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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.
Fall 2024 Plant Sale Announced
Work is underway on our Extension Master GardenerSM Fall Plant Sale scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Sept. 20 and 21, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. This year, we extended the sale to two mornings to allow customers more flexibility to attend. This in-person sale will be held behind the fenced area across the street from the Botanical Demonstration Garden off Referendum Drive in Bolivia, NC.
We plan to bring you an exciting selection of late summer- and fall-blooming perennials as well as trees and shrubs that are well suited to our coastal environment. Japanese Maples (offered at really good prices), Butterflies and Ann magnolias (lovely colors of tulip magnolias), native azaleas (some which re-bloom like Encore azaleas but are hardy natives), and camellias (even a dwarf variety) are just a few we are working on offering. And many are not easily located in local stores and at local nurseries.
As always, we thank you for supporting our Master Gardener plant sales. Funds raised go toward a variety of educational programming, work in our Botanical Demonstration Garden, landscaping of Habitat for Humanity houses, and many more activities that help area gardeners learn how to be successful with your landscape in our hot temperatures and soil conditions that vary widely depending on where you live in Brunswick County.
Paul Soltero and Wanda Maggart
2024 Fall Plant Sale Team Co-Leads
Plant Clinics Being Held Near You!
July 2024 Schedule
Do you need help with your lawn and garden? Extension Staff and Master Gardener SM volunteers will be in two Brunswick County locations during July.
Bring photos, garden samples and concerns to any of the following locations and we’ll be happy to assist!
Friday 7/12, 1-3:30pm: Belville Riverwalk Park, Duke Pavilion, 580 River Rd Note time change
Thursday 7/18, 9:30-12:30 : Southwest Branch Library, 9400 Ocean Highway
Saturday, 7/27, 9-noon: Belville Riverwalk Park, Duke Pavillion, 580 River Rd.
August 2024 Schedule
Friday 8/9, 1-3:30pm Belville Riverwalk Park, Duke Pavilion, 580 River Road
Saturday 8/24, 9-noon, Belville Riverwalk Park, Duke Pavilion, 580 River Road
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Plant Clinics will resume in September at the following locations. Please check back for updates.
Oak Island Recreation Center, 3003 E Oak Island Drive
Southport, Indian Trails Meeting Hall, 113 West Moore Street
Plant Showcase
Kathy Copley’s latest installment is here:
Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Kingsbrae Garden
CC BY-NC-SA 2.
To view all of our Showcased Plants, click here.
Create a Customized Planting List for Spring
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/