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Last week, we took a trip down to Lake City, SC, population 7,000. Hidden in this small town is a 600 acre plot of repurposed farm land known as Moore Farms. What was once fields of corn, sorghum, and wheat, now holds a bog garden, beautiful flowers, and a handful of fish-filled ponds. We received a tour of the garden our first night there, spent the second day planting moss in the bog (shown below), and before departing got to meet Pearl Fryar, a topiary legend. Take a look!

Moore Farms Adventure Last week, we took a trip down to Lake City, SC, population 7,000. Hidden in this small town is a 600 acre plot of repurposed farm land known as Moore Farms.

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These photos depict what was probably the most difficult part of the yurt construction, aside for my inability to put screws in straight (Justin can attest to this).

The yurt roof was a light insulation layer, followed by a 400lb weather-proof canvas. While Justin and Patrick stood on the scaffolding inside the yurt, holding the canvas; Lizzi and I stood on ladders pulling he heavy tarp around the entire circumference of the yurt.

We worked up quite a sweat in the cool of the morning, but were nicely rewarded with tremendous satisfaction and bacon, after the fact.

After the roof is on…we go to breakfast These photos depict what was probably the most difficult part of the yurt construction, aside for my inability to put screws in straight (Justin can attest to this).

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Secrets of the Arboretum

If you hang around NC State’s campus frequently, especially in the Horticulture department, you may have spotted some flyers for “Black Coffee Walks” at the JCRA.  If not, don’t worry, I am about to share our magical Thursday mornings with you all.  Although our days as interns at the arboretum are filled with sweat, dirt, and sometimes cleaning out frog infested ponds; our Thursday mornings are…

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The butterfly garden had become a little out of control and was not the easiest place to navigate through with the tons of Chasmanthium obscuring the walkway.

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Monday the Trachycarpus near the Rose Garden got a much needed pruning. Come find your own tree of paradise in the gardens today...

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Monday the Trachycarpus near the Rose Garden got a much needed pruning. Come find your own tree of paradise in the gardens today...

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Test post

Hello everyone

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Recover

Hello

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Getting to know the Arboretum

If you don’t spend every day here or volunteer on a weekly basis, you probably don’t see much of what goes on behind the scenes at the arboretum.  Interning this summer has given me, and the other interns, the incredible opportunity to see this behind scenes. Day to day, we are mulching, weeding, planting, propogating, and learning about the wide variety of plants the arboretum has to offer NC…

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Summer 2016 Student Interns

A big shout out to JC Raulston Arboretum's 2016 Summer Student Interns!

Sending a big shout-out to JC Raulston Arboretum’s 2016 Summer Interns! Back row: Kamen Dedmon (left) and Patrick Hamilton (right); Front row: Zoe Carmon-Rogers (left), Maddie Ciszewski ( middle), Tori Parker (right)  

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Plant of the Day - Sassafras tzumu, Chinese Sassafras

Plant of the Day – Sassafras tzumu, Chinese Sassafras

One of our most loved eastern North American trees is the sassafras (Sassafras albidum).  Much less well known is its Chinese counterpart, Sassafras tzumu.  Growing across much of southern China, it makes a tall tree to over 100′ tall in open woodlands and forest edges.  In cultivation it typically is more of a medium sized tree, growing to 35′-60′ in 20 years.  When grown in the open, it has a…

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JC Raulston Arboretum Featured on UNC TV's Almanac Gardener

JC Raulston Arboretum Featured on UNC TV’s Almanac Gardener

Check out the video on UNC TV’s home page to hear about some great summer plants.   Visit us at jcra.ncsu.edu for all of the many happenings at the JC Raulston Arboretum!  

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April Fool's Botanical Quiz

April Fool’s Botanical Quiz

No fooling, this quiz will leave even the best botanists stumped!  Check out this annual quiz from the Arnold Arboretum’s Curatorial Assistant, Irina Kadis.  I’m not telling my score!

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Last Chance to Register!

Last Chance to Register!

This is your very last chance to register for one of the very few spots left open for An Evening With The Explorers – Trials and Triumphs of the Plant Hunters this Friday evening, March 6 at the JC Raulston Arboretum!

You’ve procrastinated long enough and now you’re in danger of missing out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rub elbows with some of the leading explorers in this modern…

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Plant Exploration, Citizen Science and More at the JCRA This Winter

Plant Exploration, Citizen Science and More at the JCRA This Winter

I just returned from a fantastic trip to Seattle where I was able to spend time with some of the best of the modern day plant hunters to talk for 3 days about the genus Mahonia.  It may be hard to believe but this is a group of folks who could make a long weekend discussing green plants with yellow flowers fascinating.

The organizer of this “1st Biennial Orphaned Genera Summit” was none other…

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Former JCRA Intern is Heading to Edinburgh!

Former JCRA Intern is Heading to Edinburgh!

We are very excited to announce that Amanda Wilkins, 2011 JC Raulston Arboretum intern and volunteer, has been accepted into the University of Edinburgh’s Master’s program in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Amanda volunteering at a JCRA children’s program event.

She starts her year-long studies in September where she hopes to gain a better understanding…

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Our Favorite Places - Quarryhill Botanical Garden

Our Favorite Places – Quarryhill Botanical Garden

Every garden is different but few public gardens are truly unique.  Quarryhill Botanical Garden is certainly an exception to this rule.  Quarryhill’s goal of “advancing the conservation, study, and cultivation of the flora of Asia,” has led them to create a beautiful garden that displays one of the largest collections of documented wild-collected Asian plants in the world.  The plants are…