JC Raulston Arboretum e-Update
December 2018
Your Monthly News and Updates
Director's Note

By Mark Weathington, Director

Well November really flew by here at the Arboretum with all of our Moonlight in the Garden madness. We had over 6,500 people visit the JCRA, many for the first time. A great time was had by all even when some misty cold tried to dampen our fun. If you weren't able to get tickets this year, make sure to pay attention to these e-Updates next summer—our members will get first crack at the tickets again next year when they go on sale.
 
Speaking of Moonlight, if you didn't make it to the preview party you didn't get to try Carolina Brewing Company's Flamethrower Scottish ale named for the JCRA and Denny Werner's newest redbud release. Don't worry though, you can join me and some of the rest of the JCRA staff at Carolina Brewing Company in Holly Springs on December 5 when they will have this limited release available on tap. If you come, we'd love to see you sporting your JCRA gear—T-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, or whatever you have so CBC knows how much we appreciate their partnership.
 
See you in the garden— and at CBC's taproom!
Are Connoisseur Plants on Your Wish List? 

By Kathryn Wall, Membership and Volunteer Coordinator

It's almost time for our popular Connoisseur Plants program — special plants propagated by us exclusively for qualifying Friends of the Arboretum. Access to these plants is limited to our Sponsor, Patron, Founder, Benefactor, and Philanthropist membership levels. It is our way of thanking these members for their generous support. Would you like to add some special plants to your wish list for 2019 or know someone who would?

Don't miss the December 31 deadline. The Connoisseur Plants program doesn't require you to get up early and you can participate from a warm, cozy spot of your choosing. This program is designed specifically for those members looking for the unusual or hard to locate plants. To refresh yourself on the number of plants awarded to each membership level or get an idea of the plants that have been previously offered, visit the Connoisseur Plants page on our Web site.

Advance your membership to the next level to take full advantage of this year's selection. Need to upgrade? It's easy, give me a call at (919) 513-7004 or make an online membership upgrade contribution . If you pay online, please e-mail me at kbwall@ncsu.edu to make sure we enter your upgrade to the appropriate membership level by December 31. Qualifying members should expect notification of the Connoisseur Plants catalogs via e-mail in early 2019.

Photograph: Hydrangea quercifolia 'Ruby Slippers' (not in Connoisseur Plants program
Year End Wish List and Challenge for the JC Raulston Arboretum

By Alycia Thornton, Director of Development, and Lisa Meares, Development Program Associate
 
Each day, someone new walks through the gates of the Arboretum. As we look forward to the New Year, we hope to continue to bring people to the gardens by ensuring that we remain a beautiful and interactive community space. As you consider making a year-end charitable gift, please consider donating towards items on our 2019 Wish List . These projects will help us keep pace with the growing popularity of the gardens and our programs. We hope something on the list will inspire you to be a part of our progress in 2019.
Thanks to generous donors, we were able to create a beautiful new pedestrian gate in 2016. In 2019, we hope to continue improving the overall appearance of the Arboretum.

Included on our Wish List for 2019 is the expansion of the brick column fencing along Beryl Road. For every $6,000 we receive, we will be able to add an additional column and a section of fencing.

Here Is the Challenge

Due to cost savings of funding multiple columns, if we have the funding to do four columns, the fifth will be included at no additional cost. A few loyal donors have already agreed to fund one section and we need your help to get at least three more done this year. This fence, which adds beauty and stability to the Arboretum, is a tangible means of ensuring that the impact of the gardens will last for generations to come. If this is a challenge that speaks to you, please let us know!
No Down Time

By Douglas Ruhren, Gardens Manager

It's a cold winter morning as I write this, if not by the calendar, then certainly by the weather. Finger tips are hurting after handling steel propane tanks and a very recalcitrant key on the lock to the pickup truck's gas tank. The ground is frozen and most trees are bare, though a number of Japanese maples are in full glorious fall color. And thus one growing season gives way to another growing season for in a zone 7 garden there is not just one growing season but two.

The two growing seasons are distinguished by frost, the lack of frost in one and the presence of frost in the other. The plants of the frost-free growing season are now dormant while the plants of the frosted growing season are coming into growth.

There are a number of reasons why plants would evolve to grow during the time of year when freezing temperatures are guaranteed. Several native woodland plants return from summer dormancy in the fall to take advantage of the sunlight that is available now that canopy trees have lost their leaves. Toothwort, Cardamine diphylla (photograph above), is one example that can be seen at JCRA. Its silver veined leaves are handsome fall through late spring.

Mediterranean climates are characterized by dry summers and moist winters so many plants native to such growing conditions come into growth in the fall. Two genera; Crocus and Galanthus (the snowdrops) are considered harbingers of spring yet October is when their season really begins. At the JCRA, some of the 90 species of crocus are already done flowering yet their foliage will make use of winter sun and moisture. An unbroken succession of crocus and snowdrop continues from October into March.

Many Narcissus , the daffodils and jonquils, come into growth in the fall and new gardeners often panic, assuming that the foliage can't possibly survive winter. Other bulbs with foliage through the winter months are Muscari , the grape hyacinths; Ipheon uniflorum , star flower, and Iris (Dutch Hybrid Group), the Dutch iris.

I have wondered if some plants bloom in the winter when there is less competition for pollinators. Gardeners soon learn that bees will visit flowers on those winter afternoons that are sunny and above 40°F. Many winter flowers are very fragrant, seemingly going the extra mile to attract pollinators.

All of this to say that winter is not a down time at the JCRA. Do visit. The garden is filled with plants of winter interest from the usual suspects that gardens in colder climates must rely on: showy fruit displays, colorful twigs, the glorious architecture of deciduous plants, the winter forms of ornamental grasses and other herbaceous perennials all delightfully contrasting with the foliage of both broad-leaved and coniferous evergreen trees and shrubs. But there will also be flowers. Winter in zone 7 is the reward for suffering through the dog days of summer.

The JC Raulston Arboretum's Winter Symposium on February 16, 2019, is about gardening in the winter—both in the South and in the North. Learn more about plants that are at their best in the winter from Lisa Bartlett, Smith-Gilbert Gardens; Karen Bussolini, garden photographer, writer, speaker, and eco-friendly garden coach; and Rodney Eason, Land & Garden Preserve.
Summer Camps at the JCRA — What Members Need to Know

By Elizabeth Overcash, Children's Program Coordinator

Believe it or not, registration for our 2019 summer camps opens soon ! This is our 6th year of summer camps, and we cannot wait to share another summer with your families. We are looking forward to a summer filled with friends, laughter and garden adventures. Camps include some perennial favorites where we investigate the wacky antics of the Mixed-up Gardener, nurture campers' minds and bodies with veggie-based recipes, and create masterpieces from the Arboretum’s gardens. This summer, we introduce a new camp, Garden STEAM, where campers will explore the science, technology, engineering, art, and math topics through garden challenges.

2019 Summer Camps

June 24 – 28 – Cultivating Science Camp (rising 7th and 8th grade)
July 8 – 12 – Nature Detectives Camp (rising 1st through 3rd grade)
July 15 – 19 – Garden STEAM Camp (rising 4th through 6th grade)
July 22 – 26 – Artists in the Garden Camp (rising 1st through 3rd grade)
July 29 – August 2 – Garden Critters Camp (4 and 5 year olds)
August 5 – 9 – Garden Chefs Camp (rising 4th through 6th grade)

As members of JCRA, take advantage of the members-only early registration. Family members get two weeks to sign up for camp before registration opens to the general public. Members also register at the discounted member price.

Registration opens to family members at 9:00 AM on Monday, January 28, 2019.

Mark your calendars — set a reminder! Our camps are growing in popularity each year, and you do not want your child to miss out on this summer's fun. Last year, members took half of the camp spots and filled one camp with only members. Three camps filled the morning of public registration, so don't get caught up in the stress of public registration day. Enjoy your early registration because you’re a member.
Save the Dates: Upcoming Horticulture Programs

By Haleigh Swenfurth, Programs and Education Assistant

As the excitement of the holiday season fades, the JCRA is bringing you three different exciting horticultural programs to look forward to in the new year! In January we are featuring Bryce Lane's " If You Build It, They Will Come: Understanding and Improving Garden Soils" class and our annual hardwood propagation workshop featuring our very own Tim Alderman and Christopher Todd Glenn. Come February, Bryce Lane will be back again with an eight week course, Gardening Basics: Using Science to Grow Better Plants.

Garden Soils Class
"If You Build It, They Will Come: Understanding and Improving Garden Soils"
Saturday, January 26, 2019 – 8:30 AM–12:30 PM

As gardeners, we spend most of our time thinking "above ground." A scientific understanding of soil chemistry, biology, physics, and fertility makes a good gardener a "master" gardener! This class will help us understand basic soil principles , and how we can use that understanding to improve our garden soils, properly prepare garden beds, reduce fertilizer inputs, compost, and maximize growth in our gardens.

Propagation Workshop
Saturday, January 26 – 9:00 AM–3:00 PM

Join JC Raulston Arboretum staff in this hands-on propagation workshop and learn how to asexually propagate some of your favorite plants in the JC Raulston Arboretum's collections via hardwood cuttings. Participants will go home with a greater knowledge of plant propagation and with many freshly propagated plants. All knowledge/experience levels welcome.

Gardening Basics: Using Science to Grow Better Plants
Mondays, February 4 through March 25 – 6:30 PM–8:30 PM

Whether you are new to gardening, a seasoned gardener, or new to this area, this eight week gardening class will help you be more successful in all your gardening endeavors! By understanding plant classification, growth, soils, and reproduction we will learn how to be better at propagation, plant selection, planting, pruning, fertilizing, and pest management.

For more inforamtion about these programs, please contact Chris Glenn at chris_glenn@ncsu.edu or (919) 513-7005.
Upcoming Events

"Indoor Macro"
Susan Bailey, Susan Bailey Photography
Thursday, December 13
2:00 PM

"Diagnosing and Solving Problems: Step One to Garden Solutions"
Frank Louws, Ph.D., Head, Department of Horticultural Science, NC State University
Thursday, December 13
7:30 PM

Friday, December 14
10:00 AM

Treasures from a Winter Garden
Saturday, December 15
9:00 AM

✽Denotes a children's program.

Many programs require advance registration. Please register early to reserve your spot.

Other Dates to Remembe r

Thursday, December 13
9:00 AM–3:00 PM

A Garden Symposium for New Gardeners and Gardeners New to the Area
Featuring Ted Bilderback, Barbara Fair, and William Fonteno, NC State University
Saturday, February 2
8:30 AM

"The Winter Garden"
Featuring Lisa Bartlett, Smith-Gilbert Gardens; Karen Bussolini, Garden Photographer, Writer, and Speaker and Eco-friendly Garden Coach; and Rodney Eason, Land & Garden Preserve
Saturday, February 16
8:00 AM
Coming Attractions
By Nancy Doubrava, Volunteer
Cyclamen hederifolium Ashwood Nurseries Silver Leaf Group
hardy cyclamen
Mahonia 'Spg-3-071' (Beijing Beauty)
grapeholly
Ilex verticillata 'Winter Gold'
yellow-berry winterberry holly
Rohdea japonica
sacred lily
Panicum virgatum 'Thundercloud'
tall switchgrass
Helleborus × hybridus
Lenten rose
Mahonia oiwakensis
Chinese mahonia
Camellia × hiemalis 'Rose of Autumn'
hybrid camellia
YouTube Channel Update

By Christopher Todd Glenn, Programs and Education Coordinator
No new videos were recorded in November. However, there are several years of Friends of the Arboretum Lectures, North American Rock Garden (Piedmont Chapter) Lectures, Gardening Adventures with Extension Master Gardener Volunteers lectures, and Plantsmen's Tours available in our YouTube Channel . Receive announcements about our latest additions by subscribing.
Your Membership Makes a Difference
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.
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.