garden inn

Lisa Nadler and artist Dave Milkereit led a project transforming cisterns at the Durham County Extension Office into educational murals, completed by volunteers over 400 hours. Aimed at promoting sustainable gardening and native plants, the project includes a protective coating and a dedicated website for public education and engagement with the Demonstration Garden.

For gardeners everywhere, springtime is when our garden-loving spirits come alive after the hibernation of winter. We have been craving fresh herbs and fresh foods, and all the fresh things that the garden brings. We want to smell all the flowers, and plant all the things. Sound familiar? Our family has certainly been busy planting here. On Saturday we had especially beautiful weather and our family spent most of the day outdoors in the garden, which we all really appreciated. We’ve been clearing one raised bed at a time. First weeding them, and then planting them. We have been planting vegetables, flowers, herbs, and fruit. Knowing how much the chickens, ducks, or goats will appreciate the weeds is a good motivator for pulling them up. Anything they don’t eat is a good addition to the compost pile. We got a grape planted, hooray! This spring we have planted a few grape plants, as well as some plum trees. We had a beloved plum tree years back that died, and we had been wanting to ...

Durham County Master Gardener volunteers host community gardening events, offering research-based plant advice and plant sales, including workshops and presentations throughout June 2025.

Asian jumping worms, originating from Japan and Korea, pose a significant threat to soil health by outcompeting native species and depleting organic matter. Their rapid reproduction and aggressive eating behavior disrupt ecosystems. Detection, monitoring, and management strategies, including heat treatment and awareness, are crucial in controlling their spread and protecting gardens.

One of my goals over the winter was to do some major pruning on our fruit trees. There were a few apple trees that were smaller, and had been pruned more regularly, so those were easy and quick to do. We had some other apple trees, however, that had grown so tall and wild, they were a much larger job to tackle. I looked up videos on youtube about pruning and caring for fruit trees. (Isn’t youtube so handy that way?) Our family appreciates the fruit trees we have planted so much, and we like learning more about how to take good care of them. Put on a video about fruit tree care and our whole family will be completely immersed! To prune the fruit trees, I usually brought four different tools along with me. A handsaw for the larger branches, hand pruners for the smaller stuff, loppers for the small-ish branches a little harder to reach, and a lopper on a long pole (for lack of a better description.) I did use the ladder sometimes, but the long pole tool helped make it possible to ...

By Summer Gates NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer intern of Durham County Left: Ripe Tomatillos ready to be roasted. Right: Young fruit developing in their husk. (Image credit: Summer Gates) Physalis philadelphica, commonly known as tomatillo, has been a staple in my garden for the last eight years—I simply can’t live without it, now … Continue reading The Totally Tasty Tomatillo

April in Durham County was marked by unusual weather patterns, with rain scarce. The Accidental Cottage Garden boasts blooming flowers like Sweet William and English daisy, despite drought. May gardening involves watering, fertilizing, planting, and pruning while managing pests. Emphasis is on enjoying the outdoors and maintaining garden health.

Okay, I know that’s a really silly title, but it just popped into my head and I wrote it down. I have been appreciating spring so much this year. I love spring every year, of course, but this year I feel like I am appreciating it even more. The warmth… the birds singing… the flowers in bloom… the smell of blossoms in the air… it all feeds my spirit so much. The lilacs are almost all done blooming now. Don’t they just embody the scent of spring? Spring is so full of possibility. It can feel a bit overwhelming since we want to go in so many directions all at once, where to even begin? I am doing my best to breathe deeply, put my heart and hands to one task at a time, and appreciate the beauty around me in the midst of the busy and full days. We have been opening the windows at every opportunity, and stepping outside in between the indoor tasks to bask in the beautiful weather, even if it is for brief moments at a time. One of our favorite things right now is to eat outdoors. I also l...