Orange County Master Gardener Volunteers

It’s officially fall, and like many gardeners my thoughts have finally turned back to gardening after a much-needed respite from our brutal summer. If you’re feeling the same, then the Master Gardener Volunteers of Orange County have you covered — it’s time for our Annual PlantFest!

We can all feel it! It’s spring at long last and our thoughts have turned to the garden, specifically, the vegetable garden. If you’re just starting out with vegetable gardening, the first thing you need to do is to be brutally honest with yourself.

A winter landscape can seem stark and muted. But look carefully and you’ll find beauty: Curves of tree limbs and zig-zags of twigs that are hidden by foliage in warm seasons.

Mushrooms are a type of fungi, a kingdom of millions of species that evolved in the oceans a billion years ago and then colonized land 500 million years later.

Whether you’re an avid or beginning gardener, or you’re looking for a fun family outing, you don’t want to miss PlantFest 2025 on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Blackwood Farm Park.

The Great Southeast Pollinator Census was founded by the University of Georgia Extension in 2017 and has grown into a community science project taking place across five states including North Carolina.

Visit any garden center, grocery store or farmers’ market this time of year and you’ll be tempted with all kinds of herbs and vegetables to plant.

The monarch butterfly population in the eastern United States has declined sharply — an estimated 80% loss since the 1990s. Among the factors contributing to the decline: Loss of habitat, exposure to pesticides and extreme weather.

Herbs are a fantastic addition to any home or patio garden. The plants can be sprinkled throughout your native or edible garden,  utilized as stunning ornamentals along a pathway or kept potted on a windowsill or patio ready to be added fresh to any dish or drink.

Did you know that stormwater runoff is the greatest source of water pollution in urban areas? During heavy rain, water flows from rooftops, down driveways, and across parking lots and streets. As stormwater flows, it picks up many types of pollutants!