by Liza Roberts photographs by Justin Cooke On a hot, cicada-loud summer day at Tony Avent’s place, a black cat slips through the canes of a massive muscadine vine, one of 23,000 plant varieties that fill these 28 Raleigh acres. Home to…
Hello, July in Raleigh! Time for late sunsets, hot days, fireflies — and, of course, fireworks at Dix Park for Independence Day!
Welcome the start of fall in Raleigh with colorful festivals, great music and opening weekends for sports and arts alike.
Just like the plants in his garden, this writer finds we’re always learning and growing, dreaming and scheming.
In-person concerts and movies — hooray! — plus open garden days, film festivals, and more to put on your radar this month.
From unique native varietals to succulents to edibles, bookmark this list of Triangle nurseries. Some serve wine and food too!
Church hymns, flannel shirts and briar pipes—I share today’s simple pleasures with the generations before me. by Jim Dodson A dear friend I hadn’t seen in far too long and I were having lunch outdoors, safely distanced. She sipped her…
Jack Pittman has made a living as a cartoonist through a mix of talent and persistence.
by Tony Avent illustration by Ippy Patterson Since just before the war between the States, crinum lilies have been a popular staple in rural gardens throughout the deep Southeast – a far distance from their mostly native African origins….
by Tony Avent illustration by Ippy Patterson Growing up in North Carolina, it’s not uncommon to see gladiolus growing along country roads through older rural communities. For that reason, I could never reconcile why all the gladiolus I ordered from mail-order…
by Tony Avent illustration by Ippy Patterson I was first introduced to Aleurites fordii (also known as Vernicia fordii) through the wood sealer called Tung oil, which is made from the plant. That was long before I met Aleurites fordii in person….
by Tony Avent illustration by Ippy Patterson Who doesn’t know scheffleras? Whether you’ve abused them as houseplants or strolled underneath them at your favorite Florida theme park, most of us have had a personal experience with scheffleras. Scheffleras are members of the…
by Tony Avent I grew up in a wooded section of west Raleigh. As a shy kid, I spent most of my spare time roaming through the woods along Crabtree Creek, where Crabtree Valley shopping center would eventually sprout. One of…
by Tony Avent illustration by Ippy Patterson Epimediums, or fairy wings, are perennial members of the barberry family, which have been popular since at least the mid-1700s. This woodland shade perennial flowers in early spring, and can trace its popularity to an…