Visit us at the Pitt County Arboretum on the second Friday of each month at 12 noon (unless otherwise noted) for a fun and educational garden tour experience. The Northside Plant Walks utilize the arboretum and the Northside Walking Trail to tell a unique story about our plants with each tour. Every tour has a different theme designed to answer burning questions gardeners have about finding the right plants for their home landscapes. Visitors will not only learn about the plants on the tour, but also get their steps in as we walk the grounds to observe and learn about the featured plants. Attendance is free but we ask that you let us know you are coming by pre-registering at the link for each event.
February 20: Conifers and Cold Cravers
Whether it be conifers and other needle-leaf evergreens that keep their leaves after many other trees and shrubs have dropped theirs, or plants that wait until it's cold to bloom, there is more to appreciate in winter landscapes than one might think.
March 13: Shakespeare's Spring Garden
Our March edition of the Northside Plant Walk will see us welcome spring as Shakespeare might have seen it, by focusing on plants mentioned in his works.
April's Northside Plant Walk will highlight plants that would be right at home in fairy garden setting, whether due to miniature size, whimsical features, or unique mythology.
May 8: Stimulating Your Senses
Sensory Gardens feature plants that are more than just visually appealing. They may have a powerful fragrance, a calming and pleasant texture, a delicious taste, or even create a sound with a little assistance. Find the plants that stimulate your senses on our May Northside Plant Walk at the Pitt County Arboretum.
June 12: Botanical Blooms Beyond Compare (**starts at 9 AM**)
Blooms come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, and seasons. Botanists use terms like Perfect, imperfect, complete, and incomplete to describe a flower's structure, but those terms only tell part of the story. Take a closer look at some truly unique flowers during our June Northside Plant Walk at the Pitt County Arboretum.
July 17: Heat Proof Heroes (**starts at 9 AM**)
Some like it hot! The plants on this month's tour won't wilt when times get tough. They can withstand the heat of an Eastern NC summer and thrive in those tough spots where other plants have begged for mercy.
August 14: Stunning Superstars of Shade (**starts at 9 AM**)
Not all gardeners have fully sunny landscapes, many have partial or dense shade in their gardens. Hostas are great, but lets see what else will grow in the shade, shall we?
September 11: Landscaping with Edibles
Gone are the days where fruits and vegetables had to have a stand alone rectangular bed all to themselves in the backyard in order to fit in to the backyard. Many fruits, vegetables, and herbs are beautiful and can fit right in to landscape beds with other ornamental plants. We'll highlight a few to get you thinking differently.
October 9: Wetland Wonders and Qualifiers for Quagmires
Most plants require good soil drainage to thrive, but not all of our soils behave this way. Here are a few plants that can tolerate slowly draining soils and periods of wetness.
November 13: The Best of the Rest
