GARDENING TIP: Sometimes, thirsty squirrels steal tomatoes off the vine and suck out the water. Protect your investment by placing a bowl of fresh water near your tomato plants. Ideally, the squirrels will drink the water and leave your plants alone.

Local garden tour

Picture
I’m happy to introduce a new series where I visit local gardeners and take short tours of their creative spaces. Liz Mahanna is our first, and very gracious, host. Enjoy the YouTube video and let me know if you’d like for the Durham Skywriter to visit your garden (@durhamskywriter on Twitter).

August gardening tips

Picture
Here are a few gardening tips from the Durham County Cooperative Master Gardeners for the month of August:
  • Sprinkle nitrogen fertilizer around your strawberry plants
  • Don’t fertilize any trees or shrubs until December at the earliest
  • Don’t prune any shrubs until cold weather sets in—November at the earliest
  • Plant your fall garden now--beets, Chinese cabbage, cucumbers, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, radish, rutabaga, squash, and turnips
  • If you’d like to try your hand at propagating shrubs (hydrangeas, for example), take cuttings now
Click here for more tips.

NC State’s ‘Extension Gardener’

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

Duke Gardens workshops,  tours & shows

Picture
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, August 1, 11am–noon. Take a tour of the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants; $10, $8 for Duke Gardens members; register online.​​​​​​
  • Walk on the Wild Side—Thursday, September 5, 11am–noon. Take a tour of the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants; $10, $8 for Duke Gardens members; register online.​​​​​
  • 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

Picture
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 workshops

  • There are no gardening workshops scheduled at the usual venues (Durham Garden Center and Witherspoon Rose Culture) at this time.