NC Extension Gardener

Can you select plants for your garden that will attract beneficial insects, like lacewings and ladybugs? Yes! Researchers have identified several plant species that attract the beneficial predators that you want to keep your vegetable garden (and other plants) protected from pests. It’s natural pest control. Search “beneficial insects” on the Plant Toolbox to get this list https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/find_a_plant/?tag=beneficial-insects

Each year, more than 4,000 NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteers make a meaningful difference in communities across North Carolina through educational outreach and community service with N.C. Cooperative Extension.

Our volunteers’ passion for plants, people and sharing research-based gardening guidance helps North Carolinians learn, grow and thrive.

Learn how you can join, support and connect with Master Gardener volunteers locally: emgv.ces.ncsu.edu/learn-grown-share

Are you looking for a great native plant for our hummingbirds? Look no further than the cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis). This is an exceptional plant for the hummers, especially if you have a pond margin or other damp site. Find out more about cardinal flower on the Plant Toolbox: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lobelia-cardinalis/

It’s ! This week (and every week!), we celebrate and appreciate our NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteers. A passion for nurturing healthy plants, people and community unites us in a collective mission to make a lasting difference with the NC Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
Thank you, Master Gardener volunteers, for sharing your expertise, time, talent and love of gardening to help others grow!
Learn how you can join, support and connect with Master Gardener volunteers in your community: emgv.ces.ncsu.edu/learn-grown-share

Short on arable ground on which to make a pollinator garden? No problem! You can grow plants that support pollinators in containers. Use the Plant Toolbox to find container plants that attract pollinators. Use Find A Plant and select the filters Landscape Location=Containers, Attracts=Pollinators, Problems to Exclude=Invasive Species. Or you can use the NC Native Pollinator Plants Quick List and filter it with Landscape Location=Containers
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/find_a_plant/?landscape_location__id=2&attracts__id=1&problems__id=4

If you’re in the mountains where winters are reliably cold, you can grow common lilacs. They do poorly in warm areas, but thrive where they get a good chill. 🥶 Their richly fragrant flowers will attract moths, like this hummingbird hawkmoth. Learn more about the common lilac on the Plant Toolbox: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/syringa-vulgaris/

Crab spiders hide in flowers and ambush visiting pollinators, but don’t be alarmed. Crab spiders and other predators are an integral part of a healthy garden ecosystem.
Learn more about crab spiders here: https://moore.ces.ncsu.edu/2021/05/crabspiders/

Hummingbirds will be returning soon. What do you have in your pollinator garden for them? Here’s one option that’s sure to please: our native columbine (Aquilegia canadensis). It’s a hummingbird favorite. Learn more about columbine on the Plant Toolbox: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/aquilegia-canadensis/

Common groundnut is a native, herbaceous perennial climber in the bean family. It’s not often seen in gardens, but if you have a moist site that can accommodate a vigorous climber, consider this plant. You can grow it for the flowers (and attract hoverflies, like this one) or for the edible tubers. Learn more about common groundnut (Apios americana) on the Plant Toolbox: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/apios-americana/

Consider putting some zinnias in your pollinator garden. The semi-double kinds are best for pollinators, and they couldn’t be easier to grow. Zinnias are a favorite of skippers. Skippers look different from most butterflies–almost mothlike–but they are welcome garden visitors. Like other Lepidoptera, their larvae are important food for songbirds. Find out more about growing zinnias on the Plant Toolbox https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/zinnia/

Seed catalogs are both inspirational and aspirational. They are the stuff of gardeners’ dreams. Do you ever wonder what fired the dreams of gardeners more than a century ago? You can explore digitized seed catalogs from bygone eras thanks to our friends at the Biodiversity Heritage Library. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/subject/Trade+catalogs #/titles

Plan on welcoming wasps to your pollinator garden. They are natural predators of many garden pests and are an integral part of a healthy garden ecosystem. And yes, many of them are pollinators. They like a sip of nectar and inadvertently move pollen around. This wasp is visiting a Goldenrod (Solidago sp.). Learn more about goldenrod on the Plant Toolbox: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/solidago/