EXPERIENCE LIFE IN BLOOM
Blissful blooms,
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Established in 1998, the seven-acre Arboretum surrounding the Pitt County Agricultural Center at 403 Government Circle in Greenville, NC demonstrates the possibilities for plantings in your own garden or landscape. Four season color, drought-tolerant plants, perennials, vegetables, herbs, roses, a children's garden, wildflowers, fruits, container gardens, a tree and shrub collection, and more await you.
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News
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Master Gardeners Grow Success at 2023 Plant Sale
Story by Vicki K., Pitt County EMGV
The May 20 Spring Plant Sale hosted by Pitt County Master Gardener Volunteers brought hundreds of visitors to the Arboretum at 403 Government Circle in Greenville. A line formed before the 9 a.m. pre-sale for Friends of the Arboretum, and early shoppers eagerly filled their wagons and wheelbarrows with plants.
The May 20 Spring Plant Sale hosted by Pitt County Master Gardener Volunteers brought hundreds of visitors to the Arboretum at 403 Government Circle in Greenville. A line formed before the 9 a.m. pre-sale for Friends of the Arboretum, and early shoppers eagerly filled their wagons and wheelbarrows with plants.
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Local gardeners chose from over 3,500 trees, shrubs, roses, perennial flowers, annuals, vegetables, and houseplants. Most selections had been potted up from the Pitt County Arboretum gardens or from Master Gardeners’ own yards. Additional plants were donated by Carolina Seasons, Plant and See, and both Greenville Lowe’s stores.
Local students in 4-H volunteered, loading plants into shoppers’ cars. Plant Sale chair Teresa S. reported that the event was a great success in raising funds to support the Arboretum and the work of the Master Gardeners. |
Master Gardener Wendy P. prepares the herb tables at the start of the May 20th Spring Plant Sale held at the Pitt County Arboretum.
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Home gardeners are happy with their purchases
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Picking out their perennials
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More photos can be found on the Support/Plant Sale web page.
NEW BLOG: Gardening With Less Stress on Your Body
What's in Bloom This week we're celebrating a successful Plant Sale and showing some of the beautiful flowers in bloom around the Arboretum
The Northside Plant Walks utilize the Arboretum and the Northside Walking Trail to tell a unique story about our plants with each tour. Details of this new program may be found on this link.
Showing Up for Arboretum Spring Blooms
By Vicki K., Pitt County EMGV
By Vicki K., Pitt County EMGV
Fifteen plant lovers followed Pitt County Cooperative Extension Director and Horticulture Agent Matt Stevens on his inaugural Northside Plant Walks tour through the Pitt County Arboretum on Friday, April 14th. This first tour focused on Showy Spring Bloomers, featuring the bright displays of twelve blossoming plants.
A mass of “Firewitch” dianthus was the bright starting point of Cooperative Extension Director Matt Stevens’ recent “Northside Plant Walk.” Stevens explained the plant’s characteristics to tour participants.
Stevens discussed the habits and benefits of attractive ground covers like ‘Firewitch’ dianthus and myrtle spurge euphorbia and shrubs like Chinese snowball viburnum and mockorange.
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Tour participants asked lots of questions: When do you plant it? Will deer eat it? Does it attract wildlife? To provide more in-depth information, Stevens provided a handout with QR codes that linked each plant to the online NC State Plant Toolbox.
Walking to the iris and spiderwort displays near the rain garden, tour goers passed the holding area where Pitt County Master Gardeners are nurturing selections for their annual Spring Plant Sale. The event is scheduled for Saturday, May 20th from 9 a.m. until noon and will feature plants propagated from both the Arboretum collection and from Master Gardeners’ own yards. |
Maggie K. used the QR code to find out more about spring bloomer Chinese snowball viburnum in the Arboretum’s CPP Plant Collection
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Angela W., who works at the Pitt County Health Department, attended the tour when she saw it advertised to Pitt County employees via email. For her, it provided a healthy and invigorating lunch hour. “I’m fairly new to gardening, and I learned a lot,” she said. “I’ll definitely recommend this to friends. Some people think gardening is just for older folks. The younger ones should come out and try it, too.”
Matt Stevens will lead monthly “Northside Plant Walks” on the second Friday of each month from noon until 1 p.m. The May 12th tour will focus on Hidden Landscape Gems. More information about this lunchtime learning opportunity, as well as the upcoming Pitt County Arboretum’s Plant Sale, can be found at the Pitt County Arboretum’s website.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension is a statewide organization that provides educational programming focused on agriculture, food, and youth development, with offices in each county. The Extension Master Gardener program is a volunteer program that supports Extension’s educational efforts in consumer horticulture.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension is a statewide organization that provides educational programming focused on agriculture, food, and youth development, with offices in each county. The Extension Master Gardener program is a volunteer program that supports Extension’s educational efforts in consumer horticulture.
More than 700 plants potted for Plant Sale May 20
Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers (EMGVs) have potted more than 700 plants in preparation for this year’s annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 20. The plants range from small perennials to larger shrubs. These pots are in addition to the plants master gardeners are growing in their own yards, to donate to the plant sale.
The photos show volunteer master gardeners potting the plants, and some of the plants that were potted.
The photos show volunteer master gardeners potting the plants, and some of the plants that were potted.
Pitt County Arboretum Plant Sale preparation well underway as EMGVs propagate plants at Carolina Seasons Nursery
Story by Susann C., Photos by Knox C.
Story by Susann C., Photos by Knox C.
Judy P., Joanne K. and Eulalia W. survey the pots they have planted.
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It's a sure sign that preparations for the Pitt County Arboretum’s annual Plant Sale on May 20, 2023 are well underway. On February 15, a team of Extension Master Gardener Volunteers (EMGVs) led by Knox C. potted up dozens of plants at Carolina Seasons Nursery. Over the next three months, the delicate cuttings will grow into much larger and sturdier plants ready to take their place in gardens and front- and backyards across Pitt County.
“It was a beautiful day to be outside!” said Knox. The propagated plants are a mix of herbaceous perennials, including Sedges and a few herbs, such as Woolly Thyme, Edible Ginger, and Mountain Mint. Additional plants that were propagated include White African Irises, Cast Iron Plants, Bee Balm, Stoke’s Asters, Ice Plants, Goldenrod, and White Rain Lilies. |
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Thanks to Andrea Pike and Carolina Seasons Nursery for donating plants for the Plant Sale. Carolina Seasons and the Pitt County Arboretum have a longstanding relationship. In addition to providing plants for propagation, the nursery gives Friends of the Arboretum a discount when they purchase plants for their own home gardens. Carolina Seasons Nursery is located at 549 NC-903 N in Greenville.
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Martha D., Eulalia W., and Andrea Pike next to a table covered with small plants.
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Pam Beck enchants listeners at January 28 talk on public and private gardens in North Carolina
Noted gardener Pam Beck enchanted the eighty or so audience members at her talk on North Carolina’s public and private gardens at the Pitt County Arboretum on January 28. Listeners were spellbound by Pam's intimate knowledge of gardens, gardeners, and plant nurseries. The stories, seamlessly narrated and woven from one corner of the state to the other, gave us glimpses into many gardens and gardeners who have broadened the horticultural horizons of North Carolinians. The vignettes were accompanied by photos of people in their gardens. For example, Charlotte Gantz was a 100-year-old garden curator who continued to garden by directly instructing willing helpers to prune or weed when she was no longer able to crouch on her knees. We heard about a couple of professional gardeners who are so busy and passionate propagating plants that they sometimes forget to open their garden center – but will happily do so when asked. We were privileged to see photos of a historical cemetery in Tarborough where people used to bring bunches of flowers and plant shrubs to celebrate with their departed loved ones. In addition to giving us a guided tour of many well-known and not-so-well-known gardens, Pam provided audience members with a handout listing gardens and garden centers referenced in her talk. Thanks to the Extension Master Gardener Volunteers (EMGVs) for organizing this delightful presentation at the Pitt County Arboretum. - By Susann C., Pitt County Arboretum EMGV |
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Rain Gauge
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Rain forecast for this week:
Tuesday, May 23: 5% probability Wednesday, May 24: 10% probability Thursday, May 25: 10% probability Friday, May 26: 25% probability Saturday, May 27: 45% probability Sunday, May 28: 45% probability Monday, May 29: 35% probability *Source: Greenville Rainfall Forecast From drought to flash floods: Greenville's weather is widely variable. Know how much rain is forecast for the Greenville, NC area so that you can keep your plants properly hydrated. |
