative.

NC State’s ‘Extension Gardener’

Here’s the Winter edition of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s online publication, “Extension Gardener”:

Duke Gardens workshops, tours & shows

SARAH P DUKE GARDENS, 426 Anderson St, Durham,
919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu; gardening workshops are held in the Doris Duke Center; call 919-668-1707 or 1708 to reserve your spot. Register online or ask questions by writing to gardenseducation@duke.edu. Here’s the link to this year‘s seminars and workshops (note that parking is free after 7pm):

Walk on the Wild Side—Thursday, January 9, 11am–noon. Take a tour of the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants; $10, $8.50 for Duke Gardens members; register online.
Plants of Distinction: Winter Deciduous Tree Silhouettes—Wednesday, January 29, 2:30–4pm; join a walk through the Gardens and learn how to identify and appreciate the beauty of winter trees; $10, $8.50 for Gardens members.
Morning Walk for Adults—Saturday, February 1, 8:30–9:30am; free, but call to reserve your spot.
Morning Walk for Families—Saturday, February 1, 9–10am; free, but call to reserve your spot.
How to Grow and Repot Your Orchid (for Beginners)—Saturday, February 1, 9:30am–noon; $25, $20 for Gardens members.
Walking Tours—Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 10–11 or 11:30am. One docent (guide) will lead each group of 15. $10 per person (these sell out quickly, so you might want to order a week or two in advance).
Trolley Tours—Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 10–11 or 11:30am. Five passengers maximum per trolley, and no pets (except service dogs). $10 per person (these sell out quickly, so you might want to order a week or two in advance).

Digging Durham Seed Library

A creative partnership of the Durham County Library, SEEDS, the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, NC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners, and the Durham Library Foundation has resulted in the Digging Durham Seed Library. Now you have a place to get free seeds to start your garden, including flowers, vegetables, and herbs. The South Regional, East Regional, North Regional, and Southwest Regional libraries have seed libraries. Contact Margaret Anderson at 919-560-8598 or manderson@dconc.gov for more details.

Tell us your success story about planting a garden using seeds from the Digging Durham Seed Library:

Main Library—300 N Roxboro St, 919-560-0100 [closed; under renovation]
South Regional—4505 S Alston Ave, 919-560-7409
East Regional—211 Lick Creek Ln, 919-560-0203
North Regional—221 Milton Rd, 919-560-0231
Southwest Regional—3605 Shannon Rd, 919-560-8590.

Gardening events and workshops

DURHAM GARDEN CENTER
4536 Hillsborough Rd, 919-384-7526, website:

Houseplant 101—Saturday, February 8, 10–11am; free. Learn about care requirements, dealing with pests, and when to fertilize houseplants.
Starting Seeds for Spring Planting—Saturday, February 22, 10–11am; free. Learn how and when to start seeds; and watering, light, and temperature requirements,.

SEEDS
706 Gilbert St, 919-683-1197,
website:

Grafting Workshop and Scion Exchange—Saturday, February 1, 11am–1pm; free. Learn how to create a fruit tree with multiple varieties. It you already have a fruit tree, feel free to collect twigs (scions) for the workshop and to share with other participants. Click here to see how to collect the scions, and click here for more info about the workshop.