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Plant Tool Box
Click here to visit the Extension Master Gardener Tool Box.
Butterfly Puddles
Master Gardener Handbook
Peruse the ultimate in gardening knowledge for Brunswick County. The Extension Master Gardener Handbook is available here online.
Pesticide Predicaments
Help is here with these guides about what to use and how to use it.
TurfFiles
All things about your lawn click here.
Open House (free!) at the Brunswick County Botanical Gardens
May 17th, 9:30 am – noon
NC State Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Brunswick County will be hosting a free Open House at Brunswick County Botanical Gardens, 25 Referendum Road, Bolivia, NC, from 9:30 AM to noon.
This year’s event will be accompanied by a Yard Sale table of garden items and books culled from the Association’s and the members’ personal collections. You can acquire what you need by donating what you wish to support our gardens and programs.
We encourage you to explore all 17 of our gardens and chat with the Master Gardener leads stationed in each. There will be an “Ask an EMGv Table” where you can get questions answered, advice and handouts pertinent to your home garden. Or you may choose some plants from our Final Sale table (remaining after our recent plant sale) at outstanding prices. If you like, you can pick up boxes and forms for free soil tests to be returned later.
If you haven’t toured our gardens, we think you will be delighted! And if you have, check out our new Sola® St Augustine lawn in Celebration garden; sod was kindly donated by Oakland Plantations and installed by volunteers. The Pollinator Garden, Sunny Native and Shady Native Gardens are full of native plants which thrive in our environment. We have a new xeriscape Crevice Garden, a drought tolerant Rock Garden and a Rain Garden which handles runoff from our roof, filtering to avoid pollution and erosion. And this year’s Roses are the best they have ever been. We hope to see you soon.
Should we get washed out by storms, the rain date will be Sunday, May 18th, and we will post the change on our FB page and website.
Plant Clinics around the County
2025 Dates
If you have a gardening question or need help identifying a problem in your landscape, Master Gardener volunteers will be available to help at the times and places listed below. Please bring clear photographs (close-up, whole plant, adjacent area) or samples (leaves, twigs) to assist in identifying the cause(s) of the problem.
Locations
Calabash, Southwest Branch Library, 9400 Ocean Highway
- Southwest Branch Library Plant Clinics will begin on Thursday, April 3, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. These clinics will be held on the first and third Thursdays in April and May.
Oak Island, Barbee Library, 8200 E. Oak Island Drive
- Dates coming soon!
Plant Showcase
Kathy Copley’s latest installment is here:
Strobilanthes auriculata var. dyeriana | (Persian Shield)
Coastal witch-alder is a low maintenance deciduous shrub in the Hamamelidaceae (witch-hazel) family that is native to the coastal plains of the southern United States. In the wild, it is apt to grow in wet savannas, pocosins, baygalls, and bogs. The shrub is named for John Fothergill, British physician and botanist who died in 1780. The specific name honors Alexander Garden (1730-1791), a Scottish physician and plant enthusiast who lived in South Carolina and introduced the plant to England. read more
To view all of our Showcased Plants, click here.
Create a Customized Planting List using Plant Toolbox
The Brunswick County Newcomers Packet has been refreshed and provides our residents with a wealth of information about plants that we suggest for our Zone 8A. A comprehensive resource for those new to gardening — it is meant to serve as a starting point as you select plants that will grow and thrive in our coastal environment. In this packet, you will find a wide variety of selections from annuals and perennials to large trees and to native plants.
The Brunswick County Extension Horticulture Staff and the Extension Master Gardener Volunteers are here for you, to help make the transition to gardening in a subtropical environment a little easier. We provide unbiased, research-based information to help improve the lives (and gardens) of our residents.
Click here for the Newcomers’ Packet.
Integrated Pest Management
Traditional pest control involves the routine application of pesticides. IPM, in contrast focuses on pest prevention and using pesticides only as needed. IPM programs take advantage of all appropriate pest management strategies, including the judicious use of pesticides. Read more here.
The mission of the North Carolina Native Plant Society is to promote the enjoyment and conservation of North Carolina’s native plants and their habitats through education, protection, propagation, and advocacy. Check out the website to learn of speakers, plant ID, and native plant events. Read more about Natives using our links here.
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
The Million Pollinator Garden Challenge (MPGC) is a nationwide call to action to preserve and create gardens and landscapes that help revive the health of bees, butterflies, birds, bats and other pollinators across America. Click here to register your garden through the Pollinator Partnership and be added to the map in support of the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge.
Basics of Butterfly Gardening
Begin planning your garden with the Basics of Butterfly Gardening, from the North American Butterfly Association. Learn which native plants are suitable for butterfly gardens in your location, with Regional Butterfly Garden Guides.
Composting at Home: An Introduction to the Basics
If you missed the live session, which was attended by over 1400 people, you can watch the recording here: https://ilsr.org/webinar-home-composting-may-2020
Many thanks to Rhonda Sherman, NC State Extension Specialist, for sharing this webinar!
Learn more! NC State Extension Composting portal: https://composting.ces.ncsu.edu
Extension Gardener Handbook, Composting: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/2-composting
Handling Flooding and Storm Damage in the Landscape
Click the link to see the NC State Extension article on this topic: https://gardening.ces.ncsu.edu/weather-2/handling-storm-damage-in-the-landscape/