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.

Sustainable Agriculture Conference

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The 34th annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference will be held at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel (4700 Emperor Blvd) Friday, November 1 through Sunday, November 3. Farmers, foodies, researchers, educators, activists, and anyone wanting to learn more about sustainability are invited to attend educational workshops and panels, inspiring talks, to see exhibits, and to take bus tours. Enjoy regionally sourced meals during breaks. Call 919-542-2402 or click here for more info. Tickets range from $50 to $325; click here to learn about membership in the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and to register.

Help plant trees

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Keep Durham Beautiful will host a Tree Planting Block Party at Global Scholars Academy (311 Dowd St) on Saturday, November 9, 9am–noon. This charter school was built on the site of the Royal Ice Cream, one of the early sites of early antisegregation protests in the late 1950s. The goal is to plant 29 flowering and shade trees for beautification and to provide shade for the students on the playground. Click here for more info and to sign up.

October gardening tips

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Here are a few gardening tips from the Durham County Cooperative Master Gardeners for the month of October:
  • Now’s the time to plant spring-flowering bulbs, including hyacinths, daffodils, and crocuses.
  • Buy some pansies as soon as it starts getting cool. Pansies are very hardy, and some can last throughout the winter.
  • If you’re preparing your garden (or expanding your garden) for the planting of fruits and vegetables next spring, take soil samples and have them analyzed by the NC Department of Agriculture. Do this before late fall; after November 27 you’ll have to pay both for the sending off and analysis of the soil samples.
  • 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):
  • A Festival of Fabulous Mums—Sunday, November 3, noon–5pm; Monday, November 4, 9am–5pm; and Tuesday, November 5, 9am–5pm; free.
  • Walk on the Wild Side—Thursday, November 7, 11am–noon. Take a tour of the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants; $10, $8 for Duke Gardens members; register online.​​​​​​
  • Fall for Orchids Show—Friday, November 8, 1–4pm; Saturday, November 9, 9am–5pm; and Sunday, November 10, 9am–4pm.
  • Build a Pollinator House—Wednesday, November 13, 6–9pm; $35, $28 for Gardens members.
  • Extension Gardener Series: Month-to-Month Gardening—Thursday, November 14, 7–9pm; free, but call to reserve your spot.
  • Walk on the Wild Side—Thursday, December 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

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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:​​
  • Essential Oils Workshop—Saturday, November 26, 10–11am; $10.