Rain Garden Design - March 16th, 2011

RG 101: Residential Rain Garden Design for Homeowners (NEW!)

This is a new workshop developed just for homeowners, master gardeners and other non-professionals and does NOT include a certification.

Training Date/Location:
Asheville, NC - March 16, 2011

About the workshop: As homeowners and property managers become more aware of the issues of stormwater management many of them are choosing to manage the runoff from their homes and businesses with rain gardens. Rain gardens are shallow depressions and serve as landscape features that can effectively collect and treat stormater and reduce localized flooding. Rain gardens can be integrated into the existing landscape as a retrofit or be included in the initial landscaping plan. To effectively manage stormwater, rain gardens must be accurately sized and properly constructed. This 1-day workshop will present a method for sizing and designing rain gardens and detail proper construction techniques. Workshop participants will also be installing a rain garden. As a result of this training participants will:

* Understand why stormwater needs to be managed,
* Understand the principles of rain garden location, design, construction
and maintenance,
* Be able to select appropriate vegetation, and
* Design, build and plant a small rain garden.

These workshops are sponsored by NC State University Dept. of Biological & Agricultural Engineering and NC Cooperative Extension. For more information and to REGISTER ONLINE, please go to this website.

Haywood County Garden Tour

The Haywood County Garden Tour is just a month away. On June, 26, 2010 you will have the opportunity to visit several of the counties finest gardens. The tour will begin at 9am and run till 4pm, rain or shine and the cost is only $10 per person. The tour will begin this year at the Haywood County Extension Center at 589 Raccoon Road in Waynesville. Advance tickets are available at the Extension Center, Rux Gardens, Mountain View Nursery and Hazelwood Soap and Twigs & Leaves. Tickets will also be available on the day of the tour at the Extension Center. For more information, call 828-456-3575.

Haywood County Master Gardener Program

The Haywood County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension is currently taking applications for the 2010 Master Gardener Training Program. Classes this year will be held on Tuesday mornings at the Extension office on Raccoon Road from 9am-12noon. Participants will learn about a variety of horticultural topics including vegetable gardening, soils & fertilizers, pest management, and others. If you are interested in the program, please contact the Extension office at (828)456-3575.
Master Gardener Volunteers are a vital part of the overall consumer horticulture programs of Extension. Volunteers help to answer questions that come into the Extension office, make presentations, work with school gardens, and do a number of other activities to promote horticulture throughout the county.

Fall Lectures Offered by Master Gardeners

Gardening in the mountains of western North Carolina can be a joy and a challenge at the same time. The Henderson County Master gardeners are here to help you with your garden needs throughout the year. This fall, we have scheduled a five educational opportunities in the form of a lecture series. The small fee of $5.00 per participant for each program is used to support future educational projects of the Master Gardeners. Each lecture will be held on Monday afternoons in August, September, and October at 2:30pm in the classroom at the Bullington Center.

August 10th - Growing Green: Organic and Companion Gardening
August 24th, - Winter Blooming Plants
September 14th - Beauty from Bulbs
September 28th - Frugal Garden Design
October 12th - Japanese Garden
October 26th - Turning your Beds in for the Winter

For more information or if you are interested in attending any of these lectures, please call 697-4891 to pre-register.

The Importance of Farmland in Your Community

March 19, 2009
7 - 8:30 pm
Haywood County Extension Office Auditorium
589 Raccoon Road
Waynesville, NC 28786

Farmland is important to residents of Haywood County. At this meeting we will report on the findings of two three-year studies on the value of farmland and ways to keep farming prosperous in your community. The Farmland Values Project is led by Leah Greden Mathews at UNC Asheville and the Farm Prosperity Project is led by Jeanine Davis at the NC State Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River. The Farmland Values Project will share results from surveys and focus groups about what local residents and visitors value about farmland, including their willingness to contribute to local farm protection efforts, with a focus on results from Haywood County. Results confirm the importance of farmland for maintaining residents’ quality of life, access to local food, and the scenic beauty of our region. The Farm Prosperity Project will explain how they worked with local farmers to develop tools to help farmers make decisions about their farms, how to preserve them, and what to grow. They will also discuss the research that has been conducted on organic and heirloom tomatoes. This meeting and three others in surrounding counties are designed specifically for the general public. There will also be a meeting for farmers (March 12) and one for local officials (April 15). Please call Terri Schell at 684-3562 to reserve a seat. Walk-ins are welcome, but we can plan better if you call ahead. Directions can be found at http://haywood.ces.ncsu.edu/. More information is available about these projects at http://www.unca.edu/farmlandvalues and http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/specialty_crops/farmprosperity/index.htm. These projects are funded by grants from the USDA-CSREES Small and Mid-Sized Farms Program.

The Farmland Values and Farm Prosperity projects are supported by the National Research Initiative of the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, grants #2005-35618-15647 and #2005-35618-15645.

Master Your Garden Lectures

Henderson Country Master Gardeners are once again offering a series of Fall lectures open to the public. Call the Extension office at 697-4891 to register; each lecture will cost only $5.00 and will be held at 3:30pm at the Bullington Center.

Schedule
August 18th – Perennials: New & Tried N True – Carol Ebreo
September 22nd – Design with Your Pleasure in Mind – Barbara Beck
October 6th – Gardening Secrets for Newcomers – Nancy Gilchrist
October 20th – Beauty from Bulbs - Pierre Hart

Haywood County Garden Tour

The Haywood County Garden Tour is approaching fast. The date for this years tour is Saturday, June 28th from 9am-4pm (rain or shine). The cost of the tour is $10 per person. You will enjoy seven beautiful gardens filled with flowers, organic vegetables and stunning water features. Bring your cameras and notebooks and take home a wealth of new ideas. This year the tour will begin at Junaluska Elementary School garden located at 2238 Asheville Highway, Waynesvile. Here you will pick up directions to all the other gardens. Your can purchase tickets for the tour by calling the Haywood County Extension office at 828-456-3575 or on the day of the tour at Junaluska Elementary.

Successful Gardening in the Mountains

Coming soon!

This is a program designed for homeowners who want to learn more about how to successfully manage their home landscapes and gardens. This class consists of 10 participants who will travel to each of the other participants homes to discuss issues related to their specific location. This class meets twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am-12pm. Participants will learn about plant selection, pruning, planting, pest issues and other issues that arise during the class. This class is conducted in the field and requires the ability to navigate different terrains. The initial meeting will be conducted at the extension office. This class will last 5 weeks. Cost for this program $25.

The first session of this program will begin on Tuesday, May 13th. For more information call 456-3575

Compost and Recycling Workshop

The Haywood County Cooperative Extension Center is sponsoring a series of workshops to encourage individuals to practice composting and recycling techniques.

This series of four workshops is designed to raise awareness of and provide practical ways to recycle and compost much of the trash that is currently being sent to our landfills. As a result of these workshops, participants will learn solid waste management alternatives and their consequences and implement strategies that protect the environment.

Workshops will meet on Thursdays, from 9-12pm starting February 7th at the Haywood County Extension Center. Other dates are February 14, 28 and March 6th. There will not be a meeting on February 21. Each sessioin will focus on different subjects so participants are encouraged to attend all sessions.

Cost for this workshop (all four days) is $10. To Register or for more information contact Erin Freeman at (828)456-3575.

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~tsmathew/Registration.pdf

WNC Clean Streams Program

North Carolina Cooperative Extension will be conducting a Clean Streams Workshop on Tuesday, February 26th from 9:00am till 4:30pm at the North Carolina Arboretum.

WNC Clean Streams is an interdisciplinary, multi-county initiative of the NC Cooperative Extension Service to provide training, resources, and support for best practices in a variety of business and residential applications to protect and improve water quality throughout the region. Clean Streams is the umbrella for a range of Extension programming aimed at various audiences — urban, agricultural, residential, and commercial. Protecting water quality must be everyone’s business.

Subjects to be covered are:

• Maintaining a Water-Wise Landscape
• Maintaining a Water-Wise Home
• Raingardens
• Xeriscaping - Planning for Wise Water Management

Tours of Best Practices at the Arboretum -
• Water Systems
• Raingardens
• Green Roofs
• Plant Selection

BONUS: Mini Trade Show of Water Quality products and services

Cost for this prgram is $30.00

For registration information or questions call 456-3575

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~tsmathew/cleanstreamregistration.pdf

Wreath Clinic

It is once again time for the Master Gardener wreath making workshop. This year the workshop will be held on Friday, December 7th and Saturday, December 8th from 11:00 – 1:00pm. Class size will be limited each day to 35 participants. Because this class is so popular, pre-registration is required by Friday, November 30th. Materials and assorted greenery for one wreath will be provided. You are asked to bring your own gloves, hand pruners, and any additional decorations you may want to use on your wreath. The cost of the workshop is $15 and will be held at the Haywood County Cooperative Extension office at 589 Raccoon Road in Waynesville.

For more information or to register please call 456-3575

Pumpkin Tour

Have you dreamed of the GREAT PUMPKIN or are you interested in that cute little pumpkin or gourd that just makes you feel good when you experience the brilliant colors and crisp cool nights of autumn? The autumn season is finally here after a long HOT summer? If this is the case, here is an opportunity for you. Planted in the scenic setting of the Appalachian mountains, there is about an acre planting with over 30 different varieties of pumpkins and gourds to see and enjoy. Scientists from NC State University, University of Tennessee and University of Georgia will be taking photos, weights (those giant pumpkins present quite the challenge) and notes to find those fruits that might just tickle your fancy and provide some additional revenue options for commercial growers. If you would like to come and see, feel and touch, please join in as we walk through the various pumpkin and gourd types on Friday, October 12, 2 pm at the Mountain Research Station, Waynesville. This is an excellent opportunity for agents and their growers, or the interested consumer. The location of the pumpkins on the Mountain Research Station is off Raccoon Rd across from the Haywood County Extension Center. More detailed directions are given below. For more information, please contact the Mountain Research Station office at 828-456-3943.