Filtering by tag: horticulture ✕

Garden Journal Entry: Early November 2026

Weather & Seasonal OverviewFall is my favorite season, and this November has been remarkably warm and dry. We haven't had a hard frost yet—the coldest temperature logged at the Pollinator Haven…

Extension Master Gardener Volunteers plant perennials in front of the McSwain Center

Fall is for Planting: Guide for How to Establish a New Ornamental Garden Bed

"Fall is for planting!" I wish we could get the general public to rally around that phrase even more than "spring is for planting."Our climate in Central North Carolina can be brutal on young plants.…

Houseplant Funerals: Classes in Care and Plant Exchange!

Bringing Your Indoor Jungle Back to Life! Learn how to keep your houseplants off their deathbed!RIP to the succulents we overwatered, the ferns that withered on day three, and the fiddle-leaf figs…

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…

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…