NC State Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, Orange County

One of the cutest signs of early summer: awkward yearling deer. 🦌✨

Last year’s fawns are now being kindly kicked out to make room for this year’s babies, which means we get to witness their “learning to adult” era. 🌿👶

You may spot them wandering around with the cutest knock knees, pausing dramatically at every sound, and looking like they are still figuring out how all four legs work. Young bucks may even have the tiniest fuzzy antler nubs starting to appear, which only adds to the charm. 🦌🤎

Some wildlife moments are graceful.

Yearling deer are not those moments, and we love them for it. 😂🌱

The best gardens aren't perfect. They're always changing. 🌿✨

At our Open Garden event, you'll see gardens that have evolved over time as volunteers experimented, observed, learned, and adapted. 🌱

That's one of the biggest lessons gardening teaches us:
Try something.
Observe what happens.
Learn.
Try again. 🌼

Event: Open Garden at the Bonnie B. Davis Environment & Agricultural Center

Date: Saturday, June 20, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

🌿 Native Plant Spotlight: Buttonbush 🌿

Looking for a native shrub that looks almost magical in bloom? Meet buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis).

In early summer, buttonbush produces round, white, pincushion-like flowers that look like little ornaments hanging from the plant. But they’re more than just pretty — these unusual blooms are highly attractive to pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.

Buttonbush is especially useful in spots where many plants struggle. It naturally grows in wet areas and can be a great choice for:

💧 Rain gardens
🌧️ Low or damp areas
🌿 Pond or stream edges
☀️ Sunny to partly sunny spaces
🦋 Wildlife gardens

After flowering, buttonbush forms seed heads that can provide food for birds and other wildlife. Its dense growth can also offer cover for wildlife.

A few things to know before planting: buttonbush can grow into a large shrub, often 6–12 feet tall and wide, so give it room. It prefers moist to wet soil and does best in sun to part shade.

If you have a soggy spot in the yard, buttonbush might be the beautiful native shrub you’ve been looking for.

💧 Your garden called. It’s in drought triage. 🌱🚨

This is not a “skip watering for a few days” kind of dry. Most of Orange County is now in the most intense drought category, with the rest close behind. Our January–May rainfall was the lowest recorded here in 132 years.

That means this drought is bigger than brown lawns and crispy plants. One of our Master Gardener volunteers recently had well issues, along with many neighbors, as drought conditions lowered the water table. Their neighborhood chose voluntary water restrictions to help everyone weather this drought with fewer human impacts.

So what do we water when we can’t water everything?

Think of it like plant triage: help the plants that need attention most first.

🚨 Highest priority: food plants your household relies on
🚨 Dry-fast plants: containers, hanging baskets, and raised beds
🚨 New plantings: trees, shrubs, perennials, and natives still getting established
🚨 Stressed woody plants: trees and shrubs with wilting, curled leaves, or brown leaf edges
🟡 Lower priority: established lawns, which may go dormant during drought

Water smarter:

🌅 Water early in the morning
🎯 Aim for the soil, not leaves, driveways, or sidewalks
🌿 Mulch 2–3 inches deep, but keep it away from trunks and stems
🚿 Use drip irrigation when possible
🧠 Check the soil before watering
💚 Pick one small area that brings you joy and focus your care there

A smart drought garden is not perfect. It is practical, with community at heart. We share resources, and reducing water use is caring.

Some plants may not make it, and some you may choose to let go this season. That is hard, but gardens are resilient. Over time, they can bounce back. Sometimes an empty spot becomes an invitation to try a plant that fits the space even better.

Water wisely. Care deeply. Garden practically. 💧🌿

Drought photo by Marlin E. Rice, courtesy of North Carolina State Climate Office.

Discover Orange County’s Living Garden Classrooms

Did you know Orange County has a collection of demonstration gardens that are open to the public?

Demonstration gardens are living classrooms — places where Master Gardener volunteers grow, test, and showcase plants and gardening practices that work well in our area. They’re designed to inspire home gardeners and offer practical ideas you can use in your own yard, patio, or community space.

Join us for our Open Garden event and explore gardens filled with native plants, pollinator favorites, edible crops, meadow plantings, slope gardening ideas, container gardens, and more.

Master Gardener volunteers will be stationed throughout the gardens to answer questions, share what they’ve learned, and help you find ideas for your own garden.

And yes — there will be free hot dogs and drinks!

📅 Saturday, June 20
⏰ 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
📍 Bonnie B. Davis Environment & Agricultural Center, Hillsborough

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just getting started, we’d love to welcome you.

Come discover one of Orange County’s best-kept gardening secrets.

Looking for a relaxing local weekend outing? 💜🌿

Master Gardener volunteers will be at Sunshine Lavender Farm’s June Bloom Fest this weekend, Saturday 6/13 and Sunday 6/14. Stop by, say hello, and bring your gardening questions! 🌱

This is such a fun early-summer event, with music, local food, lavender refreshments, and plenty of ways to slow down and enjoy the weekend. The lavender lemonade is always a favorite. 🍋💜

You can also explore the lavender gift shop, enjoy creative activities, and soak up a little garden inspiration while you’re there.

Come connect, create, chill, and celebrate local blooms with us! 🌸✨

Event info: sunshinelavenderfarm.yapsody.com

✨ Help Fireflies Thrive ✨

Want more fireflies in your yard next summer?

The secret isn't buying something new—it's protecting the habitat they already need.

Most people only notice fireflies when they're flashing on warm summer evenings. But those glowing adults are just the final stage of a lifecycle that spends up to two years hidden in soil, leaf litter, and low vegetation.

In fact, fireflies spend about 95% of their lives on or near the ground.

Here are a few simple ways to help:

🌿 Leave some leaf litter in garden beds

🌿 Reduce pesticide use whenever possible

🌿 Plant native grasses, flowers, and shrubs

🌿 Leave a small area a little wild

🌿 Protect moist soil and woodland edges

🌿 Turn off unnecessary outdoor lights at night

Artificial light can interfere with the flash signals fireflies use to find mates, making it harder for future generations to thrive.

A perfectly tidy landscape may look neat, but a slightly wilder one often supports far more life.

This summer, try turning off the porch lights for an hour after sunset and enjoy one of nature's most magical displays.

Learn more about firefly conservation at firefly.org.

Don’t deadhead yet — save those columbine seeds!

If you have columbine in your garden, now is a great time to watch for seed pods.
After the flowers fade, columbine forms upright pods that look a little like tiny green fingers. As they mature, the pods turn brown and begin to open at the top. That’s your sign the seeds are ready.

To collect them, hold a paper envelope or small paper bag under the dried pods and gently shake or tap the seed head. The small, shiny black seeds will fall out when they are mature.
You can scatter the seeds right away where you’d like more columbine, or save them in a labeled paper envelope for fall or winter sowing. Columbine often reseeds readily, making it one of the easiest native plants to share, spread, and enjoy year after year.

A few tips:
Let the seed pods dry on the plant before collecting. Store seeds in paper, not plastic. And don’t be surprised if new seedlings look a little different from the parent plant — that’s part of the fun.

Saving columbine seeds is a simple way to grow your garden, support pollinators, and enjoy more spring blooms without spending a dime.

Deer + drought have been tough on Orange County gardens this year. When conditions are stressful, it helps to choose plants that can take a little abuse once established.

Here are three strong choices for sunny gardens:

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
A tough native milkweed with bright orange blooms, deep roots, and excellent drought tolerance once established. It is also a host plant for monarch butterflies and is usually passed over by deer.

Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum spp.)
One of the best pollinator plants you can add to a garden. Its fragrant foliage helps make it less appealing to deer, and it handles dry spells better than many garden perennials once settled in.

Meadow Sage (Salvia spp.)
A long-blooming, tough perennial with purple-blue flower spikes that pollinators love. Its aromatic foliage makes it a good choice for gardens where deer pressure is high.

A reminder: resilient does not mean deer-proof or no-water-needed. New plants still need regular watering while they get established, and very hungry deer may sample almost anything. But choosing tough, drought-tolerant, deer-resistant plants gives your garden a better chance in a difficult season.