JC Raulston Arboretum e-Update
June 2021
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Your Monthly News and Updates |
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Director's Note
By Mark Weathington, Director
Where did the spring go? It's hard to believe we're already heading into June. We'll be open seven days a week again starting this month as our visitor services team ramps back up. Make sure you stop by the Bobby G. Wilder Visitor Center to say hello and maybe browse through the used garden books we have on hand. Many of our volunteers and staff took the Marie Kondo approach over the past year and have thinned their horticultural libraries resulting in a flood of great books for you to add to your collection.
I feel we will soon be able to say that we've returned to our regularly scheduled programming. The Southeastern Plant Symposium will still be online only this month but our Landscape Color and Professional Field Day will be onsite as usual. Summer camps, in modified format and reduced numbers, are starting up as well. If you have a young one who is sick of virtual learning and could use some in-person, real-life experiences, check for open spots in our camps. Revisions to NC State University safety guidelines have opened some spots throughout the summer.
See you in the garden.
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Summer Book Sale
All $5.00 Books Are Buy One Get One Free
Available in the Bobby G. Wilder Visitor Center
Cash or Check (Made Payable to NC Ag. Foundation)
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Weekend Hours Start Saturday, June 5
By Arlene Calhoun, Assistant Director
We are welcoming June with weekend hours. At last! You can grab your family and friends for a weekend visit to the Arboretum. Starting Saturday, June 5, the Arboretum gates will be open each Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM. We are excited to get our gates open seven days a week!
We are not 100% but are getting a little closer each month. We are rebuilding our visitor services team and will be working to add a few evening hours before summer ends. Continue to check our Web site for the most up-to-date information.
Masks are recommended when you are not able to socially distance yourself from others or when you are in large crowds. Here is a link to NC State University's Community Standards. Please continue to check our Web site for the most up-to-date information.
We appreciate your continued support and understanding during our phased reopening and are excited to see so many of you visiting the gardens. We love seeing our paths filled with those who love the arboretum as much as we do!
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Southeastern Plant Symposium
By Carly Dressen, Development Assistant
Join us online on June 12 for presentations from some of the top horticulturists and a chance to bid on one-of-a-kind plants. The day's speakers include:
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Stephen Barstow, author of Around the World in 80 Plants
- Kevin Conrad from the U.S. National Arboretum
- Aaron Floden from the Missouri Botanical Garden
- Fergus Garrett from Great Dixter
- Hans Hansen from Walters Gardens
- Irene Palmer from NC State
- Peter Zhale from Longwood Gardens.
The rare plant auction opens at 3:00 PM on June 3 and closes at 5:00 PM on June 12. Look for Kathryn Wall's e-mail later this week for all the details.
As we continue to invest in creative and innovative ways to share the horticultural education experience, we want to ensure that we maintain our events at an exceptional level for our community. One of the best ways to support bringing top-notch horticultural speakers to the JCRA is through donations to our General Fund, which allows for the greatest flexibility in providing these valued services and sharing our passion for plants. Thank you to all who continue to make this a possibility!
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Summer Educational Programs
By Sana Sheikh, Programs and Education Assistant, and Christopher Todd Glenn, Programs and Education Coordinator
Summer is right around the corner and the JCRA has something to offer for everyone looking to get the most out of their summer this year. Join us for online classes and a symposium and in-person workshops that are sure to make your skills bloom!
Propagation Workshop
Christopher Todd Glenn, Programs and Education Coordinator, and Douglas Ruhren, Gardens Manager
Saturday, June 5 – 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
Have you ever struggled with rooting and producing a new plant from a shoot? Are you a new gardener, interested in the idea of being able to grow your plant collection inexpensively at home? Join the JCRA staff for a hands-on workshop and learn how to asexually propagate your plants! Participants will get to propagate some of their favorite JCRA plants and go home with a greater knowledge of techniques to propagate at home. This workshop is great for all knowledge and experience levels.
Southeastern Plant Symposium at Home
Hosted by the JC Raulston Arboretum and Juniper Level Botanic Garden
Saturday, June 12 – 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Our third annual Southeastern Plant Symposium is coming to you fully online! Join us for a day dedicated to great lectures about all the new and exciting things in the plant world. We have a new lineup of outstanding speakers, including Stephen Barstow; Kevin Conrad; Aaron Floden, Ph.D.; Fergus Garrett; Hans Hansen; Irene Palmer; and Peter Zale Ph.D. With tons of new things to learn about plants and a chance to acquire tantalizing specimens of your own during the silent auction, this is a JCRA event that you don’t want to miss!
Landscape Color and Professional Field Day
Presented by NC State's Department of Horticultural Science and the JC Raulston Arboretum
Wednesday, June 23 – 8:00 AM–12:30 PM
Join us for the 2021 Landscape Color and Professional Field Day for a morning filled with helpful information for green industry professionals. The subject matter is across the board, giving professionals a wide variety of interesting topics they'll find useful in their daily tasks. The field day is open only to green-industry professionals only.
Digital Photography Essentials Workshops
Mary Louise Ravese, Bella Vista Photography
Wednesdays, July 14, 21, and 28 – 6:30 PM–8:30 PM – Nikon
Thursdays, July 15, 22, and 29 – 6:30 PM–8:30 PM – Canon
Ready to get started with your Canon or Nikon digital camera? Learn all the camera essentials to get you started on taking photos beyond the automatic/program nodes in these beginner-friendly classes. You’ll even learn how to improve outside of the classroom when we learn how to interpret our images to make the following shots even better. While all concepts and features discussed will be relevant to all types of digital cameras, please register for the correct class depending upon the maker of your digital camera.
Hypertufa Trough Workshop
Beth Jimenez and Amelia Lane, Lasting Impressions and JCRA Volunteers
Saturday, July 24 – 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
Hypertufa troughs were developed in England as an alternative to old stone sinks which were used to feed and water livestock. They provide excellent drainage and can highlight those special small plants that you have! A planted trough can be a garden unto itself. Participants will mix the ingredients, build a container, and learn how to release a finished container from its mold.
The Traveling Tree Hugger
Brie Arthur, Author, Horticulturist, and Lifelong Home Gardener
Saturday, July 24 – 10:00 AM–11:30 AM
Take a virtual escape from the everyday and join best-selling author and local gardening enthusiast, Brie Arthur, on journey though the best public and private gardens around America! Having traveled to over 800 destinations as a speaker, Brie will share inspiration from more than 50 beautiful gardens. Get ready to start making post pandemic travel plans after this lively session!
Contemporary Hypertufa Birdbath Workshop
Beth Jimenez and Amelia Lane, JCRA Volunteers
Saturday, July 24 – 1:00 PM–3:00 PM
Join Beth and Amelia for our newest Lasting Impressions workshop. Participants will make a contemporary style hypertufa birdbath approximately 14" square with a shallow area perfect to hold enough water for all types of feathered friends to bathe in and drink from.
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2021 JCRA Summer Interns
By Douglas Ruhren, Gardens Manager, and Elizabeth Overcash, Children's Program Coordinator
It is always a glorious day when the summer interns start. The JC Raulston Arboretum horticulture staff is especially lucky this summer as they are joined by five interns. They come with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences.
Two are NC State University students. Trace Fulbright is working towards a B.S. degree in horticultural science with a graduation date of May 2022. Trace is clearly a keen plantsman with a particular interest in Rhododendron, even acquiring seeds of Rhododendron from the American Rhododendron Society.
Ty Alexis is also studying horticultural science at NC State. His love of horticulture started with gardening with his grandmother. An internship with the City of Durham’s Soil and Water Conservation Commission further piqued his interest.
Julio Flores attends Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood, South Carolina and is working towards an Associate in Applied Science in horticulture. It was clear during his interview that he had studied the JCRA Web site. Julio was especially taken by the Arboretum’s mission statement "to … promote plants that diversify the American landscape."
Skyler DeWall is a rising senior at Campbell University studying environmental science with an emphasis on horticulture, forestry, and conservation. Our impression is that she might be a horticulture major if that major was available at her school.
Thomas Wilson is a local, having grown up in the Raleigh area, though he does attend Brown University in Rhode Island. Thomas will graduate in 2022 with a degree in urban studies. It is not hard to imagine the impact that horticulture can have (does have) on the urban environment so Thomas is here this summer to broaden his horticultural knowledge.
The Children's Program also has a summer intern this summer, Kristen Bradley. Kristen recently graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in elementary education and comes with previous experience with summer camps. Her passion for children and gardening are sure to make our summer camps a memorable experience for our campers!
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News from the Children’s Program
By Elizabeth Overcash, Children's Program Coordinator
Summer is almost here. Soon, when you visit the gardens, you'll hear sounds of our summer campers enjoying being outdoors in the gardens and being together! We will have summer campers ranging from preschoolers through middle schoolers throughout June, July, and August.
These past several months, Joy Burns, school tour coordinator, and I have enjoyed sharing the gardens with you over Facebook Lives, storytimes, and online resources. We've talked about topics like birds, weather, flowers, and so much more. Even though we are going to take a break from our weekly programs during camp season, Garden Activity Kits and I Spy! Tours will continue through the summer!
June's theme is butterflies. I have been patrolling the gardens looking for those itty bitty caterpillars to appear signaling that our fluttering friends will be here soon. While we wait for more butterflies in the garden, you can enjoy this month's kit which includes a hardcover copy of The Amazing Life Cycle of Butterflies by Kay Barnham and illustrated by Maddie Frost, a hardy Dutchman's pipe plant (Aristolochia fimbriata) for all your hungry pipevine swallowtail caterpillars, supplies to create your own caterpillar rearing cage, a butterfly suncatcher craft to enjoy as you wait for butterflies, and a guide to the most common butterflies seen at the Arboretum. Our kits from April and May both sold out, so make sure to order your kit today!
We've also added new dates and a new topic to the I Spy! Tour lineup. Now, you and your group can learn about bees and butterflies on a tour. Dates are available throughout June and start earlier at 10:00 AM to beat the heat! Reserve your tour by purchasing it online in our e-store.
Hope to see your families out in the gardens this summer!
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What's in a Name?
By Douglas Ruhren, Gardens Manager
I can't help but wonder why good plants don't sell when they don't sell. There are occasions, between the various online and onsite plant sales as well as the plant cart that is out most days of the year (normal years at least) that good plants don't sell.
There are probably many reasons. I suspect that some words are toxic, engendering abject horror in the reader. "Mint" might be one such word. It is probable that all gardeners know the expression "spreads like mint." It is a term used to describe a plant that will bulldoze all other plants in its way.
But many plants with "mint" in their common names are perfectly well behaved citizens of a garden. In most cases, they have "mint" in their common name because they are members of the mint family. A little bit of plant taxonomy might provide a bit of clarification (and hopefully not further raise the terror level). We need to only go so far as family, genus, and species. The mint family is Lamiaceae (formerly Labiatae). The mint family is a large one consisting of 236 genera (the plural of genus) and about seven thousand species. The genus of the true mints, such as peppermint and spearmint is Mentha. There are about 13 to 24 species of mint. That leaves 235 other genera and still almost seven thousand species that are in the mint family but not the mint genus.
This large family consists of many well-known genera including sage (Salvia), thyme (Thymus), lavender (Lavandula), rosemary (Rosemarinus), oregano (Origanum), basil (Ocimum), beebalm (Monarda), lamb's ears (Stachys), ajuga (Ajuga), chaste tree (Vitex), coleus (Plectranthus) and catnip (Nepeta). These are ones that most gardeners know. It is a large family of many culinary herbs and garden ornamentals, all of which are also highly favored by pollinators.
So the next time you encounter a new plant with "mint" in its name, choose to calm yourself, catch your breath and do a little research. It might be a very well behaved member of this family that will bring joy to your garden. Don't let what might be considered the black sheep of the mint family color your impression of all members of this large and diverse family. And even the true mints (Mentha species) are not to be despised. They can be contained in large pots. And they are great pollinator plants and essential in many recipes.
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Upcoming Events, Programs, and Sales
Monday through Friday at the Visitor Center
9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
"Annual Color Trials"
Bernadette Clark, Bedding Plant Trials Coordinator
Wednesday, June 2 – 3:00 PM
Facebook Live Event
Friday, June 4 – 10:30 AM
Christopher Todd Glenn, Programs and Education Coordinator, and Douglas Ruhren, Gardens Manager
Saturday, June 5 – 9:00 AM
"The Diversity of Japanese Maples"
Mark Weathington, Director
Wednesday, June 9 – 3:00 PM
Friday, June 11
Hosted by the JC Raulston Arboretum and Juniper Level Botanic Garden
Saturday, June 12 – 10:00 AM
Monday, June 14 through Friday, June 18 – 9:00 AM
"All About the JCRA's Flowering Lawns"
Mark Weathington, Director
Wednesday, June 16 – 3:00 PM
Monday, June 21 through Friday, June 25 – 9:00 AM
Presented by NC State's Department of Horticultural Science and the JC Raulston Arboretum
Wednesday, June 23 – 8:00 AM
"Taming Tall Perennials"
Douglas Ruhren, Gardens Manager
Wednesday, June 23 – 3:00 PM
Monday, June 28 through Friday, July 2 – 9:00 AM
JCRA Staff
Wednesday, June 30 – 3:00 PM
✽Denotes a children's program.
Many programs require advance registration. Please register early to reserve your spot.
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Coming Attractions
By Nancy Doubrava, JCRA Volunteer
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Thalictrum kiusianum
meadow rue
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Hydrangea quercifolia 'Piihq-I'
First Editions Jetstream compact oakleaf hydrangea
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Canna 'Red Tiger'
canna lily
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Hydrangea arborescens 'Ncha4'
Incrediball Blush smooth hydrangea
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Kniphofia uvaria 'Lola'
red hot poker
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Crocosmia 'Lucifer'
crocosmia
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Eucomis 'Tugela Jade'
pineapple lily
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Echinacea purpurea
eastern purple coneflower
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YouTube Channel Update
By Christopher Todd Glenn, Programs and Education Coordinator
Five programs were recorded in May and were posted to our YouTube Channel. 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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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.
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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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