Filtering by tag: Gardening ✕

Native Asters for the Fall Landscape

When most folks think of fall color, their minds immediately picture the warm tones of autumn leaves—shades of burnt orange, deep red, golden yellow, and rusty brown. But if you look closely at a…

The Garden as a Teacher: Lessons from the McSwain Center’s Front Bed Transformation

A garden is a teacher, but it is also a snapshot in time.Because a garden changes every single day, managing a landscape means constantly living in the past, present, and future. We look to the past…

Planning for Late Winter Color: Order Bulbs Now, Plant in December

A garden is always an act of faith, existing simultaneously in the past, present, and future. While we are currently harvesting late summer produce and enjoying fall blooms, a gardener's mind must be…

New Weather Station Brings Hyper-Local Science to the Pollinator Haven Garden and Lee County

I am thrilled to announce that the N.C. Cooperative Extension—Lee County Center now houses a research-grade weather station right in our Pollinator Haven Garden behind the McSwain Extension Center on…

count pollinators in lee county from august 21 to august 24, 2026

UPDATED: Lee County Participates in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census

August 21, 20269 a.m.-5 p.m.- Pollinator Haven Garden- 2420 Tramway Road, Sanford, NC 27332Count all day with us- Free!

Saving The State Flower: How to Help Your Struggling Dogwoods Survive Summer Stress

It has been a hot, dry summer across North Carolina, and only recently have we finally caught a break with some rain. Unfortunately, these sudden weather inflection points are precisely when we start…

Purple Coneflower Clinic: What's wrong with your Echinacea flowers?

Purple coneflowers (Echinacea species) are absolute powerhouses in the Southeastern landscape. Native across the Midwest and Eastern United States, these tough perennials have become garden royalty…

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Tour the Pollinator Haven Garden

Summer and Fall 2026 Dates and Theme:Tours start at 10 a.m. and take about an hour.Friday, August 7 — The Great Southeast Pollinator CensusGet ready for community science in action! Learn how to…

It's Okay to Have Moss

Every spring and summer, I receive a lot of phone calls at the Lee County Extension Office about moss taking over lawns. Usually, the caller is slightly frantic, worried that this low-growing green…

Less is More- Lazy Best Practices for Gardening For Pollinators

When we think about helping bees and butterflies, we usually think about adding things to the landscape: buying more plants, building insect hotels, or spreading bags of seed. But since June is…