Great Garden Events this Weekend in Wake County

What to do first?  3 of my favorite gardening events are scheduled this weekend. 

Here’s a link to the PAX sale at NCSU. Click on woody plants on the right to see the list of shrubs they plan to offer

http://www.ncsu.edu/project/pialphaxi/plantsale.html

And the Garden Conservancy Open Days are in the Spring now:

 http://www.gardenconservancy.org/opendays/open-days-schedule

Note that the  fabulous Joslin garden is open. I will have to revisit that old favorite and pick out one or two more gardens on the list. 

At the State Fair grounds, a cluster of great sales by local garden clubs: 

 http://www.raleigh-garden-club.org/plant-sale.html

If you like Azaleas, the Gardeners of Wake County sale will take your breath away.  I  prefer the Raleigh Garden Club Sale which usually has plants shared from members ‘ own gardens.  They do very well in my Wake County woods.

So grab your hat, a check book and get out there.  April 13 and 14 is a great weekend for local gardeners.  Enjoy!

 

Good News for NC Plant Lovers–Joslin Garden Donated

Much of my little woods garden was inspired by visits to the Joslin Garden

Just last week, I was speaking of Mr. and Mrs. Joslin and the wonderful garden they build inside Raleigh’s belt line.  

“You should go there”,  I told guests at our fall seed and plant swap (co-hosted by blog partner Melissa) . 

In fact, everyone blessed with a bit of North Carolina woods should see what the Joslins did with their former farm.  

Now, that farm-turned-garden has been donated to the city of Raleigh to inspire future gardeners like me.   

Bless you Mr and Mrs Joslin (he passed away last year).  

Thank you saving a patch of woods, for making something stunning and priceless, then giving it away.  

Gardeners are a generous lot, but you’ve got to be the best. 

Here are details about the donation from this mornings N&O.   And the Joslin garden is usually open one or two days in the spring.  We’ll keep a look  out  and let you know. You’ve got to go there.

Goodbye to a Great Raleigh Gardener

So sorry to see that  the co-creator of my favorite Raleigh garden passed away over the weekend. 

With his wife Mary, Bill Joslin created a magic wooded space inside Raleigh’s beltline.   Open to the public twice a year for FREE, the Joslin Garden changed the way I look at my little patch of woods.    After my first visit many years ago, I literally came home and started building new paths like a demon. 

They gave me so much vision.

Here is Mr. Joslin’s obit from the N&O

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsobserver/obituary.aspx?n=william-joslin&pid=148271483

Even if you don’t like reading these kind of things, skip down to the last few paragraphs.    He loved many wonderful things including family, dogs and garden.  We should all be so blessed. 

Thankfully, the Joslin Garden will not die with him.   It  is destined to one day become public parkland.  I aways marveled that as the McMansions grew up around them, the Joslins didn’t sell out for big bucks and move to Tahiti.  (Nice to be reminded that there are more valuable things than money in this world) 

Thank you Mr. Joslin.  I will miss seeing you in your garden. 

(Check Garden Goings On in the Saturday N&O to look for open days in the Joslin Garden this year.  If we spot one, we’ll let you know.

Tomato Transplant Caught on Tape–and Life Changing Local Gardens

For the price of one already grown tomato plant you can grow 30 or 40 from seed and share the surplus with your friends. 

Friday night I was getting ready for my annual tomato give away by doing some much-needed transplanting.  Here’s a quick video of the process if you’d like to try this at home. 

Why give away tomato plants?  Because sharing your love of gardening is a powerful thing.  Case in point–the local garden that pretty much changed the way l look out my window–the Joslin garden in Raleigh.  Four lovely wooded acres inside the belt line that could have been sold for a mint–

But as the land  around them developed, William and Mary Joslin built a beautiful garden that matured into something much richer than the big houses that grew up next door.   

From the Joslins I learned how to move into my woods.  I learned how to use paths and shade and think on a larger scale.  My garden rooms became bigger, my paths wider.  I began to go places in my yard and think about views and vistas.   

All this because they shared. 

The Joslins are opening their garden free to the public again this Saturday.  Mapquest  2431 W. Lake Drive in Raleigh and go see what can happen when two people  really love a piece of land. 

And coming up later in April–more of Raleigh’s most inspiring, life changing gardens.  The Triangle Land Conservancy Garden tour is my absolute  favorite–and the reason I own a 500 gallon water barrel.  Here’s some info from the TLC web site or check them out online. http://www.triangleland.org/calendar/2010/2010-0424outing(GardenTour)info.html 

If you only do one tour, do this one.

April 24, 1-5 p.m.

Conservation Gardens Tour

TLC’s field trip to local gardens, hosted jointly by TLC and the Reid (Triangle) Chapter of the NC Native Plant Society, celebrates how gardens and residential properties contribute to the health and beauty of the Triangle’s environment. The gardens on the tour illustrate ways to steward home gardens that enrich our lives with birdsong, flowers, shade, and homegrown food, while enhancing the environmental health of the community. In addition to showcasing the beauty of native wildflowers, these “conservation gardens” provide wildlife habitat and demonstrate environmentally friendly practices such as water conservation, rainwater harvesting, composting, mulching, and alternatives to lawns. This year’s tour will include the Reid Garden, Joslin Garden, Yarger Garden and the Prairie Ridge Nature Neighborhood Garden.