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Fuquay-Varina Garden Invites You To Join
The Fuquay-Varina Garden Clubs invites everyone interested in learning about gardening to come visit and join our club. We meet the third Thursday of each month from September to May at the Fuquay-Varina Women's Club on Ennis Street in Fuquay-Varina starting at 6 PM with a social gathering featuring sweet treats as shown above. If you are interested in learning more please contact either Curt Lunchick at [email protected] or Larry O'Neal at [email protected]
Learning About JC Raulston
Please join us at our May 21st Garden Club meeting to hear renowned author Bobby Ward discussing his newly released and updated biography of Dr. J. C. Raulston, Chlorophyll in His Veins. The public is invited!
Bobby grew up in northeastern North Carolina and has an undergraduate degree in biology from East Carolina University and graduate degrees in plant physiology from North Carolina State University. He is a retired environmental scientist from Carolina Power & Light Company. Bobby is the author or editor of five gardening books and has written for Horticulture, Carolina Gardener, and The Rock Garden Quarterly magazines, and the Raleigh News & Observer. His book, A Contemplation Upon Flowers: Garden Plants in Myth and Literature, earned the Quill & Trowel Award from the Garden Writers Association of America. Bobby was profiled in Horticulture magazine in 2025 and described as “one of the most respected names in the world of horticulture.” His most recent book is a biography, published by UNC Press, of the late J. C. Raulston, the founder of the North Carolina State University Arboretum. Bobby is here today to speak about Raulston and his impact on American horticulture. physiology from North Carolina State University. He is a retired environmental scientist from Carolina Power & Light Company. Bobby is the author or editor of five gardening books and has written for Horticulture, Carolina Gardener, and The Rock Garden Quarterly magazines, and the Raleigh News & Observer. His book, A Contemplation Upon Flowers: Garden Plants in Myth and Literature, earned the Quill & Trowel Award from the Garden Writers Association of America. Bobby was profiled in Horticulture magazine in 2025 and described as “one of the most respected names in the world of horticulture.” His most recent book is a biography, published by UNC Press, of the late J. C. Raulston, the founder of the North Carolina State University Arboretum.
So who was JC Raulston? He was a horticulturist and Director of the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Arboretum, Dr. James Chester (J.C.) Raulston became well known for growing and distributing plants. In 1976, Raulston worked with his graduate student Fielding Scarborough to develop the NCSU Arboretum and starting with 8 acres of land, the arboretum included woody and ornamental plants. The goal of the arboretum was to "affect the range and variety of plants produced and used in the N.C./ southeastern U.S nursery landscape industry". By 1980, initial membership into the arboretum began and new members were called "Friends of the NCSU Arboretum." Supporting Raulston's initiative to build new infrastructure, maintain the plant collection and purchase new plants, many nursery owners, arboreta, landscapers and horticulturists became members of the arboretum (i.e Sandy Creek Nursery, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Sunbelt Planning Associates, etc.).
Visiting various nurseries and gardens all over the world, Raulston collected plants and seeds and brought them back to the arboretum for trial and allotment purposes. Growing and distributing plants in NCSU Arboretum became so popular, Raulston created NCSU Arboretum Plant Distribution lists and sent it to multiple botanical and research institutions. Over time the NCSU Arboretum became the JC Raulston Arboretum we know and visit today.
The Fuquay-Varina Garden Clubs invites everyone interested in learning about gardening to come visit and join our club. We meet the third Thursday of each month from September to May at the Fuquay-Varina Women's Club on Ennis Street in Fuquay-Varina starting at 6 PM with a social gathering featuring sweet treats as shown above. If you are interested in learning more please contact either Curt Lunchick at [email protected] or Larry O'Neal at [email protected]
Learning About JC Raulston
Please join us at our May 21st Garden Club meeting to hear renowned author Bobby Ward discussing his newly released and updated biography of Dr. J. C. Raulston, Chlorophyll in His Veins. The public is invited!
Bobby grew up in northeastern North Carolina and has an undergraduate degree in biology from East Carolina University and graduate degrees in plant physiology from North Carolina State University. He is a retired environmental scientist from Carolina Power & Light Company. Bobby is the author or editor of five gardening books and has written for Horticulture, Carolina Gardener, and The Rock Garden Quarterly magazines, and the Raleigh News & Observer. His book, A Contemplation Upon Flowers: Garden Plants in Myth and Literature, earned the Quill & Trowel Award from the Garden Writers Association of America. Bobby was profiled in Horticulture magazine in 2025 and described as “one of the most respected names in the world of horticulture.” His most recent book is a biography, published by UNC Press, of the late J. C. Raulston, the founder of the North Carolina State University Arboretum. Bobby is here today to speak about Raulston and his impact on American horticulture. physiology from North Carolina State University. He is a retired environmental scientist from Carolina Power & Light Company. Bobby is the author or editor of five gardening books and has written for Horticulture, Carolina Gardener, and The Rock Garden Quarterly magazines, and the Raleigh News & Observer. His book, A Contemplation Upon Flowers: Garden Plants in Myth and Literature, earned the Quill & Trowel Award from the Garden Writers Association of America. Bobby was profiled in Horticulture magazine in 2025 and described as “one of the most respected names in the world of horticulture.” His most recent book is a biography, published by UNC Press, of the late J. C. Raulston, the founder of the North Carolina State University Arboretum.
So who was JC Raulston? He was a horticulturist and Director of the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Arboretum, Dr. James Chester (J.C.) Raulston became well known for growing and distributing plants. In 1976, Raulston worked with his graduate student Fielding Scarborough to develop the NCSU Arboretum and starting with 8 acres of land, the arboretum included woody and ornamental plants. The goal of the arboretum was to "affect the range and variety of plants produced and used in the N.C./ southeastern U.S nursery landscape industry". By 1980, initial membership into the arboretum began and new members were called "Friends of the NCSU Arboretum." Supporting Raulston's initiative to build new infrastructure, maintain the plant collection and purchase new plants, many nursery owners, arboreta, landscapers and horticulturists became members of the arboretum (i.e Sandy Creek Nursery, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Sunbelt Planning Associates, etc.).
Visiting various nurseries and gardens all over the world, Raulston collected plants and seeds and brought them back to the arboretum for trial and allotment purposes. Growing and distributing plants in NCSU Arboretum became so popular, Raulston created NCSU Arboretum Plant Distribution lists and sent it to multiple botanical and research institutions. Over time the NCSU Arboretum became the JC Raulston Arboretum we know and visit today.
Citrus Grows In North Carolina
Did you know that there are certain varieties of citrus that are sufficiently cold hardy to grow in Fuquay-Varina? One variety that does well here is the Citrumelo ‘Dunstan’ which is a child of contrasts: born of the rugged trifoliate orange (Citrus trifoliate, Poncirus trifoliate, or hardy orange) and the sunlit grapefruit (Citrus paradisi). Out of this unlikely marriage comes a fruit and tree of remarkable merit. Its golden-yellow spheres swell to nearly four inches across, exhaling a fragrance that, when touched with sugar, recalls the tart refreshment of a grapefruit plucked just shy of ripeness. Here is fruit that is both rustic and refined, bred for survival yet still hinting of the orchard’s delicacy.
Garden writers and plant men have called ‘Dunstan’ perhaps the best of the trifoliate hybrids—“the best overall hybrid with 50 percent trifoliate parentage.” It is not only its flavor that earns such praise, but its extraordinary constitution. Where ordinary citrus falter at the first winter frost, the ‘Dunstan’ endures. It is said to be among the hardiest of all citrus, a tree that will hold its ground in southern landscapes where grapefruit and orange could never hope to thrive. For gardeners seeking both sustenance and experiment, here is a treasure: hard to find, but worth the search.
The ‘Dunstan’ grows as a small, handsome tree with glossy, green leaves that unlike the hardy orange remains through the winter. In spring, fragrant white blossoms adorn its branches, whispering of the fruit to come and adding a sweet scent to the air. Come autumn, its yellow globes ripen, offering a harvest that is as much story as sustenance. A second bloom sometimes occurs in early summer yielding another set of fruit that matures in the winter.
This is not a fruit for every table, but for the adventurous grower, the historian of southern gardens, the seeker of hardy citrus, and the lover of heirlooms. In ‘Dunstan’ lies a lesson in survival, resilience, and the unexpected beauty of hybrid vigor. Seeds from this year's crop will be available at our November meeting or you can purchase this tree online.
The meetings will be held on the third Thursday of each month from October to May at the F-V Woman's Club Clubhouse, 602 N. Ennis St.
The meetings start at 6:00 pm, with a social gathering and the presentation starts at 6:30 pm.
We'll then have a business meeting. If you'd like to attend, please email us at [email protected]
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The mission of the Fuquay-Varina Garden Club in North Carolina is to encourage interest in the art of gardening, garden design, flower arranging and horticulture while improving the environment through beautification, protection and conservation. We meet the third Thursday of the month January-May & September-December. General meetings are held at The Fuquay Varina Woman's Club Clubhouse located at 602 N. Ennis Street. The first two meetings are complimentary. Want to know more? Read ABOUT US, contact us at [email protected], &/or Like us on Facebook!
Did you know that there are certain varieties of citrus that are sufficiently cold hardy to grow in Fuquay-Varina? One variety that does well here is the Citrumelo ‘Dunstan’ which is a child of contrasts: born of the rugged trifoliate orange (Citrus trifoliate, Poncirus trifoliate, or hardy orange) and the sunlit grapefruit (Citrus paradisi). Out of this unlikely marriage comes a fruit and tree of remarkable merit. Its golden-yellow spheres swell to nearly four inches across, exhaling a fragrance that, when touched with sugar, recalls the tart refreshment of a grapefruit plucked just shy of ripeness. Here is fruit that is both rustic and refined, bred for survival yet still hinting of the orchard’s delicacy.
Garden writers and plant men have called ‘Dunstan’ perhaps the best of the trifoliate hybrids—“the best overall hybrid with 50 percent trifoliate parentage.” It is not only its flavor that earns such praise, but its extraordinary constitution. Where ordinary citrus falter at the first winter frost, the ‘Dunstan’ endures. It is said to be among the hardiest of all citrus, a tree that will hold its ground in southern landscapes where grapefruit and orange could never hope to thrive. For gardeners seeking both sustenance and experiment, here is a treasure: hard to find, but worth the search.
The ‘Dunstan’ grows as a small, handsome tree with glossy, green leaves that unlike the hardy orange remains through the winter. In spring, fragrant white blossoms adorn its branches, whispering of the fruit to come and adding a sweet scent to the air. Come autumn, its yellow globes ripen, offering a harvest that is as much story as sustenance. A second bloom sometimes occurs in early summer yielding another set of fruit that matures in the winter.
This is not a fruit for every table, but for the adventurous grower, the historian of southern gardens, the seeker of hardy citrus, and the lover of heirlooms. In ‘Dunstan’ lies a lesson in survival, resilience, and the unexpected beauty of hybrid vigor. Seeds from this year's crop will be available at our November meeting or you can purchase this tree online.
The meetings will be held on the third Thursday of each month from October to May at the F-V Woman's Club Clubhouse, 602 N. Ennis St.
The meetings start at 6:00 pm, with a social gathering and the presentation starts at 6:30 pm.
We'll then have a business meeting. If you'd like to attend, please email us at [email protected]
_______________________________________________________________
The mission of the Fuquay-Varina Garden Club in North Carolina is to encourage interest in the art of gardening, garden design, flower arranging and horticulture while improving the environment through beautification, protection and conservation. We meet the third Thursday of the month January-May & September-December. General meetings are held at The Fuquay Varina Woman's Club Clubhouse located at 602 N. Ennis Street. The first two meetings are complimentary. Want to know more? Read ABOUT US, contact us at [email protected], &/or Like us on Facebook!
Are you looking for garden opportunities? Check out Triangle Gardener’s Event Calendar where you will find some free events or a plethora of classes working with an expert for your unique desires.
Do you want an updated "To Do" list as Spring is here? Go to the following link for update from the NCSU Cooperative Extension. https://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/growingsmallfarms-spring-chores-in-the-pollinator-garden/
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Do you like to....
* Grow flowers, plants, and/or vegetables? * Enjoy sharing your gardening experiences? * Don’t know how, but want to learn? * Enjoy guest speakers and field trips? * Want to give back to your community? Join our Garden Club! |
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We have received a number of state awards for our many ongoing projects. In 2021 we received Judy Barnes Scholarship Award" from the GCNC. This is given to the club that gives the most scholarship funds based on a ratio per member.
In 2015 we were warded Most Outstanding Garden Tour - 1st Place Winner by The Garden Club of North Carolina. Our next Garden Tour will take place in May 17-18, 2025.
In 2015 we were warded Most Outstanding Garden Tour - 1st Place Winner by The Garden Club of North Carolina. Our next Garden Tour will take place in May 17-18, 2025.
