Hundreds attend JC Raulston Arboretum Summerfest
Dr. David Tarpy (in screened gazebo) offers a beekeeping lesson.
Photo by Terri Leith
JC Raulston Arboretum's 30th anniversary celebration, which kicked off in May at the facility's annual Gala in the Garden, continued into balmy late June with the Arboretum Summerfest.
There, an estimated 450 attendees took the opportunity to spend a Saturday touring N.C. State University's arboretum and learning about new garden plants, soil preparation, plant diseases, beekeeping, home landscape irrigation and landscape design. These were among the topics presented by Speakers in the Garden - including College of Agriculture and Life Sciences faculty members, Master Gardeners and other professionals - who spoke from strategic areas in the arboretum's grounds and gardens.
JCRA director Dennis J. Werner led tour groups along the arb's 300-foot
Perennial Border for a vivid show-and-tell about the herbaceous perennials, small shrubs, grasses and bulbs that provide year-round color and texture to yards and gardens.
Other garden area speakers included JCRA's Frankie Fanelli (summer bulbs), Jonathan Nyberg and Rebecca Wellborn of Meadowsweet Gardens (ground covers) and Bob Davis of Blue Moon Garden Design (water gardening). From the CALS Department of Horticultural Science were speakers Dr. Bill Fonteno (soil management and understanding fertilizers) and Dr. Helen Kraus (home landscape irrigation). Dr. Rich Cooper of the Department of Crop Science explained turf choices for the home landscape. And a demonstration of beekeeping basics by Dr. David Tarpy, Department of Entomology, was a particular crowd-pleaser.
Also throughout the day, guests could attend presentations in the Ruby C. McSwain Education Center. Among the keynote speakers there were Dr. Bryce Lane, CALS horticultural science undergraduate coordinator and host of TV's "In the Garden with Bryce Lane"; Dr. Carl Matyac, Cooperative Extension in Wake County; Dr. Chris Moorman, N.C. State Extension wildlife specialist; and landscape designers Suzanne Edney and Harriett Bellerjeau.
"The guests enjoyed the opportunity to interact with so many NCSU faculty from various departments and with other professionals from the private sector," said Werner. "This is the first time we've held this event, and the response was very positive. Many of the Summerfest attendees told me that they had not visited the arboretum in many years or that they had never been to the arboretum before. Many said to me, 'This is a great event.'"
Guests commented favorably about the diversity and quality of the educational programs, as well as the appearance of the arboretum, he said. "One of the goals of the JCRA 30th anniversary events is to make the public more aware of the JCRA and its educational programs. Our Summerfest was successful in helping us accomplish that goal. We look forward to partnering with Extension in Wake County to host this event in 2007."
The arboretum's 30th anniversary celebration culminated in September with the three-day symposium, "Plan - and Plant for a Better World."
- Terri Leith
There, an estimated 450 attendees took the opportunity to spend a Saturday touring N.C. State University's arboretum and learning about new garden plants, soil preparation, plant diseases, beekeeping, home landscape irrigation and landscape design. These were among the topics presented by Speakers in the Garden - including College of Agriculture and Life Sciences faculty members, Master Gardeners and other professionals - who spoke from strategic areas in the arboretum's grounds and gardens.
JCRA director Dennis Werner conducts a tour of the arb's Perennial Border.
Photos by Terri Leith
Photos by Terri Leith
Perennial Border for a vivid show-and-tell about the herbaceous perennials, small shrubs, grasses and bulbs that provide year-round color and texture to yards and gardens.
Other garden area speakers included JCRA's Frankie Fanelli (summer bulbs), Jonathan Nyberg and Rebecca Wellborn of Meadowsweet Gardens (ground covers) and Bob Davis of Blue Moon Garden Design (water gardening). From the CALS Department of Horticultural Science were speakers Dr. Bill Fonteno (soil management and understanding fertilizers) and Dr. Helen Kraus (home landscape irrigation). Dr. Rich Cooper of the Department of Crop Science explained turf choices for the home landscape. And a demonstration of beekeeping basics by Dr. David Tarpy, Department of Entomology, was a particular crowd-pleaser.
Also throughout the day, guests could attend presentations in the Ruby C. McSwain Education Center. Among the keynote speakers there were Dr. Bryce Lane, CALS horticultural science undergraduate coordinator and host of TV's "In the Garden with Bryce Lane"; Dr. Carl Matyac, Cooperative Extension in Wake County; Dr. Chris Moorman, N.C. State Extension wildlife specialist; and landscape designers Suzanne Edney and Harriett Bellerjeau.
"The guests enjoyed the opportunity to interact with so many NCSU faculty from various departments and with other professionals from the private sector," said Werner. "This is the first time we've held this event, and the response was very positive. Many of the Summerfest attendees told me that they had not visited the arboretum in many years or that they had never been to the arboretum before. Many said to me, 'This is a great event.'"
Guests commented favorably about the diversity and quality of the educational programs, as well as the appearance of the arboretum, he said. "One of the goals of the JCRA 30th anniversary events is to make the public more aware of the JCRA and its educational programs. Our Summerfest was successful in helping us accomplish that goal. We look forward to partnering with Extension in Wake County to host this event in 2007."
The arboretum's 30th anniversary celebration culminated in September with the three-day symposium, "Plan - and Plant for a Better World."
- Terri Leith