Filtering by tag: Lawn & Garden ✕

weed in lawn with seed heads

The New Neighbor You Didn’t Invite: Chevreulia acuminata

Extension agents across North Carolina sometimes share questions they have with other agents across the state. These questions usually end up being incredibly insightful, so when a plant…

mining bee with pollen sticking to her back legs

Friend or Foe? Protecting Pollinators in the Ground

As the days begin to lengthen and the "Persephone Days" come to an end, Lee County residents often notice a flurry of activity in their lawns: small mounds of soil and hundreds of tiny hovering…

Apples ripening on a tree in a backyard orchard. This apple's leaves were eaten on by Japanese beetles and the fruit are covered in scab, which is an aesthetic issue. Apples can be challenging to grow in a backyard orchard, but with a little work you can

Winter Chores: Caring for Old Apple, Pear or Peach Trees

North Carolina is blessed with a Goldilocks climate, where we can grow a lot of different plants and crops with just a little bit of effort. In Lee County we have some incredible heirloom pears, and…

man counts insects during community science event

2025 Was a Record Year for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census in Lee County

On the cusp of 2026, we are reflecting on the great success we had in Lee County through the Great Southeast Pollinator Census (GSEPC) in 2025. North Carolina has much to celebrate! The 2025 GSEPC…

This is the Pollinator Haven Garden dirt therapy banner 2026 which pictures text and a picture of the Pollinator Haven Garden pergola and hands cupping soil

Pollinator Haven Garden Dirt Therapy Sessions Offer Skill Building and Community

Sometimes, the best medicine is a morning in the sun with your hands in the soil or an early start to the weekend to get some gardening tasks done. Join the N.C. Cooperative Extension—Lee County…

Witchhazel is one of the earliest blooming native trees in the Southeast. I have observed many snowfalls on its delicate petals. Winter is a time for rest and reflection, and even snow can help plants interpret the changing of the seasons. Photo by Amanda

Persephone Days: Days to Be Thinking About Your Garden

December 21 marks the Winter Solstice—the longest night of the year. For many cultures, this is a spiritual turning point, but for a gardener or farmer, it marks the heart of the "Persephone Days."…

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Next Year’s Butterflies Are Tied to This Year’s Fall Garden “Clean-Up”

It is shaping up to be our favorite kind of fall, with temperatures already dropping in the 40s at night. The leaves will start to fall soon, and I can already hear the backpack blowers cranking and…

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#Plantsgiving: Celebrating the Plant Diversity of Our Food

I am a millennial, though I am not usually one to fall prey to trendy hashtags; but when a friend on LinkedIn posted about #plantsgiving, I was intrigued. Turns out, in my standard…

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Symbol of the Holidays

The passing of Thanksgiving Day marches us closer to the next big holiday....... Christmas! The season begs the question, fresh or artificial? green or flocked? tree or no tree? A Christmas tree is a…

Poppies Photo by Amanda Bratcher

Poppies for Veterans Day

Plants have been used as symbols since the dawn of civilization, and their meaning can resonate through time and space. Everyone seems to have a plant story that joins us all through generations and…