Home and Garden Show

On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • The Vance Warren Beekeepers Association meeting will be on Monday April 14, 2025 at 7pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • Soil samples are now free as of April 1st.
  • Start spraying fruit trees as soon as blossoms fall.
  • Refrain from tilling garden soil if it’s wet.
  • Use row markers to identify what is planted in each row of your garden.
  • Reread owners manual of all power equipment.
  • You can plant spinach, irish potatoes, mustard, beets, kale, lettuce, carrots, peas, onions, radish. Get your copy of central piedmont planting guide.
  • Provide ventilation for plants in the greenhouse and cold frame.
  • Remember to wear Personal Protective Equipment when doing all garden chores.
  • Start checking your lawn care equipment.
  • Check areas for mice. Greenhouse, storage, and shed.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.      

The Vance County Cooperative Extension is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

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Home and Garden Show

The Vance County Cooperative Extension is hosting a community event on the eve of Opening Day of the Vance County Regional Farmers Market – perfect timing to learn more about how what we eat and how we move affects our overall health and wellness.

The Food Farmacy, as it’s called, will take place at the farmers market on Friday, May 2 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

It’s a time for the community to come together to learn how food choices and physical activity can have a positive impact on health while addressing some health-related challenges facing the community.

Event organize and community developer Tyler Chisholm joined County Extension Director Dr. Wykia Macon and Extension Agent Michael Ellington on Wednesday’s edition of The Home and Garden Show.

Chisholm said a similar event held in downtown Henderson in 2022 was well received and he’s looking to build on that success at the upcoming event.

Vance County has higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and obesity, Chisholm said, and a goal of The Food Farmacy is to promote broad access to food and also to spotlight exercise and physical activity as important components to overall wellness.

Chisholm said there will be many opportunities for education from a variety of vendors who plan to attend the event, but he also is confident participants will enjoy themselves, too.

Macon agrees. “It’s a time to hang out at the farmers market – time to talk to people about health and wellness,” she said.

Extension staff and others are working to reimagine the farmers market campus as a way to bring more foot traffic to the facility, now in its 10th year of operation.

It can be a gathering spot for the community, she said, whether it’s visiting the memorial garden filled with native pollinator plants to health and wellness fairs, the farmers market can be “that” place in the community for a variety of events.

And just like gardening, the idea is to start small and grow over time, Ellington said. Sustainability is key, Macon said, so sponsorships are being accepted for the new community garden being installed now.

The garden is taking shape, said Macon. With funds from Triangle North Healthcare Foundation, plans are underway to construct a couple of garden plots that individuals or groups can rent for the year to plant, cultivate and harvest their own vegetables. There are a couple of volunteer work days coming up, too, if you’d like to help.

Visit https://go.ncsu.edu/vcrfmgarden to learn more and sign up.

But the community garden is the first step, she said.

There’s room to grow, she said – literally. The future could bring a walking trail or a food forest, hydroponics or aquaponics, and more.

Supporters want the farmers market to be “a place that people want to come to,” Macon said, “definitely for the market, but not just for the market.

Visions for the farmers market will help to create a brighter future for a healthier Vance County.

 

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Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market

Home and Garden Show: VCRFM Gardens

The beautiful memorial garden that greets visitors as they drive into the parking area at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market once was a triangular plot of grass.

Eileen Novak, president of the Vance Warren Master Gardeners said it not only serves to beautify the farmers market campus, but it also is a place for gardeners of all sorts to get ideas about what may grow in their own home landscapes.

Novak and N.C. Cooperative Extension Agent Michael Ellington talked about the existing garden and another that is under construction at the farmers market on Wednesday’s Home and Garden Show.

“We started with a plan,” Novak explained. “And we have kept to that plan…we started it bit by bit,” she said. Over time, the garden’s focus has narrowed to native plants that support pollinators.

“We’ve got a huge variety of plants that will feed the insects in most of the seasons,” she said.

The garden has even contributed to an N.C. State University study to provide information about overwintering insects.

The garden requires regular maintenance and care, and you’ll find a core group of Master Gardeners most Fridays – when the weather allows – weeding, pruning, dividing and generally caring for a garden space for the whole community to enjoy.

One of the perks of gardening is sharing plants with friends, so when bulbs need dividing or bushes need thinning, Novak said the “extra” plants can help improve the environment in other places as well as the market garden.

Ellington said he takes calls from people who have visited the farmers market and are interested in achieving the same look as the memorial garden.

“They want that look at home, but they want easy plants that they don’t have to maintain,” he said.

That’s where native selections are perfect fits, Novak said. “Natives grew up here, they are familiar with the soil, familiar with the environment, the weather,” she said. “Rose bushes are finicky because they’re not natives.”

Novak said members of the Master Gardeners are regularly stationed at the farmers market to answer questions from the public.

“We’re like librarians,” she said. “We don’t know everything, but we know where to look for the answers.” They can help make suggestions, provide information about native plants and how to support pollinators in their own yards and landscapes.

One piece of advice Novak offers to novice gardeners: Start small.

A 4 x 8 foot garden is a perfect size to get started, she said. And that just happens to be the size of the raised beds that will be part of a community garden that is being installed at the farmers market.

Ellington said the raised beds will be rented out for $40 each during the growing season and it’s the perfect way for people who either don’t have space for a garden or who want to get a little extra support from experienced gardeners and from Extension agents.

There are upcoming workdays to come out to help with the garden installation – come out to volunteer on Mar. 21, Mar. 29 or Apr. 11.

Can’t volunteer? No problem. Plans are in the works to offer sponsorship opportunities as well, Ellington said.

If all goes according to plan, the community garden will be ready just about the time the market opens for the season on Saturday, May 3.

By that time, said Novak, gardeners can plant lettuce slips and tomato slips, as well as beet seeds and carrot seeds.

Learn more at the following sites:

Community Garden Volunteer Form (March 21st, 29th, April 11th)

https://go.ncsu.edu/vcrfmgarden

Planting: A Spring Vegetable Planting Guide (March 31st)

http://go.ncsu.edu/vancespringgarden

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Home and Garden Show

On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • The Growing The Spring Vegetable Garden Event will be on Monday March 31, 2025 at 6:30pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • Resist the temptation to plant tall fescue.
  • Prune as soon as possible.
  • Order your bees for pollination ASAP
  • Apply crabgrass preventer to lawns
  • Reread owners manual of all power equipment
  • You can plant spinach, irish potatoes, mustard, beets, kale, lettuce, carrots, peas, onions, and radishes. Get your copy of central piedmont planting guide.
  • Provide ventilation for plants in greenhouse and cold farame
  • Remember to wear PPE equipment when doing all garden chores.
  • Start checking your lawn care equipment
  • Check areas for mice. Greenhouse storage shed.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

Click Play!

Home and Garden Show

On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • The Vance Warren Beekeepers Association meeting will be on Monday March 10, 2025 at 7pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • The Growing The Spring Vegetable Garden Event will be on Monday March 31, 2025 at 6:30pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • Pruning season is here! Cooperative Extension has pruning publications that will show how to correctly prune fruit trees and grape vines.
  • Get your copy of the central Piedmont planting guide for vegetables that can be planted in each month.
  • Fertilize your fescue lawn if you haven’t already ASAP.
  • Apply crabgrass preventer to lawns.
  • Make sure fruit tree varieties grow well in zone 7 before ordering that variety.
  • Cleanup flower beds, then apply weed preventer and new mulch.
  • Don’t top crepe myrtles unless necessary for size control.
  • Remember to wear PPE equipment when doing all garden chores.
  • Start checking your lawn care equipment.
  • Check areas for mice. Greenhouse storage shed.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.      

The Vance County Cooperative Extension is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

Click Play!

Home And Garden Show

On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • The Granville-Vance-Warren Beginner Beekeepers School will have their next session on Saturday, March 1st, at 9:00am at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • The Vance-Warren Beekeepers Association will have their March meeting on Monday, March 10th, starting at 7:00pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • Pruning season is fast approaching. You need to got through and check on your pruning equipment.
  • At this time, you can prepare all of your garden hand tools. Sharpen those hand tools. If you have wooden handles, sand those handles with a sander and smooth them out.
  • Now is the time to also prepare your seed trays. Clean them out, so they will be clean to put new seeds and soil in them.
  • Take a picture of each piece of equipment that you have on hand.
  • You still have time to plant your trees and shrubs. Anytime that the soil is workable.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

Click Play!

Home And Garden Show

On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • The Granville-Vance-Warren Beginner Beekeepers School will have their next session on Saturday, February 15th at 9:00am at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • If you have ordered your seeds, organize your seeds according to when are going to plant them.
  • Install a good thermometer for your cold frames or greenhouses. Check the temperatures of your cold frames or greenhouses if you use them. Especially if it’s 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • It is not too early to start scouting lawns for cool-season weeds.
  • This time in February, you can still continue planting trees and shrubs. Anytime that the soil is workable.
  • We are getting into seed-starting season, especially in our greenhouse or even our home. If you don’t have a good seed-starting bench, now is a good time to make one. If you have any questions about making a seed-starting bench, stop by the Vance County Cooperative Extension.
  • You need to make sure that you have a good light source for your seeds this gardening season.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

Click Play!

Home And Garden Show

On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • The Vance-Warren County Beekeepers Association will have their February meeting on Monday, February 10th at 7pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • The Granville-Vance-Warren Beginner Beekeepers School will have their next session on Saturday, February 15th at 9:00am at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • Check the temperatures of your cold frames or greenhouses if you use them. Especially if it’s 70 degrees fahrenheit.
  • Now is a good time to measure your lawn. This way you will know how much fertilizer to purchase.
  • It is not too early to start scouting lawns for cool-season weeds.
  • This time in February, you can still continue planting trees and shrubs.
  • Before purchasing Apple and Peach Trees, do your research. Some of the varieties that you may see in the seed catalogs, some of them may not grow well here in Piedmont North Carolina.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

Click Play!

Home and Garden Show

On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • The Granville-Vance-Warren Beginner Beekeepers School will be Saturday, February 1st at 9:00am at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
  • Now is a good time to take your gardening equipment out and see if they work. Especially since it is getting warmer. 
  • You need to start planting for your spring garden. When planting, think about the problems that you encountered in  your last planting season.
  • With February approaching, you need to get ready to prune your fruit trees.
  • This is a good time to purchase your seed starting mix. Avoid using garden soil, for best results.
  • Now is the time to clean your planting trays.
  • You still have to continue planting trees and shrubs.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

Click Play!

Home and Garden Show

On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • You need to start planting for your spring garden. When planting, think about the problems that you encountered in your last planting season.
  • Now is an excellent time to plan your 2025 Garden out on paper. Include your Gardening Goals for this year.
  • January is inventory month. Do you have enough seeds, equipment, and supplies to prepare for the gardening season?
  • Be careful to store your garden chemicals in a place where it will not get frozen, especially with weather conditions like snow. The cold temperatures can alter the chemicals.
  • It’s still a good time to take inventory of your seeds. That way you will know what vegetable seeds to order, try ordering a new variety of seeds for the 2025 growing season.
  • You can check out our available publications on vegetables on our website at https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/
  • Consider raising a garden in a raised bed if you think that you do not have much space. 

The Vance County Cooperative Extension is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

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