Friday, April 20, 2012

Basil


Basil is one of the most popular and sought-after herbs today, in the herb garden as well as in the kitchen. It’s easy to grow when it gets what it needs—plenty of sunlight, warmth, regular food and water, and pruning to keep it productive.
Basil is handsome enough to star in your ornamental garden. Use the broad-leafed, taller forms as foundation plantings with petunias or short marigolds and zinnias in front. The colorful purple basils—‘Dark Opal’, ‘Purple Ruffles’, tiny-leafed purples—and the bicolored ‘Genovese’ and ‘Silver Fox’ add wonderful contrasts and fragrances. Try shorter basils—‘Spicy Globe’, ‘Genovese’, ‘Dark Opal’ and lettuce-leaf—as seasonal borders or low hedges.
Basils also lend themselves, albeit somewhat unwillingly, to container culture. Most basils get quite large in the garden. It takes a sizable root system to support that top growth. Potted basils require at least a 6-inch container. Choose a container size as you would a pair of shoes for a growing child—a bit big. The container may be of any material as long as it has drainage holes in the bottom to minimize soggy soil and consequent root rot.
Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum). This familiar basil is great for pesto and preserving. It’s attractive in pots, but grows vigorously and needs repotting often. Numerous cultivars with different flavors are available.

Read more: http://www.herbcompanion.com/grow/herb-profiles/uses-for-basil-zm0z12amzdeb.aspx?page=2#ixzz1sKlYMHGU

Scrap Exchange Fabric Sale & 21st Birthday

Spring Fabric Sale

Fabric enthusiasts - this is the event that you don't want to miss!  Our always-popular spring fabric sale will be held on Saturday, April 21 right here at The Scrap Exchange.    We always have great deals on fabric, but the deals you get during the fabric sale are spectacular!

This is your chance to stock up on amazing fabric at unbeatable values. Whether you live here in town or far away, this sale is worth the trip!  Fabric will include upholstery rolls, bolts, loose fabric samples, fabric sample books, remnants, large scraps and more. Shoppers will be able to fill a large bag with the loose fabric of their choice for one low price. Sewing patterns, notions, ribbons, lace and trims will also be discounted during this one-day sale. 

Doors will open to the general public at 10 a.m. on April 21st.  But, we will be letting our Friends Club members in to shop at 8 a.m.!   To find  out more about our Friends Club program and how to become a member, go to 

http://www.scrapexchange.org/joinus/friends.htm
  Or call the store at 919-688-6960.

The Scrap Exchange 21st Anniversary Celebration!
Friday, April 20 — Sunday, April 29

Come on out and help The Scrap Exchange celebrate 21 years as the Triangle’s favorite Creative Reuse Center! We've got 10-days of special events planned; check out the list below.  Need more information?  Call the store at 919-688-6960.

Green Gallery Opening and 21st Birthday Party
Friends and Family Show
Friday, April 20 from 6 to 9 p.m.

Fabric Sale
Saturday, April 21
Friends Club Preview, 8 to 10 a.m.
Doors open to the general public at 10 a.m.

Customer Apprection Days
Sunday, April 22 – Sunday, April 29
Free Snacks in the store
20% off retail store purchases (30% for Friends Club Members!)
(Discount does not apply to artist items from the Green Gallery or Artist Marketplace.)

Durham Art Walk
Saturday, April 28-Sunday, April 29
Putt-Putt golf course here at the store and throughout Cordoba Center for the Arts and Golden Belt

Swap-O-Rama-Rama
Sunday, April 29
Noon to 4 p.m.
Giant community clothing swap with stations for altering and embellishing clothes. Music provided by DJ Piddipat. Bring a bag of clothes to swap, and a suggested donation of $10 for the general public, $5 for Friends Club members.


 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

COMPOST WORKSHOP

click to enlarge and you can drag to desktop and then print.

Durham Garden Forum

Durham Garden Forum

Please note that there is a fee: individual sessions cost $10.00; membership (May-April) costs $25.00. 


All sessions begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. at the Doris Duke Center at Sarah P. Duke Gardens, ending promptly at 8:00 p.m.
 

• Tuesday, May 15, 2012: “An Introduction to Plant Propagation,” with Jason Holmes, Curator at Sarah P. Duke Gardens;
 

• Tuesday, June 19, 2012: “Creating New Plants,” with Denny Werner, Professor of Horticulture, NCSU;
 

•  Tuesday, July 17, 2012: “Garden Advice Fair,” with expert gardeners to answer questions, provide advice and demonstrations.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Gala in the Garden

Gala in the Garden
JC Raulston Arboretum
May 6, 2012   3:00pm-7:00pm

JC Raulston's primary fundraiser is coming up soon.  The proceeds from the Garden Party support  the Arboretum's public outreach, garden displays, teaching and research.  Stroll through the garden with a cool drink and treat your taste buds to some gourmet treats.  Bid on the items-botanical and non-botanical- offered in the silent auction.  This is a Garden Party to celebrate the season and the Arboretum.

You can register online until April 26, 2012 after that, call 919-51--0264 to register.  Registration is $75 per person, $25 is tax-deductible, so you can get a head start on next year's deductions and have a great day out!

 Book Recommendations:
Flower Confidential by Amy Stewart

Did you know what is behind the flowers we see for sale everyday?  Amy Stewart went to the various flower producers throughout the world to show how they reach us.  She takes us from the West Coast to Ecuador to Holland to give us an insight behind this more than 40 billion dollar industry.  She talks about the flower auctions in Holland, the drive for flowers that last longer and the working conditions of many workers.  This is not a strident diatribe about the industry rather it is an insight into a product we take for granted.  It is an older book but still worth reading. Check your local library.


Bulb Forcing by Art Wolk


The author of this handsomely illustrated book has 30+ years of bulb-forcing experience and two Philadelphia International Flower Show Grand Sweepstakes Awards.  Art Wolk shows how to pot  and prepare various types of bulbs for forcing.  His step by step techniques encourage you whether you are a beginner or an advanced forcer.  The pictures of different bulbs and the various stages of  forcing are very informative.  He  shows hydroponic forcing which exhibits not only the beauty of the plant itself but also the intricacy of its root system.  You will discover how to force not just the usual bulbs in this book but also the anemone, the allium, the arisaema and the bulb-garden pot.

We may be busy outdoors now but soon fall and winter flower catalogues will be filling our mailboxes, so check out this book and be prepared to continue the season indoors. 
 


North Carolina Author:


Sarah Addison Allen's books were recommended by a friend. Sarah Addison Allen is from Asheville. Some people call her books Southern fantasy, I call them a good read.   Garden Spells is the story of a Southern garden, its distinctive apple tree and the women who tend it. The Sugar Queen deals with family secrets, hidden passions and knowing yourself.  The Peach Keeper deals with ghosts and small town North Carolina life.  I recommend them when you are relaxing in your lawn chair after a hot day in the garden or when you are relaxing at the beach.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Blossom Garden Club Visited NC Botanical Garden



The Blossoms Garden Club visited  the North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill on Tuesday, April 10, 2012. 
Under the leadership of NCBG Assistant Director for Natural Areas and Conservation Programs, Johnny Randall,
the Blossoms learned about plant pollinators which include not just bees, but moths, dragonflies,
butterflies, beetles, ants,  wasps and flies.  In the bog garden,  Johnny Randall demonstrated how a bee or fly enters a pitcher plant. 
To learn more about plant pollinators,  check out the following:  www.xerces.org and www.pollinator.org
Pictured from left to right:  Caelia Bingham, Shelley Dekker, Lynne Alexander, Annabel Garrett, Chris Jewell, Hettie Johnson,
Betsy Norman, Ilene Nelson and Dale Gaddis.  Seated is Johnny Randall.  Photo taken by Blossoms member Cavett French.

Dandelion


Almost everyone recognizes a dandelion (Taraxacum spp.), but not everyone realizes that nearly every part of the plant is edible. The leaves, which are most palatable in spring before the plant flowers, are high in iron, beta-carotene, and potassium. Dandelions are also mildly diuretic.

Read more: http://www.herbcompanion.com/Cooking/Weed-Eater.aspx#ixzz1reCJOR7X
For a delicacy that tastes like mushrooms, collect a colander full of dandelion blossoms, wash them, dust them with flour seasoned with salt and pepper, then pan-fry them in a bit of butter. The blossoms may also be used to make wine.
I like to sauté well-scrubbed dandelion roots in a little toasted sesame oil and tamari sauce. Herbalists have long prescribed dandelion root tea to relieve acne and eczema as well as to enhance liver function.

From this month's Herb Companion

SHITAKE MUSHROOM GROWING WORKSHOP




WHAT: Come to this hands-on workshop to learn how to grow shitake mushrooms.  You can help us prepare 12 logs with mushroom plugs for the Carolina Campus Community Garden.  You can also taste some delicious samples of dishes made with shitake mushrooms.

WHEN: The workshop will be held on Earth Day, April 22nd, Sunday, from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

WHERE:  the Carolina Campus Community Garden on Wilson St.

WHO:  Leading the workshop will be Aaron Moody, a geography professor who grows mushrooms on the side.

No prior experience is necessary.  Children are welcome

For more information contact clorch@email.unc.edu

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Tom Earnhardt to Speak at North Carolina Botanical Garden’s

Chapel Hill:  Naturalist-writer Tom Earnhardt will present the North Carolina Botanical Garden’s annual Evenly McNeill Sims Lecture on Sunday, April 29 at 2:30 pm.  The presentation --“Wildflowers & Wild Places: Finding Mentors & Muses for the Next Generation”--is free but advance registration is requested: laurende@unc.edu or 919-537-3819.
The Botanical Garden’s annual spring lecture, the Evelyn McNeill Sims Native Plant Lecture, focuses on native plants and their conservation and ecology. The series was initiated in 2000 with a gift from Botanical Garden Foundation Board member Nancy Preston in honor of her mother, Evelyn McNeill Sims of Chapel Hill, on the occasion of her 90th birthday.

Speaker Tom Earnhardt is a frequent visitor in North Carolina homes as writer/host of unc-tv’s “Exploring North Carolina.” A lawyer by training and law professor for two decades, Earnhardt has lived a rich “second life” as a naturalist, writer, and champion of wild places.

“Children learn best before their early teens. In those years it is easier to absorb new languages, ride a bicycle, hold a slippery salamander, and learn to swim,” says Earnhardt. “It is also the time when children are most awed by the natural world. Unfortunately, in our high-speed, digital world, the main contact many children have with the wonders of nature—wildflowers, forests, streams, birds, insects—is via the small flat screens of smart phones and computers. Young adults are far more likely to gravitate to wild places, and become stewards of the natural world, if they were taken outside as youngsters by ‘mentors and muses’.”
The North Carolina Botanical Garden is located off Fordham Boulevard at Old Mason Farm Road in Chapel Hill.  A unit of The University of North Carolina, it has been a leader in native plant conservation and education in the southeastern United States for more than 40 years. The Botanical Garden is open 7 days a week and admission is free. See http://ncbg.unc.edu  for details.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Herbfest in Wake Forest

Click on poster and then click XLarge to read or drag to desktop and enlarge there
I went last year and had a great time and 
the herbs were great all year. It made for a
fun summer, trying the new flavors in sauces 
and in grilling.

 It's that time of year again.  HerbFest is back.  If you live in our neck of the woods hope you can make it.   I've attached our preliminary schedule of events but remember we run this out of the back seat of our pocket so anything can, may, even probably will change.


  Not listed here is the "beer wagon" with our famous "biermeister" Randy, who comes down from Pennsylvania every year with his wife Carol, and assist us for 14 days of set up, take down and get 'er done. 

Educate Yourself!



Join us for
classes and workshops at our
Durham and Charlotte locations.
 All classes begin at 10am.
 Call and sign up now!
1-800-643-0315
      
April 7
HOW TO PLANT A PREMIUM ROSE GARDEN


May 19
FIRST BLOOM CELEBRATION


June 2
BEAT THE HEAT BEACH BASH.  Also, join us for a class on THE "PEST" ADVICE!  The best options for taking control of the pests in your rose garden.  


June 9
PLAY WITH YOUR ROSES: FLOWER ARRANGING WORKSHOP $10 for supplies; limit 15 people.
Your rose pictures and comments are always welcome.
Please e-mail jennifer@witherspoonrose.com
to see your picture or garden tip displayed in
Buds of Interest.
Thank You.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Classes at Scrapexchange


 www.scrapexchange.org
923 Franklin Street, Durham, NC 27701

retail store phone: 919-688-6960
office phone: 919-682-2751
events phone: 919-213-1278
Spring Classes at The Scrap Exchange


Ready to take a creative reuse class?   The Scrap Exchange is offering a wide range of classes in the coming months, covering everything from mosaics to quilting to paper sculpture. Check out the complete list below.  Registration is easy!  Simply click on the registration links provided.  More details are available at scrapexchange.eventbrite.com.  Questions? Call events coordinator Jessica Moore at 919-213-1278.  And follow us on Facebook or Twitter  to get up-to-the minute info on classes, programs and events happening at The Scrap Exchange.   

(Are you a member of our Friends Club? Friends Club members receive a 10% discount on class registration fees. Go to http://www.scrapexchange.org/joinus/friends.htm for more information on how to become a Friends Club member!)


 Beginning Knitting
Andrea Stephens
Have you always wanted to learn to knit? Learn the basic stitches in knitting as well as how to cast-on and bind-off in this two-session class.

Date: Fridays, April 6 & 13
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Cost: $15
Ages: 16 and up
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-21.eventbrite.com


Altered Clothes
Ann Woodward
Bring some clothes, use some of ours, be inspired by altering, cutting, deconstructing, and making clothing that is just for you! Special drop-in class!

Date: Thursday, April 19
Time: between 6 and 9 p.m. (drop in any time during class hours)
Cost: $5
Ages: all ages
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-18.eventbrite.com


Funky Mosaic Stepping Stones
Julia Gartrell
Create a beautiful mosaic stepping stone for your garden!

Date: Saturday, April 21
Time: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Cost: $15
Ages: 16 and up
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-19.eventbrite.com


Scrapimals (for Kids!)
Sara McCreary
Create your own cute and creepy creatures from fabric scraps.

Date: Friday, April 27
Time: 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Cost: $12
Ages: 8 to 12
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-22.eventbrite.com


Scrapimals (for Adults!)
Sara McCreary

Create your own cute and creepy creatures from fabric scraps.
Special drop-in class for adults!

Date: Friday, April 27
Time: between 6 and 9 p.m. (drop in any time during class hours)
Cost: $7
Ages: adults
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-23.eventbrite.com


New Creations from Old Quilts
Ruth Warren

Experiment with various techniques that will transform old quilt pieces into new creations.

Date: Saturday, April 28
Time: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Cost: $35
Ages: 14 and up
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-24.eventbrite.com


Beginning Crochet
Andrea Stephens

Learn to crochet in this two-session class! Projects will be made from repurposed materials and all supplies are included.

Date: Friday, May 4 and Friday, May 11
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Cost: $15
Ages: 16 and up
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-25.eventbrite.com


The Art of Sampling

Kurrell Rice
Participants will learn about the art of music production, including techniques like beat layering, selective rhythm recognition and most importantly, how to creatively re-use lost and forgotten works of art in the form of sound bites!

Date: Wednesdays 5/9, 5/16, 5/23, 5/30 and 6/6
Time: 3 – 5 p.m.
Cost: $50
Ages: 11 to 16
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-26.eventbrite.com


Create Your Own Chenille
Ruth Warren

Make your own one-of-a-kind “chenille” fabric. You’ll learn to combine different textures and colors, then layer, sew and cut to create a beautifully textured chenille.

Date: Thursday, May 10
Time: 6 – 8 p.m.
Cost: $20
Ages: 12 and up
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-27.eventbrite.com


Design It, Stitch It, Throw It
Christine Ramsey
Transform fabric swatches into a one-of-a-kind throw pillow.

Date: Thursday, May 17
Time: 6 – 9 p.m.
Cost: $20
Ages: 14 and up
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-28.eventbrite.com


Basic Books
Emily Dings
Learn basic bookmaking skills that can be applied to both simple and complex book structures.

Date: Saturday, May 19 and Saturday, May 26
Time: 10 a.m. – Noon
Cost: $25
Ages: 16 and up
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-29.eventbrite.com


Cape It Up: Discover Your Inner Super Hero (for Kids!)
Sara McCreary
Fight crime, live in a magical world, or be an evil villain — the choice is yours when you design your own super hero symbol.

Date: Friday, May 25
Time: 4:30 – 6 p.m.
Cost: $12
Ages: 8 to 13
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-30.eventbrite.com


Cape It Up: Discover Your Inner Super Hero (for Adults!)
Sara McCreary

Adults can show the world their inner powers, too! Special drop-in class for ages 14+. Students may drop in anytime during class hours and leave whenever their project is completed.

Date: Friday, May 25
Time: 6 – 9 p.m.
Cost: $7
Ages: 14 and up
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-31.eventbrite.com


Rug Hooking: The Basics and Beyond

Ellen O’Grady

Rug hooking has long been a great way to creatively reuse fabric. There’s only one basic stitch, so it’s easy to learn, but the possibilities for what you can create are endless.

Date: Saturday, May 26
Time: 1 – 4 p.m.
Cost: $20
Ages: 16 and up
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-32.eventbrite.com


All Art Is Scraps
Catherine J. Howard

Learn about the current instrumental figures of contemporary art and discover the “scraps” of theoretical and aesthetic influences behind them.

Date: Thursdays, 5/31, 6/7, 6/14, 6/21
Time: 7 – 9 p.m.
Cost: $50
Ages: 16 and up
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-33.eventbrite.com


Textile Collage
Christine Ramsey

Turn three-ring binders into custom photo books, recipe binders, or garden journals using fabric scraps, card stock and other recycled papers, along with straight and zig-zag stitches.

Date: Saturday, June 2
Time: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Cost: $20
Ages: 11 and up
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-34.eventbrite.com


Cone Heads

Kimberley Cartwright

Make a Cone Head alter ego! Bring a small photocopied picture of yourself and we’ll transform it into your very own cone head, through painting and collage.

Date: Tuesday, June 5
Time: 3 – 5 p.m.
Cost: $10
Ages: 8 to 10
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-35.eventbrite.com


Paper Sculpture

Vidushi Singh

Create mini paper sculptures of flowers, animals, and more by simply rolling, shaping and gluing small strips of paper!

Dates: Thursday, June 7
Time: 6:30-8:30pm
Fee: $20
Age: 8+
Online Registration Link: http://scrapclass2012-38.eventbrite.com


Shoemaking: Make Your Own Sandals
Dara McGinn

Learn to make your own sandals from repurposed materials!

Date: Saturday, June 16
Time: 1 – 4 p.m.
Cost: $40
Ages: 16 and up
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-36.eventbrite.com


Sewing a Fabric Tote
Kimberley Cartwright

Learn pattern-making, sewing and raw edge applique. This is a beginner-level class, so no sewing experience is needed, and all materials are included!

Date: Tuesday, June 26
Time: 3 – 5 p.m.
Cost: $10
Ages: 11 to 13
Online Registration Link: scrapclass2012-37.eventbrite.com

Elizabethan Gardens April Events




Easter Eggstravaganza - a Springtide Tradition in The Gardens. There will be over 2,000 colorful eggs on-hand for The Elizabethan Gardens annual Eggstravaganza on April 7. What could be more picture-perfect than spring blooms, green grass and an Easter Egg Treasure Scavenger Hunt throughout The Gardens for this popular event? Hop over to The Gardens and join in the fun. But hold on to your Easter bonnets, there are more than just eggs at this classic event! This Outer Banks tradition includes: games, live bunnies provided by Pet Gallery of Nags Head, crafts, and a delicious homemade bake sale supplied by Roanoke Island Garden Club and Dunes of Dare Gardens Club members - as well as egg rolls, an Easter bonnet/hat contest, story time, educational games, and plenty of kid-friendly fun.

 And grown-ups can hunt for savings too, at the Easter Egg Hunt Sale happening in The Gardens Gift Shop during the Eggstravaganza. Selected plants will also be on sale.



9:30am Gates Open

10:00am Discovery Tables Open
10:30 am Easter Bonnet / Hat Contest
11:00am Family Fun Scavenger Hunts
11:30am Live Easter Bunnies
12:00noon Egg Relay Race
10:15 -10:45, 12:30 – 1:00 & 1:15 – 1:45 Story time

Garden members are admitted free to Easter Eggstravaganza, standard admission applies to non-members. Children under five will be admitted free when accompanied by an adult.

Etched into History



By choosing to engrave a brick, you pave a solid path for The Elizabethan Gardens future. Each brick is a lasting testament that may commemorate a loved one, an achievement, a wedding, an anniversary, honor military service, a special occasion or to show your support of The Gardens. $100. per brick.Nancy Harvey 252.473.1554 visit: www.elizabethangardens.org

mailto:marketing@elizabethangardens.org



Classes and Workshops

 Penciling the World

Children's Class - New!

Wed. April 11 & Thurs.  April 12
9a.m.-1p.m.



Penciling the World

Adult Class - New!

Wed. April 11 & Thurs. April 1p.m. - 5p.m.



Linda Miller -  Spring Watercolor Workshop

Tues. April 17,Wed. April 18, &Thurs. April 19

9:30a.m. - 3:30p.m.



Photography Workshop with Jeff Lewis

Sat.May 5  10a.m. - noon



Cheese it Up -New!

Sat. May 12 Noon -2p.m.

 Please visit our website for updates, times, workshop prices and pre-registration.

www.elizabethangardens.org


Special Events Ace Hardware

Home & Garden Tour

"Spring for the Arts"

Saturday, April 28

9a.m. - 4p.m.

Tickets on sale now!

On April 28, a spring masterpiece to the arts will be sung on Roanoke Island when The Elizabethan Gardens, Dunes of Dare Garden Club and Roanoke Island Garden Club presents the Ace Hardware “Spring for the Arts” Home and Garden Tour. This annual fundraising event will not only feature homes and gardens, but also showcase local artists and garden vendors in a jam-packed event that includes a catered lunch in the beautiful and aromatic Gardens. Live musical entertainment by violinist Leslie Erikson will be provided.

Home sponsors:

Buster Nunemaker, John L. Buford, Pigman’s Barbecue, VBL Technologies, Mollie Fearing and Associates.

This inspirational day happens Saturday, April 28, 2011 from 9am - 4pm at The Elizabethan Gardens. Tickets are now on sale. $25 in advance, $30 the day of the event. Groups of ten or more $20 a ticket. For tickets and information, call The Gardens at 252-473-3234.

Please visit our website for updates, more information on times and ticket prices.www.elizabethangardens.org