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.

January gardening tips

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Here are a few gardening tips from the Durham County Cooperative Master Gardeners for the month of January:
  • If you haven’t gotten around to raking up your fall leaves, do it know.
  • The only things worth planting right now would be asparagus crowns.
  • If the plants you brought in from the outdoors are suffering insect infestations, take the plants outside on a nice day and spray them with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap.
  • Click here to read the entire article.

NC State’s ‘Extension Gardener’

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

Duke Gardens workshops,  tours & shows

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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

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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 Appreciation Day—Friday, January 10, 9am–5pm; free. Learn all about houseplants and get 15% off all houseplant purchases.

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.