Durham Garden Forum

09/05/2026

A virtual book talk with Noah Whiteman
Tuesday, September 15, 7-8:30 p.m.
Based on cutting-edge science in the fields of evolution, chemistry, and neuroscience, Most Delicious Poison reveals the origins of toxins produced by plants, mushrooms, microbes, and even some animals, the mechanisms that animals evolved to overcome them, and how a co-evolutionary arms race made its way into the human experience. This perpetual chemical war not only drove the diversification of life on Earth, but is also intimately tied to our own successes and failures. You will never look at a houseplant, mushroom, fruit, vegetable, or even the last 500 years of human history, the same way again. Scan the QR code below to register.

09/05/2026

𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲
𝟒𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐋𝐨𝐮𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐃𝐫, 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐲, 𝐍𝐂 𝟐𝟕𝟓𝟏𝟗
𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟔 𝐚𝐭 𝟐 𝐩.𝐦.

Life's transitions, from the demands of working and raising children to the physical limitations that come with aging, can impact your ability to enjoy gardening.

The 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬 are here to help with solutions to make gardening easier, more effective, and adaptive through all life changes. Discover essential garden basics, body preparation tips, and suitable tools, empowering you to find what fits your needs.

Learn how to keep your green thumb active and enjoy gardening no matter what phase of life you're in. Registration requested. Link in comment below.

𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:

NorthEast Regional Library, Saturday, September 12 at 2pm
Cary Regional Library, Sunday, September 20 at 2 p.m.
Southeast Regional Library, Sunday, September 27 at 2pm
East Regional Library, Sunday, October 4 at 2pm
Eva Perry Regional Library, Saturday, October 10 at 10am

Photo credit: wake.gov/events

09/05/2026

If you were going to have a children’s garden, be sure to include this one as surely kids would get a giggle to have a plant called elephant’s foot (Elephantopus tomentosus). Broad, flat leaves on the ground is what gave rise to this name, no doubt. Flowering in sunny to part-shade areas now, this member of the Asteraceae family is a good example of “disk only” flowers (no showy ray flowers like sunflowers, for example). At only 6-15 inches tall, keep your eyes on the ground to find yourself an elephant’s foot.

09/02/2026

Are you seeing these strange webs forming in your trees? Nope, those aren’t spiders, they are actually Fall Webworms. These native pests come back year after year and can be quite destructive. They can pop up on over 100 different tree species and can become prolific in an area. Should you wish to get rid of them, remove the limb from the tree, or poke the nest. This can allow parasitoid wasp species and birds to get inside the nest and eat the larvae. For more information, check out https://entomology.ces.ncsu.edu/news/fall-webworms-native-pest/

09/01/2026

Cool research. https://www.facebook.com/share/1FxRz1AcSr/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have found that the color of a crop net matters more than most farmers realized, and the discovery could meaningfully reduce pesticide use on vegetable farms across Japan.

The study tested red insect nets against conventional white and black nets on fields of Kujo leeks, a traditional Japanese variety of Welsh onion. The target pest was the onion thrips, a tiny but destructive insect that causes significant crop losses and typically requires repeated insecticide applications to control.

The results were clear. Red nets significantly outperformed white and black alternatives at deterring thrips, with the color itself appearing to act as a visual deterrent that discourages the insects from entering the protected area in the first place.

The practical benefit extends beyond just pest deterrence. Because the color is doing part of the work, farmers can use nets with larger mesh openings than they would otherwise need. Larger openings mean better airflow through the crop, more sunlight reaching the plants, and lower risk of heat stress and humidity buildup that finer mesh nets can create.

Field trials found that the red net approach could reduce insecticide applications by between 25 and 50 percent compared to conventional methods, a significant reduction with direct benefits for soil health, pollinating insects, farm costs, and the health of farm workers handling the chemicals.

The research adds to a growing body of work exploring how simple, low-tech modifications to existing farming practices can reduce chemical dependency without sacrificing yield.

09/01/2026

No volcanos

09/01/2026

Feed all life stages

09/01/2026

Taste with your feet!

How Do Specialist Insects Find Their Host Plants?

Ever wonder how a monarch butterfly knows to lay her eggs only on milkweed, or how a tiny leaf beetle zeroes in on the exact wildflower it depends on?

Specialist insects are picky for a reason. Their survival depends on a very specific plant (or plant family)! To “find” it, they rely on a mix of powerful senses:

~ Smell: Many specialists can detect the unique chemical scent of their host plants, even in tiny amounts carried on the breeze.
~ Sight: Shape, color, and even the way leaves reflect light help insects recognize the right plant from others nearby.
~ Taste (yes, taste!): Some insects “taste” with their feet or antennae. A butterfly might drum her feet on a leaf to test if it’s the right plant before laying eggs.

💚 And it’s not just butterflies, moths, and beetles… Many native bees are specialists too! Some will only collect pollen from one genus or family of plants. For example, the southeastern blueberry bee depends on blueberry blossoms, while Macropius species bees depend on the floral oils created by Whorled Loosestrife and related plants. Their entire life cycle is tied to those plants .... if the host disappears, so does the bee!

❓Why it matters: This tight bond means specialists are vulnerable. If their host plants decline, so do they. But it also means that by planting natives, you’re literally putting out a welcome mat for these amazing creatures.

09/01/2026

Oaks host the most insects

Most North Carolina homeowners plant a shade tree for the shade and never think past it. But one native oak, matched to the right spot in your yard, does something the flashy nursery trees can't touch: it feeds the caterpillars your songbirds' chicks depend on and keeps paying off for generations. The catch is which oak belongs where you're standing.