Our January 16th meeting was off to a great start with Linda Thorne, the owner of Seagrove Orchids. Linda's long history with The American Orchid Society has earned her the name of "the orchid lady." She has served as an AOS judge, a national assistant trainer, an AOS trustee and has earned 17 cultural awards. Linda brought many gorgeous examples and also shared her secrets for growing thriving orchids that bloom.
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FVGC member, Ted Zettle, was our featured presenter at this month's meeting. As an art teacher and garden enthusiast, Ted discussed various aspects of art and showed interesting examples you could implement to create a more aesthetic garden.
Three years ago, Tami Purdue left a career in law office administration and purchased a CropBox, a retrofitted shipping container. Sweet Peas Urban Gardens produces microgreen and edible flower crops that are sold at farmers markets, CSAs and to more than 70 Raleigh restaurants. Take a few minutes to view her video to learn more about this innovative new method of farming and to hear Tami's story.
https://www.facebook.com/ponytailag/videos/503934130459841?sfns=mo Nelsa Cox, owner of The Garden Hut, was our first presenter for the new year. She shared her background experiences which led to her passion for horticulture. Nelsa also brought new cultivars and explained how the industry continues to grow and stay abreast of gardener demands. The Garden Hut is celebrating their 17th year as a Fuquay-Varina Nursery. They are located at 1004 Honeycutt Road. Check out their website and sign up for their newsletter if you haven't already done so. http://nelsasgardenhut.com/
Craig LeHoullier, developed a passion for gardening as a child but started growing heirloom tomatoes in 1986 while living in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. The author of Epic Tomatoes and Growing Vegetables in Straw Bales, mesmerized us with his history of researching and growing heirloom tomatoes. Craig's collection now includes more than 1,200 tomato varieties and he has introduced more than 100 varieties to the trade. In March our speaker Jennifer Howard informed and delighted us with her presentation on the importance of beekeeping. Jennifer is a small-business marketing designer with a passion for honeybees. She manages 20+ hives across Wake & Chatham Counties and serves as Educational Coordinator for the Wake County Beekeepers Association. Her company, Buck Naked Farm, provides hive tours, workshops, and seriously tasty honey. This month Larry Zoller presented on “Bird Friendly Communities.” Mr. Zoller's lifelong interest in bird watching has taken him to all seven continents! Larry shared the importance of using native plants in our gardens to draw birds to your yard. Currently, Larry serves as The Wake Audubon Educational Outreach Chairperson. These two ladies were lucky enough to win Larry's bird house gifts. The December meeting consisted of a wonderful, holiday potluck, a white elephant gift exchange and an interesting Mistletoe presentation from one of our members. Sandy provided surprising facts about 'the kissing plant', information on where it is grown and how to identify this romantic parasite in North Carolina.
Chris Goforth, NC Museum of Natural Sciences researcher and entomologist, educated us on Devil's Darning Needles, and Mosquito Hawks: The Amazing World of Dragonflies. Dragonflies are a gorgeous addition to our landscape, but they play several important roles in the environment. We learned how dragonflies develop, about their amazing behaviors, and the common local species we see within our area.
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