JC Raulston Arboretum e-Update
September 2019
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Your Monthly News and Updates
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Director's Note
By Mark Weathington, Director
It may still be hot outside but we are gearing up for fall with an increase in adult education and the start of some of our great events like
Gardening in the South
—if you’re a new gardener or have a friend who wants to know more about how to garden in the south, pass the information about this free event on to them. Even more exciting, tickets will be going on sale for
Moonlight in the Garden
at 12:00 PM on Tuesday, September 3. Member’s always have an opportunity to get advance tickets so keep an eye out for notice that they’ve gone on sale. Last year was a sellout so don't delay.
We are also welcoming Alexa Ilijic to the JCRA family as our new rental and facilities coordinator. Stop in and say hello to Alexa next time you're in the garden.
Rentals
are a major part of our revenue stream here at the Arb. If you are planning a business meeting, wedding, reunion, or birthday party, check with us to see if we might have a space that will work for you—indoors or outside. I guarantee we have one of the prettiest spots in Raleigh.
See you in the garden.
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Moonlight in the Garden Tickets—On Sale Tuesday, September 3
By Arlene Calhoun, Assistant Director
With the cooler temperatures comes Moonlight in the Garden—it's a tradition. And if all goes as planned, tickets will be available online at noon, Tuesday, September 3. Mark your calendars.
John Garner, the master of lighting design, and his team at Southern Lights of Raleigh have added even more lights to this year's exhibit and all the things you loved are back—food trucks, live music, apple cider, marshmallows, and fire pits!
We have a special
Preview Night
planned on Tuesday, November 5. Carolina Brewing Company will be back serving their awesome beer. Wine will also be served. The food trucks are replaced with delectable eats you're sure to enjoy and the Antique Hearts will be playing on the Great Lawn where the fire pits will be burning. Only a very limited number tickets are available to keep the crowd size to less than half that on general admission nights.
Moonlight in the Garden helps us raise the funds necessary to keep our gates open and our admission free 365 days a year. We hope you'll join us for this unique fund-raiser. Bring a friend or two—the more, the merrier.
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Fall Educational Programs
By Christopher Todd Glenn, Programs and Education Coordinator
Fall brings a new semester at NC State University and a new group of freshmen attending their first college courses. Here at the JCRA, we have a full offering of educational programs for every gardener. With
Moonlight in the Garden
and the holidays not far away, our final gardening classes, courses, and workshops of the year are listed below. Don't worry, we're still offering lectures, tours, and photography programs in November and December and our holiday wreath workshops return in December.
Caring for Your Home Landscape: A Month by Month Approach
Mondays, September 9 through November 4 – 6:30 PM
No Class on Monday, October 14
Bryce Lane, Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor Emeritus and Lecturer Emeritus, Department of Horticultural Science, NC State University
When do I prune my azaleas and hydrangeas? Do I fertilize now? When do I cut back my perennials? Is now the right time to plant? Come learn about how, and when to perform these, and many more gardening tasks. From landscape maintenance, to planting, to propagation, this eight-week course covers all
gardening activities from January to December
. Each week we will discuss the appropriate activities that should be performed in a month-to-month window.
Crepe Myrtle Pruning Class and Demonstration
"A Tale of Love, Murder, and Proper Pruning"
Basil Camu, Treecologist, Leaf & Limb
Saturday, September 14
–
9:00 AM
You are probably familiar with the term crepe murder (and if you are not, all the more reason to attend this class!). But what can you do to avoid crepe murder? In this class, we will use the crepe myrtle as a vehicle to teach the
basics of pruning
.
Photography Walk
"Going Beyond Snap Shot Photography with Your iPhone Camera"
Mary Louise Ravese, Bella Vista Photography
Thursday, September 26 – 10:00 AM
In this
Photography Walk
, you'll learn more about basic iPhone camera functionality. In addition, Mary Louise will give an overview of two useful iPhone apps for taking your photography further: ProCamera (enables you to control the iPhone camera more like a traditional camera) and SnapSeed (enables you to edit photographs on the phone). We will then practice in the gardens of the Arboretum.
The Nature of Drawing: Autumn Sketchbook
Preston Montague, Landscape Designer and Botanical Illustrator
Saturday, October 12 – 10:00 AM
If you're curious about the joy of
drawing outdoors
, join Preston Montague at the JCRA for a full-day workshop using the Arboretum as a studio. Designed with the beginner in mind, but open to all skill levels, Preston will introduce techniques he uses to create professional illustrations. Participants will explore pencil, pen, and colored pencil (all supplies provided), as well as a drawing process designed to create simple, lush illustrations while enjoying the outdoors.
Fern Propagation Workshop
Bob Payne, Wake County Extension Master Gardener
Saturday, October 19 – 9:00 AM
Learn about the reproductive cycle of ferns and how to propagate them from spores in this
hands-on workshop
. Participants will be introduced to terms like gametophyte and sporophyte and will clean and sow spores and divide gametophytes and sporophytes. Each participant will take home a variety of ferns in various stages of development.
Photography Walk
"Top Tips for Photographing Fall Color"
Mary Louise Ravese, Bella Vista Photography
Wednesday, October 23 – 10:00 AM
As the leaves start to turn fall colors, we are inspired to capture their glory in a photograph. Mary Louise will explain her tips for how to
best capture the color of the season
from what photography equipment to use, to successful techniques, and advice on where and when to go to locations convenient to the Triangle area. We will then practice in the gardens of the Arboretum.
Propagating Woody Plants from Seed
Bryce Lane, Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor Emeritus and Lecturer Emeritus, Department of Horticultural Science, NC State University
Saturday, October 26 – 9:00 AM
Come attend a class devoted to understanding how trees, shrubs, vines, and ground covers reproduce from seed and how we, as gardeners, can take advantage of that science to
propagate new and interesting plants
. We will talk all about what woody plant seeds need to germinate, how we can overcome dormancy and take advantage of the diversity that comes with propagating plants from seed.
For more information about these programs, please contact Chris Glenn at (919) 513-7005 or chris_glenn@ncsu.edu. Registration is available via the links below.
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Thank You
By Emily Bonner,
Development Assistant
It’s been another wonderful summer at the JC Raulston Arboretum. As we look forward to cooler weather, it's rewarding to take a moment to reflect on all the activity over the past few months.
Summer is always a busy time at the JCRA with plants in bloom, interns hard at work, and campers embarking on exciting garden adventures. The JCRA was also lucky to hold some phenomenal lectures and workshops, as well as our first-ever Southeastern Plant Symposium, hosted jointly with Juniper Level Botanic Garden
—
which was a smashing success!
Thank you to everyone who attends and supports Arboretum events and programs. We are successful only because of the enthusiasm of our community, which shares, encourages, maintains, and enjoys our passion for plants. We look forward to the adventures autumn brings!
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Garden Renovations
By Douglas Ruhren, Gardens Manager
"Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction." – Pablo Picasso
The JC Raulston Arboretum's long term plans are to replace the chain link fence along Beryl Road with the brick piers and black metal fence panels that currently grace the pedestrian entrance. Arboretum supporters have made it possible to extend this fencing from the pedestrian entrance to west corner of the Arboretum; the west corner being just beyond the parking lot entrance. Donors have also made it possible to replace the parking lot gate with a new one that will match the new fencing; as well as new lighting to highlight the new entrance.
Plants had to be removed to allow the removal of the concrete blocks and the soil of the old raised beds as well as the chain link fence and to allow access for the heavy equipment necessary for this project. At this point, all that needed to be removed has been removed and footings have been poured for the brick piers and the new JCRA sign.
Some plants have been transplanted, others eliminated from the JCRA collection. The most notable removals were 10 different hybrid evergreen hollies which were planted along the fence. Nine of them were 'Auburn', 'Conaf' (Oakland), 'Conal' (Cardinal), 'Conin' (Robin), 'Conive' (Festive), 'Conty' (Liberty), 'San Jose', 'Magiana' (Acadiana), and 'Magland' (Oakland). In the modern nightmare that is the naming of new cultivars of plants, most of these have both a cultivar name (in single quotes) and a trademark name. These are typical examples where the cultivar name is
not
user friendly. Plants are more likely to be labeled with their trademark name in the nursery industry especially in a retail setting. It's good to understand that many cultivars have two names, their true cultivar name and a trademark name.
But the issue of naming is a bit off topic. These hollies are all widely established in the nursery trade and do not need the continued evaluation nor promotion of the JCRA. So they will most likely not reappear in Arboretum plantings. All can be recommended as good midsized (much smaller than 'Nellie R. Stevens' holly) evergreen shrubs for specimen planting or hedging. New plants will replace them and it is likely that they will be taxa that you haven't seen before. JCRA director Mark Weathington's guidance is to allow more views into the Arboretum from Beryl Road, so expect to see fewer screening plantings in the future.
Budwood of the three redbuds that flanked the entrance gate was sent to Hidden Hollow Nursery for grafting. The most notable of these is a dwarf selection of
Cercis chinensis.
The pair of large redbuds are a bit of a mystery. They most closely resemble
Cercis glabra
but genetic tests indicated they are east coast native,
Cercis canadensis
. They set immense crops of fruit which remained brightly red-tinted for many months and were very ornamental.
Cuttings of a number of small shrubs from inside the fence were stuck in case the plants didn't survive transplanting. The area had gotten shady enough that it was no longer possible to evaluate their performance.
The necessity of removing the plants closest to the fence has prompted us to plan on evaluating all of the plants in this area bordered by Beryl Road and the parking lot. The most outstanding plant in that area is a species of hackberry,
Celtis julianae,
the Julian hackberry. Our native
Celtis
trees have many very positive attributes but their summer foliage can be rather ratty. The foliage of
Celtis julianae
is drop dead gorgeous; shapely, thick, and velvety.
There are many decisions involved in curating the plant collection at the JCRA and none of them are made lightly.
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Fall Is a Great Time to Be a JCRA Member
By
Kathryn Wall, Membership and Volunteer Coordinator
Members-only Preorder Plant Sale
The Members-only Preorder Plant Sale opens soon. We're finalizing plant selections, writing descriptions, and taking some missing photographs. Keep an eye out for an e-mail with links to the catalog and our new and improved e-store for placing orders. Fall is the perfect time for planting in North Carolina. Pick up will be at the Arboretum in early October.
Mulch Like the JCRA
Just in time for your fall planting, don't forget to take advantage of this member benefit! We use a blend of 80% wood chips and 20% leaves and find it doesn't mat, allows water to penetrate, and nurtures the soil as it breaks down. Visit the
JCRA's Web site
for more details
.
Free Cool Plants
New e-mail address? Make sure you contact me at
kbwall@ncsu.edu
or (919) 513-7004.
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Herbicide Terminology
By Douglas Ruhren, Gardens Manager
There is much to learn to ensure that pesticides, including herbicides, are used safely and this starts with the understanding the jargon specific to the field. Some terms used in weed control are a bit confusing. Two basic ones that can be misleading are "weedkiller" and "broadleaf."
The term "weedkiller" might suggest to some that these chemicals can distinguish between a weed and a desirable plant. They can't. And one begins to understand this when one realizes that the same plant might be desirable in one situation and a weed in another. Bermuda grass is a very important turf grass but a nightmare when it invades a flower bed or vegetable garden. Gardeners also get to choose what they want to grow in their gardens. One gardener might love river oats and violets while another might not. These chemicals cannot make these distinctions. It would be far better to call these chemicals "plant killers." Use them wisely.
There are herbicides which kill only true grasses. And there are herbicides which kill everything except for true grasses. These are often called "broadleaf weedkillers." The term "broadleaf" confuses many because many non-grasses have narrow leaves. Dianthus, daylilies, liriope, thyme, and so many other plants have narrow leaves, that is they do
not
have broad leaves, but because they are not true grasses a "broadleaf" weedkiller will kill them. So anyone using herbicides
must
remember that the term "broadleaf" really means any plant that is
not
a true grass.
The repeated use of the term "true grass" is because the herbicides that kill grasses will only kill the plants that are in the grass family, Poaceae
.
The grass herbicides will not kill plants with grass in their common name if they are not true grasses. So such things as mondo grass, monkey grass, grass pinks, lily turf, to name a few, are immune to the herbicides that kill grasses because they are not true grasses.
Want to learn more about weeds in the home landscape, join us on Saturday, September 7 for our
Gardening in the South symposium
. This free program is designed for new gardeners and gardeners that recently moved to the Triangle. Additional topics include diseases on ornamental plants and garden insects.
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Upcoming Events
Volunteer Tour Docents
Sunday, September 1, 8, 15, 22, and 28 - 2:00 PM
"NC State University and JCRA Introductions"
Mark Weathington, Director
Tuesday, September - 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM
Fall Fun with Apples
Friday, September 6 - 10:30 AM
Sponsored by Leaf & Limb
Steven Frank, Ph.D.; Bryce Lane, and Michael Munster, NC State University
Saturday, September 7 - 8:00 AM
Bryce Lane, Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor Emeritus and Lecturer Emeritus, Department of Horticultural Science, NC State University
Mondays, September 9 through November 4 - 6:30 PM
No class on Monday, October 14
"Show and Tell"
Various
Thursday, September 12 - 7:30 PM
"A Tale of Love, Murder, and Proper Pruning"
Basil Camu, Treecologist, Leaf & Limb
Saturday, September 14 - 9:00 AM
Apple Science
Saturday, September 14 - 9:00 AM
Sponsored by the JC Raulston Arboretum and the Triangle Carolinas Nature Photographers Association
Saturday, September 14 - 7:00 PM-8:30 PM (opening reception)
"Saving the Spirit of the Forest: in Central Africa and Beyond"
Richard Carroll, Wake County Extension Master Gardener
Monday, September 23 - 10:00 AM
Printing with the Sun
Tuesday, September 24 - 10:00 AM
Clay Nature Faces
Wednesday, September 25 - 10:00 AM
"Going Beyond Snapshot Photography with Your iPhone Camera"
Mary Louise Ravese, Bella Vista Photography
Thursday, September 26 - 10:00 AM
Nature Weaving
Thursday, September 26 - 10:00 AM
Garden Storytime
Friday, September 27 - 10:30 AM
Open to Youths and Adults
Patrick Brandt, Piedmont Tree Climbing
Saturday, September 28 - 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 1:30 PM, 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM, 4:30 PM, and 5:30 PM
Cohosted by the Piedmont Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society and the JC Raulston Arboretum
"Breeding Better Perennials from a Gardener's Perspective"
Hans Hansen, Director, New Plant Development, Walters Gardens
Saturday, September 28 - 10:00 AM
Girl Scout Program: Outdoor Art
Saturday, September 28 - 10:00 AM
Cloud Watching
Sunday, September 29 - 2:00 PM
Scavenger Hunt
Monday, September 30 - 10:00 AM
✽Denotes a children's program.
Many programs require advance registration. Please register early to reserve your spot.
Save the Date
A Magical Lighting Exhibition with Our Friends from Southern Lights of Raleigh and the North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc.
Tuesday, November 5 - 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
Tickets
on sale for members on Tuesday, September 3 at 12:00 PM
A Magical Lighting Exhibition with Our Friends from Southern Lights of Raleigh and the North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc.
Thursday-Saturday, November 7-9
Thursday-Saturday, November 14-16
5:30 PM-7:30 PM and 7:30 PM-9:30 PM (two timed openings)
Tickets
on sale for members on Tuesday, September 3 at 12:00 PM
Saturday, January 18, 2020 through Wednesday, January 29, 2020
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Coming Attractions
By Nancy Doubrava, JCRA Volunteer
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Mahonia gracilipes
red-flowered mahonia
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Osmanthus fragrans
f.
aurantiacus
'Apricot Gold'
golden sweet-olive
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Sanguisorba hakusanensis
Korean mountain burnet
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Arum pictum
autumn flowering arum
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Solidago rugosa
'Fireworks'
dwarf rough-leaf goldenrod
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Aster sikkimmensis
Sikkim aster
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Coreopsis helianthoides
Beadle’s tickseed
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Hedychium coccineum
'Disney'
red ginger-lily
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Rhodophiala bifida
oxblood-lily
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YouTube Channel Update
By Christopher Todd Glenn, Programs and Education Coordinator
Three new videos were recorded in August and posted to our
YouTube Channel
. Look for them on our channel or click the graphics below.
Receive announcements about our latest additions by subscribing to our
YouTube Channel
. Click on the bell icon to adjust your frequency settings from occasional notifications to all notifications and vice versa.
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Your Membership Makes a Difference
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Please Join or Renew Today!
The JC Raulston Arboretum is free to the public, but it is not free to operate. Memberships keep the gates open and the gardens in top shape. Membership gifts are the primary support for the Arboretum's daily operations and vital for its success. Thank you for your support and advocacy of the JC Raulston Arboretum through the membership program. It's fast and easy to become a Friend of the Arboretum, and there are many great benefits for you and your family.
Join or renew now
using our secure Web site, or contact Kathryn Wall, membership and volunteer coordinator, at
kbwall@ncsu.edu
or (919) 513-7004.
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Christopher Todd Glenn
Programs and Education Coordinator
NC State University
Campus Box 7522
Raleigh, NC 27695-7522
(919) 513-7005
You're receiving this e-mail because you're a member of the JC Raulston Arboretum. JCRA e-Updates are published electronically every month. If you are a member and need to update your contact information or wish to be removed from this mailing, please contact Kathryn Wall at (919) 513-7004 or kbwall@ncsu.edu. Please do not use the links below to update your e-mail address or to unsubscribe.
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