JC Raulston Arboretum e-Update

July 2005

In This Issue

Day Tripping to Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
JCRA Memberships – They're a Good Thing!
Desert Life in Raleigh
July Calendar

Day Tripping to Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

September 24, 2005 (Saturday)

Join us on our day trip to Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, one of the jewels in the Queen City's crown. Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden sits on 450 acres along the banks of Lake Wylie and is part nature preserve, part showcase for the best of Southern horticulture. Enjoy nine distinctly themed gardens as we tour with Doug Ruhren, JCRA's former Perennial Border co-curator.

Itinerary

8:00 AM – Depart from the JCRA, Raleigh
11:30 AM – Arrive at DSBG, Belmont
12:00 PM – Lunch
1:00 PM – Tour with Doug Ruhren
3:00 PM – Tour on own
4:30 PM – Depart from DSBG, Belmont
7:00 PM – Dinner (on your own)
8:00 PM – Resume return trip to Raleigh
9:00 PM – Arrive at JCRA

Cost: $55.00. Rate includes comfortable motorcoach throughout, entrance fee, and lunch.
Registration: To register, please call Chris Glenn at (919) 513-7005 by September 1, 2005 (Thursday). Full payment is due at the time of registration and can be made by credit card or check. This trip is limited to 42 travelers.
Cancellation: Reservations can be cancelled through August 31, 2005 (Wednesday). Refunds will be made in the form of a single use credit which can be applied to a future JCRA transaction (membership, programs, Gala, etc.). In the advent of low registration, the Arboretum reserves the right to cancel the trip.
Location: The trip begins at the JC Raulston Arboretum, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, NC.
Questions: Please visit our Web site or call (919) 515-7005 for more information.

JCRA Memberships – They're a Good Thing!

Need a gift for that bride and groom, recent graduate or as a hostess gift for those friends who'll be putting you up for a vacation visit? How about a gift membership to the JCRA? For just $30.00 for an Individual Membership or $50.00 for a Family/Dual, you can introduce the JCRA to a budding or an already devout gardener. Want to do a little more? How about an engraved brick? For a $100.00 donation you can have a brick engraved with your message and installed in the pedestrian walkway outside the Ruby C. McSwain Education Center. For either gift, a card will be sent to your honoree to let them know about your gift. For the bricks, a certificate with your choice of message is also sent. Go online for the brick or membership forms or contact me at (919) 513-3826 or <donna_walker@ncsu.edu> and I'll get the form(s) to you. What a great way to support the JCRA and give a wonderful gift at the same time. – Donna Walker, Development Associate

Desert Life in Raleigh

What a show! This spring we had a taste of the Southwest right here in Raleigh, when one of our spectacular agaves flowered. The giant flower spike of Agave parryi subsp. parryi var. huachucensis (Fort Huachuca barrel agave) began to emerge in early May from the center of the plant's rosette, rising over 13' high with candelabra-like flower clusters high above the Winter Garden.

Agaves are intriguing plants. Most are monocarpic, meaning that they will flower once and then die. A beautiful rosette is formed from large stout, fleshy gray leaves that have a murderous spine on the tip of each.

This agave is an excellent addition to the landscape. It has proven to be cold hardy in Raleigh and needs minimal, if any, maintenance, grows in full sun, and is extremely drought tolerant. However, they do require excellent drainage, especially during the winter. Watch for many more accessions of southwestern plants, including agaves, waiting to be planted in the new garden areas at the JC Raulston Arboretum. – Nancy Doubrava, Interpretive Specialist and Christopher Todd Glenn, Programs & Education Coordinator

July Calendar

There are no programs scheduled for July 2005. For a sneak peek at our upcoming fall programs, including an August Friends of the Arboretum Lecture presented by Dave Creech, Ph.D., please visit the "Calendar of Events" section on the JCRA Web site.

JC Raulston Arboretum e-Updates are published electronically every month for everyone interested in the Arboretum. Did you find this edition informative? What information would you like to see in future editions? Send Christopher Todd Glenn your suggestions. To remove yourself from this mailing, please write Christopher Todd Glenn.