HomeFest is an annual event in Greenville hosted by Greenville-Pitt County Home Builders. With builders, lenders, remodelers, landscapers, roofers and more available to visit it is a one-stop shop for all the resources you need during the home building/buying process. 

Each year, our Extension Master Gardener volunteers with the generous donation of plants from Carolina Seasons Nursery setup a display and prepare to answer common questions from homeowners and professionals alike throughout the day. 

This is a perfect opportunity for our Master Gardener program to reach out to the community and educate them on all that Extension has to offer when it comes to resources concerning gardening, landscaping, lawns and more. 

If you missed this year's show be sure to join our e-newsletter list to stay up-to-date on all our upcoming events! 

The time came last week for our Extension Master Gardener volunteers to begin potting plants for our May 16th sale! With the generosity and help of Carolina Seasons, a few of our EMGVs chose and potted up an exciting assortment of plants. Be sure to plan for our May 16, 2020 plant sale to see the results of their hard work!  

A sunny but cold day brought Master Gardeners to Carolina Seasons Nursery to pot up and propagate a variety of plants. (Pictured left to right: Andrea Pike (Carolina Seasons), Mary Jo Larkin, Know Chadwick, Linda Tyndall, and June Graves.) 

A big thanks to Carolina Seasons for sharing their expertise and greenhouse space to help Master Gardeners propagate! (Pictured left to right: Linda Tyndall, Knox Chadwick, Andrea Pike (Carolina Seasons), Mary Jo Larkin, Louise Hamilton, and June Graves.)

Who says playing in the dirt isn't fun? 
(Pictured left to right: Knox Chadwick, Linda Tyndall, and June Graves)

Photos by: Vicki Kennedy 

There is just something special about unbothered snowfall across the gardens. We hope you enjoy some views from the arboretum! :) 

While you really had to be there to get the full effect, here's a quick summary of the important points Dr. Chalker-Scott covered during her lecture; There IS a difference between science-based information and popular or trendy information. When evaluating resources always use the 'CRAP' test:

• Credibility
• Relevance
• Accuracy
• Purpose

Dr. Chalker-Scott then took us through various topics and how to use the 'CRAP' test to evaluate each claim. Some of those topics included balanced fertilizers, the superiority of organic products, lasagna mulching, the use of epsom salts in the garden and much more. We are sharing resources from Dr. Chalker-Scott if you'd like to find more information and follow her work:  
Fact sheets relevant to this presentation:
Epsom salt – https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/epsom-salt-use-in-home-gardens-and-landscapes
Mycorrhizae -https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/a-gardeners-primer-to-mycorrhizae-understanding-how-they-work-and-learning-how-to-protect-them-home-garden-series
Native vs. nonnative plants-https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/are-native-trees-and-shrubs-better-choices-for-wildlife-in-home-landscapes
Scientific literacy -https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/scientific-literacy-for-the-citizen-scientist
Wood chip mulches -https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/using-arborist-wood-chips-as-a-landscape-mulch-home-garden-series

​Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott
WSU Associate Professor and Extension Horticulturist
Email: lindacs@wsu.edu
URL: http://www.theinformedgardener.com (white papers on many of these myths)
Blog: http//www.gardenprofessors.com
Books: http//www.sustainablelandscapesandgardens.com
Facebookpage: http://www.facebook.com/TheGardenProfessors
​Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GardenProfessors/
WSU Extension publications: http://gardening.wsu.edu/(peer-reviewed fact sheets)