By Hadley Cheris, Tryon Palace Gardens and Greenhouse Manager
April is National Gardening Month and the perfect time of year to start garden planning and planting! Many of us have spent the last few years getting some extra time into our outdoor landscapes and appreciating the respite nature gives us. A good way to set your gardening up for year-round success is to plan and execute early to avoid potential pests. Our last potential frost will pass by mid-month and it’s a great time to plant vegetables, perennials and herbs!
One of my favorite ways to put my garden planning into action is our Tryon Palace Spring Plant Sale! This year the sale will be Friday and Saturday, April 8 and 9, from 9am-5pm. We’ll have our tried-and-true herb and vegetable varieties, as well as shrubs, annuals and summer veggies! There will be lots of Tryon Palace grown perennials that you can’t find anywhere else so come early to get your favorites. Our garden staff will be available to answer questions and help guide you on the best options for your yard. My top perennials this year are Agastache ‘GlobeTrotter’, a lovely mid-size purple bloomer, and Salvia roemeriana ‘Arriba’, a tough red bloomer great for pollinators! Both have been magnificent in the gardens over the last year and flowered even through our winter cold and ice!
Don’t forget- the gardens will also be free all weekend, April 8-10, so put us on your schedule for some outdoor time! The gardens are bursting with new plants and bulbs on an almost daily basis this spring so come often to pick your favorites! My favorite gardens during the spring are the Stanly Garden and the Kellenberger Garden- both full of unique perennials and bulbs, like hyacinths, peonies, and Lenten roses, offering beautiful foliage, blooms and buds!
We hope to see you soon- Happy gardening!
529 South Front Street • New Bern, NC 28562
252-639-3500 • www.tryonpalace.org