News Briefs
Viewpoints
Insight
Well Done Personnel
Feedback
Archive
This Site
Home

Extension experts teach show visitors to be ‘Successful Gardeners’

The Southern Spring Home & Garden Show and N.C. Cooperative Extension will join efforts again this year to highlight the major contributions of Extension’s Master Gardeners and horticultural programs. The show will be held March 3-7 at the Charlotte Merchandise Mart.

In addition, a number of Extension horticultural experts will offer Successful Gardener^sm workshops. Horticulture agents and Master Gardeners will provide gardening advice at the Extension and Master Gardener Horticulture Information Center during the show.

The opening day of the show will be Southern Cooperative Extension and Master Gardener Day. The day will feature the 8^th annual luncheon that pays tribute to and recognizes the volunteer work of Extension’s Master Gardeners. Steve Bender, senior editor with Southern Living magazine, will be the keynote speaker.

Bender, a gardener’s gardening expert, has included this luncheon on a short list of speaking engagements for the year. Bender is author of several books, including Passalong Plants, named best-written garden book of 1994, Southern Living Problem Solver and Southern Living Landscape Book.  He will be available to sign his latest book, Southern Living Gardening Book, before and after the luncheon.

March 3 also will be designated as Extension’s Successful Gardener Day. Extension horticultural agents who contribute to the monthly award-winning Successful Gardener newsletter will present Successful Gardener seminars throughout the day. Anyone interested in proven gardening techniques based on university research will want to attend these workshops.    

Learn from Extension’s Successful Gardener experts on March 3:
11 a.m., Six Easy Steps to a Beautiful Lawn.. Karen Neill, Extension horticulture agent, Guilford County, and expert on UNC-TV’s Almanac Gardener show, will teach participants about grass varieties, how to prepare soil for germination, how to read seed and fertilizer bags, proper mowing techniques and how to deal with weeds and diseases.  Learn how turfgrass and a beautiful lawn can help the environment and increase property values.
2 p.m., Plant Pests: Gear Up for the Invasion. David Barkley, Extension horticulture agent, Brunswick County, will explain which pests invade landscape and garden plants. Identify your pest problem by viewing the color images of the numerous pests in North Carolina and learn the best control measures.
3 p.m. Add Spice to your Garden with Herbs. Amy-Lynn Albertson, Extension horticulture agent, Davidson County, will review the planting conditions necessary to grow culinary herbs in the garden. She will discuss cultural requirements, disease and insect management and harvesting tips.
5 p.m. Soils 101: Understanding Your Garden's Soil. Fred Miller, Extension county director and horticulturist, Catawba County, will review principles of soil fertility and teach basic soil improvement techniques. N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services soil test kits will be provided, as well as instructions on how to take a proper soil test and interpret the results.
7 p.m. Water Smart Gardening. Ben Dungan, Extension horticulture agent, Gaston County, will cover important guidelines on using water more wisely in your garden. He will include the benefits of good soil preparation, proper mulching and selecting plants that do not require a lot of water.

Show visitors also will have the opportunity to have gardening questions answered at the Extension and Master Gardener Horticulture Information Center, which will be open every day throughout the show. Free copies of Extension’s Successful Gardener newsletter will be distributed, in addition to other research-based gardening information N.C. State University. 

While at the information center, visit the adjacent Successful Gardener/Master Gardener vegetable garden and learn how easy it is to be healthy and grow what you eat.  Information will be provided on growing your own vegetables and adding more vegetables to your diet to reduce health risks.  

“The Southern Spring Home & Garden Show will be the place to be in early March, whether you’re a gardening novice or a plant aficionado,” says Emily Revels, Extension consumer horticulture agent in Mecklenburg County and the Cooperative Extension and Master Gardener Day coordinator. “Cooperative Extension's goal with this program is to help Carolinians increase their knowledge of gardening, manage their landscape investment and protect the environment. Through our nationally recognized newsletter at the show, our seminars and the horticultural information booth, Successful Gardener agents will help visitors to increase their gardening knowledge and enjoyment.” 

Tickets to the Southern Cooperative Extension and Master Gardener Day are $30 if purchased by Feb. 20; this includes the luncheon, admission to the show and the opportunity to attend Successful Gardener seminars. After that date, prices will be $35 each. Advance show tickets, which do not include the luncheon, are $7.50 and $9 at the show entrance. For more information, contact Southern Shows at 704.376.6594 or Emily Revels, 704.336.2561 emily_revels@ncsu.edu.