 As spring begins to slowly bloom all around us, the white flowers of the Bradford pear become a common sight. For years, the Bradford pear has been seen as an iconic Southern tree (mostly because they were planted everywhere). They’ve become a popular choice in landscaping because of their rapid growth and abundant blooming, however, not all that blooms is beautiful (to paraphrase). These well-known trees branch from a single point and bear extremely weak wood, making them especially vulnerable in storms. The stinky scent of their flowers and dense growth that often shades out other plantings is yet another reason to look elsewhere for a source of beautiful spring blooms.
The Bradford pear is a cultivar of the Callery pear, Pyrus calleryana, introduced from China. It generally cross-pollinates with other Callery pear varieties as it cannot reproduce with itself or other ‘Bradford’ trees. These hybrid trees are invasive and can spread rapidly when fruit is eaten by birds and spread to other habitats. Because they are some of the earliest trees to leaf out and flower in the spring they can often outcompete native plants. Some quick identification hints include scalloped leaves that are dark green, shiny and ovate, white flowers in very early spring, and its pyramidal growth habit. So, we’ve told you what NOT to plant...now what? Here are a couple of native trees and shrubs that provide beautiful blooms, but are not invasive to our natural areas: American Plum, Prunus Americana, is a small, deciduous, single trunk tree or multi-stemmed shrub. As a tree, it typically grows 10-12 feet tall with a broad, spreading crown. As a shrub, it suckers freely and can form dense growth. As it blooms and early spring and also features white flowers, it makes an excellent alternative to the Bradford pear. Furthermore, it provides habitat for wildlife and attracts many different pollinators. Flowering Dogwood, Cornus florida, is a small, deciduous, flowering tree that may grow 15 to 25 feet tall. The tree is best known for its abundant, showy white (occasionally pink) flowers that emerge in early spring. This tree also produces a cluster of red drupes that mature in the fall. The Dogwood flower is the state flower of North Carolina so you can easily find the tree planted throughout the state. It also makes for a wonderful habitat for wildlife and attracts many different pollinators. While, of course, the choice is yours, we hope that you give an extra thought to these suggestions before planting Bradford pears. Help us to preserve and protect our natural areas and habitats by choosing native plants! Written by: Hannah S. Smith - Horticulture Extension Agent
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 1. Mixed Border: Syringa 'Penda'/ Bloomerang Reblooming Lilac 2. Perennial border: Heuchera 'Tapestry" & 'Pretty Pistachio'/ Coral Bells 3. Behind AG Center: Acer palmatum "Twombly's Red Sentinel' / Japanese Maple 4. Small Fruits: Punica granatum/ Pomegranate 5. Walking Garden, row 3: Mahonia bealei/ Leatherleaf Mahonia 6. Walking Garden, row 2: Metasequoia glyptostroboides/ Dawn Redwood 7. Walking Garden, row 1: Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' / Japanese Maple 8. Walking Garden, row 1: Prunus serrulata 'Kwanzan' / Kwanzan Cherry 9. Walking Garden, row 5: Viburnum 'Pragensa'/ Prague Viburnum 10. Walking Garden, row 2: Kerria japonica 'Plentiflora'
Each week, Extension Master Gardener volunteers choose a selection of what's blooming from throughout the Arboretum gardens. Come take a walk and see if you can find these beautiful for yourself!
Written by: Hannah S. Smith, Horticulture Extension Agent  Although our grass is not actively growing in winter and early spring, the weeds certainly are! They seem to pop up everywhere in the lawn causing headaches for grass lovers.
Weeds are defined as plants growing where you don't want them. Most of the same weed species will return in the same areas every year. Weeds compete with the grass for light, water, nutrients, and space. This time of year, you are likely to see a variety of broadleaf weeds, including Henbit [Lamium amplexicaule], Hairy buttercup [Ranunculus sardous], Dandelion [Taraxacum officinale], Purple deadnettle [Lamium purpureum], Wild garlic [Allium ursinum], and Wild violets [Viola papilionacea]. Weeds can reproduce not only through seeds but also through root and stem fragments, underground rhizomes, and tubers. Anyone who has tried to eliminate wild garlic knows how tough that is to do. Weeds love to move into barren dry soil, compacted soil, or perpetually damp areas. So, the best defense is a dense healthy turf whose shade will prevent weed seeds from germinating and slow water evaporation. Proper mowing heights, applying fertilizer at the right time, sufficient water, thatch control, and weed and insect control are all critical to maintaining a healthy turf. Weeds that appear now are best controlled in November or December with a treatment of a preemergent herbicide containing mesotrione, MOA 27 (4 SC) or sulfentrazone + prodiaminel, MOA 14 + 3 (4 SC). If you missed that window, a number of postemergent herbicides can be used now, including those containing quinclorac, MOA (27 +4); 2,4-D amine, MOA 4 (4 SL); mecoprop, MOA 4; or dicamba MOA 4 (4 SL). Before selecting a herbicide to use, it's important to identify both the weeds to be controlled and your grass type. Also, always be sure to carefully read all of the instructions on the herbicide packaging to ensure the safe application of the product. These include calculating the square footage, measuring the herbicide amount accordingly, and correctly calibrating the spreader. An excellent resource is TurfFiles from NC State University: \https://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/weeds-in-turf/ This website describes various weeds that occur at different times of the year and includes pictures for identification. It describes cultural and chemical controls listing the pre- and postemergent herbicides that can be used along with explanations on their usage. Lawn maintenance calendars can be requested from the Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers. Written by: Joanne Kollar, Extension Master Gardener volunteer   Throughout the year, Pitt County Extension Master Gardener volunteers hold workdays in all gardens of the Arboretum. These monthly days where our volunteers gather together are not only ideal for regular maintenance but for fellowship and learning as well. 2020 was a difficult year for us all, as our Extension Master Gardener volunteers had to leave the gardens they love and tend to so well due to restrictions put in place at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Written by: Hannah S. Smith, Extension Agent-Horticulture
 With the approach of spring, gardeners are eager to head outside to get a head start on the multitude of spring chores awaiting them. One of those may include pruning your woody shrubs. Although pruning is not necessary every spring, it's the time of year when bare limbs allow you to see the shape of the plant so that you can determine if winter cold, insects, or disease have caused damage, or the natural growth of the plant needs to be managed, or the ornamental appeal of the shrub could be enhanced. If any of these are true, then it is time to prune. But a word of caution: be careful to prune at the right time. Otherwise, you will lose or reduce that year's blossoms. Shrubs flowering before May should be pruned as soon as possible after blooming. Pruning in late summer, fall, winter, or early spring removes the flower buds formed last summer. These shrubs include forsythia (Forsythia spp.), hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens, Hydrangea paniculata), mock orange (Pittosporum tobira), flowering quince (Chaenomeles spp.), spirea (Spiraea spp.), and viburnum (Viburnum spp.). Summer- and fall-flowering shrubs should be pruned before new growth begins in the spring as the buds form on that new wood. These include abelia (Abelia spp.), beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides), bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macropylla), nandina (Nandina domestica), and Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus). All of these bloom on new growth in the current season. Evergreen shrubs usually only need minimal pruning in early spring. These include boxwood (Buxus simpervirens), Japanese aucuba (Aucuba japonica), camellia (Camellia spp.), Japanese hollies (Ilex crenata cultivars), and azaleas (Rhododendron spp.). Sometimes, overgrown shrubs need more than a few selected cuts. In this case, renewal pruning, which removes the oldest branches of a shrub by cutting them to the ground leaving younger branches, is required. Although this reduces flowering in the next season, the plant will be healthier in the long run. Shrubs responding well to such pruning include azaleas (Rhododendron spp.), Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), forsythia (Forsythia spp.), hollies (Ilex spp.), mock orange (Pittosporum tobira), spirea (Spirea spp.), and weigela (Weigela florida). There is no need to treat pruning cuts with sealers as they may slow healing. Avoid pruning after July 4 as the new growth may not mature before cold weather sets in and the plant could be damaged. The exception is dead, diseased, damaged, or crossing limbs, which can be removed at any time. Written by: Joanne Kollar, Extension Master Gardener volunteer
 Many of us, scorched during summer, dream of planting a tree on our property. Winter’s a great time to make plans for that. Trees provide shade, control erosion, aid with stormwater run-off, host pollinators, provide free mulch, give us fruits and nuts, sequester the carbon overloading our planet, improve our air—and they’re majestic and beautiful. But without proper planning, the tree you purchase may die or grow up to cause you headaches. The optimum time to actually plant your new tree would be either fall or late winter-early spring when active roots use the cool weather to take up water and nutrients and settle into the soil before summer’s heat stress. The dead of winter is perfect for looking at the “skeleton” of your landscape, deciding where you want your new tree and what kind will best fit that site. Ask yourself these questions: What are the site attributes? Is it dry or damp? Is the soil sandy, loamy, or clay? A soil test can help determine what nutrients might be needed. How much room does this site allow for a tree’s growth? Haven’t you seen an attractive sapling planted four feet from the corner of a new house, and five years later it’s fifteen feet tall with a canopy needing twice the room the site allows? That tree will end up badly pruned or cut down and thrown away. Research and forethought could have prevented this loss of time, effort, and money. Speaking of space, don’t forget to look up! Consider your tree canopy’s mature width so it avoids entangling with power lines. The Electric Power Research Institute estimates utilities spend over 1 billion dollars annually trimming and removing obstructing trees. What kind of maintenance suits you? Don’t aim for a “maintenance-free” tree unless you plan to turn your yard into a natural forest. Consider leaf dropping, fruit dropping, and the span of the surface roots. Maybe planning an island of natural mulch around your tree—or around a collection of trees—will avoid some of that raking and mowing. Among trees that fit your site, which do you like best? This can be as fun as shopping for a new outfit. Use tree guidebooks or the database of trees at gardening.ces.ncsu.edu. The NC Forest Service and Arbor Day Foundation are also good resources. Visit a city or state park to observe the beautiful structure of our deciduous trees in winter. Come to the Pitt County Arboretum where our Certified Plant Professional collection of trees and woody shrubs provide great tree ideas. Written by: Vicki Kennedy, Extension Master Gardener volunteer
Eastern North Carolina is blessed with a climate that favors year-round gardening, but you need to know what to plant when. With spring rapidly approaching, now is the time to put in vegetables and herbs that prefer cooler temperatures. These are ones that will mature quickly before the summer heat and humidity cause them to bolt or go to seed. Greens are definitely a cool season crop that grow easily this time of year so go ahead and plant seeds of leaf lettuces, head lettuce, arugula, mustard, spinach, and kale. Mesclun mixes offer the gardener several varieties in one package with a choice of spicy or mild selections. Other plants that can be grown from seed in February are carrots, Swiss chard, snow peas, and radishes. The herbs cilantro and parsley prefer cool weather and can be grown from seed or from transplants. Other transplants for this time of year include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and collard greens. Growing your own transplants of these crops should be started six to eight weeks before transplanting them into the garden. If you missed that date, transplants are available from local nurseries and big box stores. These greens, herbs, and vegetables can be planted directly in the ground or in containers if you have limited space. In the ground, you will need a site with good soil and good drainage. For containers, use potting soil because garden soil will compact and drain poorly. Also, potting soil reduces the chance of weeds and soil-borne diseases. For transplants, read the labels for planting information. For seeds, read the back of the seed packet for planting instructions, including when to sow, planting depth, seed and row spacing, days until plants emerge, and thinning recommendations. If it doesn't rain, water seeds and transplants until established and then water as needed. While most vegetables need full sun, many greens can grow in high shade. Vegetables planted from seed should be thinned when plants have one or two pairs of true leaves. Thinning allows the remaining plants to grow bigger. All of these plants can be sown again in early fall for a second crop. Using a cold frame or a frost covering can extend their growing season through the coldest winter days. Your greens and vegetables will never be fresher than those harvested from your own garden so start planting! Written by: Joanne Kollar, Extension Master Gardener volunteers
 While we all love the blooms of camellias that brighten our winter landscape, there are a number of other plants that can also add color, texture, and variety to your winter garden. In eastern North Carolina, this is the perfect time to install these plants as they are dormant, and they will have plenty of time to put down strong roots before new growth begins and the heat and humidity of summer returns. The following plants can be seen at the Pitt County Arboretum and found at local nurseries. Winterberry Holly, Ilex verticillata, is a knockout this time of year. A deciduous holly, the bare branches showcase its gorgeous red berries that start appearing in fall. If not eaten by the birds, berries can last into early spring. To produce berries, the female plant must be cross-pollinated with a male holly flowering at the same time. It grows in full sun or partial shade. Pictured in the Butterfly Garden at the Arboretum is the cultivar Ilex serrata x verticillata 'Sparkleberry'. Leatherleaf Mahonia, Berberis bealei, lights up any winter garden with its bright yellow flower spikes atop coarse-textured, holly-like foliage. Later, bluish-purple grape-like fruits appear. An evergreen shrub preferring partial shade, it's slow growing to 10 feet high. It's in the Arboretum's walking garden in front of the Extension Office. Fragrant Tea Olive, Osmanthus fragans, is another winter-flowering evergreen shrub with tiny fragrant white flowers that start blooming in early January. Deer resistant and drought tolerant, it prefers full sun but will grow in partial shade. Its dense, rounded growth form makes it an ideal specimen plant for open areas. Tea Olives are in the Arboretum's perennial border by the side parking lot entrance to the Extension Office. Carolina Jessamine, Gelsemium sempervirens, a lovely scented native vine with trumpet-shaped yellow flowers, starts blooming in early winter continuing until April depending on weather. It can be trained on arbors, trellises, or trees where it can grow to 20 feet high if not pruned. Growing in sun or shade, it prefers a moist, well-drained organically rich soil. It can be seen on the trellis in the Arboretum's Children's Garden and along the Tar River section of Greenville's greenway. So what are you waiting for? Add more winter color to your landscape! Written by: Joanne Kollar, Extension Master Gardener volunteer
 What says holiday cheer more than a beautiful blooming Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii or Schlumbergera truncata) in your living room with its gorgeous array of red, pink, yellow, orange, white, or purple blooms? Depending on the variety, your cactus could bloom at Thanksgiving or Christmas providing color throughout the holidays. Available now at many local stores, it's a plant that will bring pleasure year after year with a little care after it stops flowering. While blooming, place your plant in bright, indirect light with daytime temperatures of 70 F and evening temperatures of 60-65 F. Keep away from blasts of heat or cold. Although called a cactus, the Christmas cactus does need water, but not too much. When the top couple inches feel dry is the time to water. Don't overwater as that can lead to stem and root rot. Too little water can cause wilting. A native of South American rain forests, this cactus also needs humidity. Place it on a tray with pebbles and water just below the top of the pebbles. Continue this until the cactus stops blooming. Don't fertilize your Christmas cactus while blooming as that can cause bud drop. To keep this long-lived plant growing stop watering for six weeks after flowering. When new growth appears, resume watering and fertilizing. Use plant food formulated for succulents following label instructions or a half-rate of liquid houseplant fertilizer every other week. This cactus likes to be pot-bound. Keep it in a small container as long as possible and only then transplant it to a slightly larger pot using a mix of half potting soil and half sand or perlite. After frost danger is over, move your plant outside to an area with bright, indirect light. Too much sun can cause wilting or leaf burn. To encourage budding in the fall, 16 hours of uninterrupted darkness, 8 hours of daylight, and cooler temperatures are required. To stimulate bud formation, don't fertilize or overwater at this time. Also don't move the plant as buds may fall off. Once buds form, the light/dark regiment ends. Continue watering but don't fertilize. Move indoors when temperatures below 50 F are predicted. By following these simple guidelines, you will enjoy your Christmas cactus for years to come! Written by: Joanne Kollar, Extension Master Gardener volunteer
In sections on seasonal plantings for Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, Mrs. Obama synthesizes her hands-on experience and her goals. She wanted to start a learning garden, especially for the capital’s school children, and to promote healthy food choices and exercise. But the garden also successfully supplied fresh, healthful food for the First Family and numerous White House guests. “So often gardens start with so little,” Mrs. Obama writes. “But the impact that gardens have on our lives—and the life of our nation—is anything but small. To learn just how big that national impact has been, enjoy Andrea Wulf’s Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation (Alfred A. Knopf, 2011). Wulf profiles Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison to describe how they planned and managed their own land, as well as how their passion for gardens and agriculture shaped their philosophy of America’s uniqueness. The book is full of fascinating and unexpected scenes. Thomas Jefferson and James Adams dash around southern England touring ornamental gardens, discovering a surprising number of native American species being grown in these deluxe pleasure grounds. Delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia skip town on a hot Saturday, journeying to John Bartram’s famous garden and nursery where they’re inspired to reach a political consensus. James Madison and Dolley host a neighborly barbeque on the lawn of Madison’s Montpelier plantation where Madison enjoys “frolic and romping” under his prized trees. Sound improbable? The 134 pages of meticulous notes at the end testify to the depth of Wulf’s research, even if you don’t read through them. But don’t miss the story of James Madison’s early plea for sustainability and research-based practices that safeguard our environment. As Wulf puts it,” He saw that even in its vastness, America’s fertile wilderness was not boundless, and could be depleted by overuse.” Both American Grown and Founding Gardeners will refresh your patriotism and rally your gardening energies. Either of these reads would make for an engaging and educational option to ‘overwinter’ with. Written by: Vicki Kennedy, Extension Master Gardener volunteer
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