The latest issue of the Extension Gardener newsletter in now available online! Extension Gardener newsletter is written by horticultural experts with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Each issue includes statewide features plus a special regional section written specifically for your area of the state.



In the Winter 2010 issue, you can read about:
- What are your weeds trying to tell you?
- 'Kay Paris' Magnolia
- Preparing the vegetable garden for spring
- Mulching
- Tips and Tasks for winter
- Maintaining a healthy soil
and more!


Click here to download your copy!

Welcome Winter With These Great Plants!

Look for plants with interesting bark, berries, and foliage to add interest to your winter landscape! The rich cinnamon bark of Japanese Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia fauriei) will add interest to any landscape throughout the year, but is especially noticeable in winter.

Lots of great plants are available to liven up winter landscapes in our relatively mild-wintered region. While few plants actually bloom in winter, there are many other characteristics that add interest at this time of year. Bark, berries, foliage, and plant form contribute color and texture to the landscape at a time of year when they can best be appreciated, without the competition of flowers that may have overshadowed these more delicate features during the growing season. Through careful planning, you can have a landscape full of beauty and interest all year around. Start your all-season landscape this year by considering some of the following great winter interest plants!

Find out about more great plants for winter landscape by reading the entire article, posted on the Pender County Extension website - click here to go there now!

Deck the Halls!

Fresh cut greenery can be used in a variety of ways to decorate for the holidays, such as in these miniature arrangements made by Pender County Master Gardeners to brighten the lunch trays of Meals on Wheels recipients. When using fresh cut greenery indoors or out, it is important to be aware of any plants that may be dangerous if eaten or handled.

Visit the Pender County Cooperative Extension Website to read more about using fresh cut greenery in holiday decorations to make sure you stay safe while you deck the halls! Click here to read the entire article.

Poinsettias for Every Decor!

'Dulce Rosa' is one of the newest poinsettia varieties to hit the market, with bright pink long lasting flowers. If you're in the mood for something more traditional this holiday season there are plenty of classic reds available as well!

With over 100 different varieties of poinsettias available today in a diversity of colors including white, pink, rose, coral, salmon, and every tint of red, crimson, and scarlet imaginable, it should not be difficult to find the perfect one to match any home décor or holiday theme. One new variety, known as Dulce Rosa, has flowers described as fluorescent pink! Variety does not stop just with color either. Poinsettias can be found with leaves edged and frosted in white and with petal-like bracts that are marbled, dusted, or splashed in multiple colors. There is even a series known as ‘Winter Rose’ whose bracts are pleated and incurved so that they actually do resemble rose flowers. Whether you stick with a traditional red variety this Christmas or try one of the newer color creations, the following quick tips will help you get the most out of your poinsettia this holiday season.

For tips on caring for poinsettias, click here to read the entire article on the Pender County Extension website.

Mulch Mysteries!

If a recent stroll around your yard left you wondering if something has died in the shrubbery then your landscape may be home to a harmless fungus known as the octopus stinkhorn or dead man’s fingers (Clathrus columnatus) (image, left). This small, foul smelling mushroom is not damaging to plants, people or pets, though the smell can be overpowering and unpleasant. The octopus stinkhorn appears during mild, damp weather, such as we are currently experiencing, and is one of several types of mysterious fungi that occasionally grow in hardwood mulch or wood chips.

On the whole, wood and bark mulches are very beneficial for landscapes, conserving water, moderating soil temperature, suppressing weeds, and adding organic matter and nutrients to the soil as they break down. Mulches and soils are alive with millions of microorganisms that work to decay organic matter and release nutrients, including many types of beneficial fungi and bacteria. From time to time, some of the more noticeable of these organisms may catch a gardener’s attention and cause them to wonder about their identity.

Read the entire article from the Pender County Cooperative Extension website

Start Amaryllis Now for the Holidays and Beyond!

This beautiful red amaryllis has been forced on a special vase that allows its roots to grow down into water while supporting the bulb and holding the flower stalk upright. Whether you grow your amaryllis on a vase or in a container, now is the time to get them started for holiday blossoms. Amaryllis are extremely easy and fun to grow, for both adults and kids. And the enjoyment does not end after the holidays. Amaryllis are hardy bulbs in our area, which means you can plant your amaryllis outside in the landscape in spring, where it will blossom each spring, year after year.

Click here to read more . . .

Fall Vegetable Garden Tips

Among the many things gardeners can do in the fall vegetable garden is keep an eye out for caterpillars, such as this cabbage looper.

Fall is a busy time in a southern vegetable garden. There are crops to be harvested, and others to be planted. Pests and weeds must be kept at bay to keep crops healthy, while soils need to be covered to prevent erosion over winter. The harvest season for some crops can be extended through the use of cold frames or floating row cover.

Learn more about what you need to do to keep your fall vegetable garden healthy and productive by reading the entire article on the Pender County Cooperative Extension website!
Click here to read more . . . .