Saturday, February 23, 2013

"Open Garden and Art Show" scheduled April 20


Lasting Impressions' 7th annual "Open Garden and Art Show" will be held on Saturday, April 20, 2013; 9am-4pm.
Location is:  4904 Hermitage Dr., Raleigh, NC 27612.

The garden will showcase spring wildflowers, Japanese maples, conifers, spring perennials, and unique trees and shrubs acquired through membership in the JCRaulston Arboretum.  The show will have 12 local artists and craftsmen featuring: pottery, jewelry, metal sculpture, birdhouses, botanical art, wood working, cement garden sculpture, hypertufa troughs, garden tools, and lots of plants.

Bring your friends and be part of a festive spring day!

Monday, February 18, 2013

GCNC Annual Meeting "Fun in the Sun" set for April 14-16

The Annual Meeting of The Garden Club of North Carolina, Inc. will be held April 14-16, 2013.

Location: Hilton Wilmington Riverside, 301 N. Water St. Wilmington, NC 28401. Tel. 1-910-763-5900

See following GCNC weblink for the Official Call Letter:  http://www.gardenclubofnc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Call-Letter-AM-2013-Wilmington.pdf

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Pruning Tips for Winter and Beyond...

The Forest Hills Garden Club recently held a February pruning
program. Treasurer Nancy P. was the lucky winner to have
speaker Allen Gracey give her residential property a
professional pruning.  
By J.S. Corser,
Durham Co. Master Gardener


 Most gardeners hope to give their clippers, trimmers and other gardening tools a four-month vacation during the winter, but some landscaping maintenance like pruning is important to do during February and the dormant months.

Pruning Guidelines
With general pruning, use the "three 'D's" as your criteria --"dead, diseased, and damaged." These types of branches should be removed whenever present on plants regardless of time of year.

The Science of Pruning
The terminal bud on a plant shoot produces a hormone (auxin) that inhibits the development of lateral buds along the shoot. When the terminal bud is removed, the lateral buds 6-8 inches near the pruning cut will become active and grow. Pruning cuts should always be made at a slight angle to promote water runoff and prune branches closely to the trunk for quickest wound healing.

Winter/Dormant Pruning
Timing is a key factor for successful pruning and growth training results. Horticulturists agree that late winter and early spring are the best times to prune most plants and cultivars. The key here is before bud break. This is true for summer flowering trees and shrubs and most evergreen shrubs. Examples of late winter pruning include: Abelia, Callicarpa, Buddleia,Chaste-tree, Crapemyrtle, Hibiscus, Roses, Hypericum, Ligustrum, Hollies, Nandina, Photinia, Waxmyrtle, Junipers (tip prune or light shaping only).

Other winter pruning factors:

• The foliage is gone and the structure of the branches is clearly visible.
• Winter pruning may lead to less contracted diseases like cankers and fire blights. 
• Some trees bleed large amounts of sap with winter pruning, trees such as: birch, honey locust, maple, dogwood, elm and walnut. They can be pruned during late spring, summer, or fall, but check the schedule of active parasites and diseases during these other seasons.
• In the case of oak trees, they should only be pruned during the winter when beetles are hibernating. (Freshly cut oaks emit an odor which attracts a beetle that causes oak wilt and eventual tree death.)


NC Extension Horticulture Specialist Dr. Mike Parker demonstrates cutting the central leader of 2-year fruit trees. Trees are cut 28" from the ground to train and promote branch spreading for a large canopy. Wide canopies capture more sunlight for fruit production and more wind for pollination and disease control. Parker's pruning workshop was held Feb. 9, at the Central Crops Research Station, Clayton, NC.
Late Spring Pruning
Some varietals require late spring pruning immediately after their blooms fade. Some examples of these are: Azalea, Rhododendron, Barberry, Blueberry, Cotoneaster, Flowering Dogwood, Euonymus, Forsythia, Quince, Bush Honeysuckle, Winter Jasmine, Magnolia, Styrax, and Viburnum.

Summer Pruning
Fruiting and nutting trees and shrubs should be only be "trained" during winter, that is, the "central leaders" cut back to promote horizontal branching, but these types of trees should not be severly pruned in winter. (Winter pruning creates more vertical branch growth later, or "water spouts" which create excessive foliage and obscures sunlight necessary for fruit production. In addition, vertical branches are more vulnerable to breakage by heavy fruit crops, especially during NC hurricane season.) Summer pruning in June, on the other hand, removes the one-year, "redwood" growth leaving the tree structure a whorl shape optimal for crop production the next year. 
For more information on pruning, click on these links to the NC Cooperative Extension:

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/agpubs/ag-071.pdf
http://durham.ces.ncsu.edu/files/library/32/UNH%209.PDF

Pruning Tips for Winter and Beyond...

The Forest Hills Garden Club recently held a February pruning
program. Treasurer Nancy P. was the lucky winner to have
speaker Allen Gracey give her residential property a
professional pruning. Photo by the Forest Hills Garden Club.
By J.S. Corser
Durham Co. Master Gardener

 Most gardeners hope to give their clippers, trimmers and other gardening tools a four-month vacation during the winter, but some landscaping maintenance like pruning is important to do during February and the dormant months.

Pruning Guidelines
With general pruning, use the "three 'D's" as your criteria --"dead, diseased, and damaged." These types of branches should be removed whenever present on plants regardless of time of year.

The Science of Pruning
The terminal bud on a plant shoot produces a hormone (auxin) that inhibits the development of lateral buds along the shoot. When the terminal bud is removed, the lateral buds 6-8 inches near the pruning cut will become active and grow. Pruning cuts should always be made at a slight angle to promote water runoff and prune branches closely to the trunk for quickest wound healing.

Winter/Dormant Pruning
Timing is a key factor for successful pruning and growth training results. Horticulturists agree that late winter and early spring are the best times to prune most plants and cultivars. The key here is before bud break. This is true for summer flowering trees and shrubs and most evergreen shrubs. Examples of late winter pruning include: Abelia, Callicarpa, Buddleia,Chaste-tree, Crapemyrtle, Hibiscus, Roses, Hypericum, Ligustrum, Hollies, Nandina, Photinia, Waxmyrtle, Junipers (tip prune or light shaping only).

Other winter pruning factors:
  • The foliage is gone and the structure of the branches is clearly visible.
  • Winter pruning may lead to less contracted diseases like cankers and fire blights. 
  • Some trees bleed large amounts of sap with winter pruning, trees such as: birch, honey locust, maple, dogwood, elm and walnut. They can be pruned during late spring, summer, or fall, but check the schedule of active parasites and diseases during these other seasons.
  • In the case of oak trees, they should only be pruned during the winter when beetles are hibernating. (Freshly cut oaks emit an odor which attracts a beetle that causes oak wilt and eventual tree death.)

NC Extension Horticulture Specialist Dr. Mike Parker demonstrates cutting the central leader of two-year fruit trees. Trees are cut 28" from the ground to train and promote branch spreading for a large canopy. Wide canopies capture more sunlight for fruit production and more wind for pollination and disease control. Parker's pruning workshop was held Feb. 9, at the Central Crops Research Station, Clayton, NC.
Late Spring Pruning
Some varietals require late spring pruning immediately after their blooms fade. Some examples of these are: Azalea, Rhododendron, Barberry, Blueberry, Cotoneaster, Flowering Dogwood, Euonymus, Forsythia, Quince, Bush Honeysuckle, Winter Jasmine, Magnolia, Styrax, and Viburnum.

Summer Pruning
Fruiting and nutting trees and shrubs should be only be "trained" during winter, that is, the "central leaders" cut back to promote horizontal branching, but these types of trees should not be severely pruned in winter. (Winter pruning creates more vertical branch growth later, or "water spouts" which create excessive foliage and obscures sunlight necessary for fruit production. In addition, vertical branches are more vulnerable to breakage by heavy fruit crops, especially during NC hurricane season.) Summer pruning in June, on the other hand, removes the one-year, "redwood" growth leaving the tree structure a whorl shape optimal for crop production the next year.

For more information on pruning, click on these links to the NC Cooperative Extension:
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/agpubs/ag-071.pdf
http://durham.ces.ncsu.edu/files/library/32/UNH%209.PDF

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Keep Durham Beautiful Bulb Blitz registration open Feb. 10


Individuals and Groups can register for Keep Durham Beautiful’s Blub Blitz for a chance to win free bulbs. You must register by Feb 10th to enter the lottery. For details about planting bulbs, please see this past Sunday’s column in the Herald Sun: "Invest in the future with the Bulb Blitz". To register visit www.keepdurhambeautiful.org and register under the ‘Programs’ link or go directly to http://keepdurhambeautiful.org/programs/bulb-blitz-registration. Winners will be notified and may pick up bulbs from KDB on Fay Street at designated times during the week of February 11th. Bulbs must be planted by volunteers and must be planted where visible from public streets or public spaces within the City of Durham or Durham County.
 
Contact:
Tania Dautlick, Executive Director
Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc.
2011 Fay Street, Durham, NC 27704
919-354-2729