We help people in our community learn about plants and gardening.

What’s coming up

  • Home Screen of NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, a resource on thousands of NC plants

    Nov. 15: Learn about the Plant Toolbox

    Join us for our next “Dig Deeper” gardening talk on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2 to 3:30 p.m., at the Orange County Public Library, 137 West Margaret Lane, Hillsborough, NC 27278. Parking is available in the garage next to the library.

    The speaker will be Scott Zona, a botanist at NC State University who oversees the North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. He will explain how to navigate the Toolbox to find valuable plant information.

    The Plant Toolbox is the go-to resource for information about more than 4,000 plants that grow in North Carolina and the Southeast. It offers detailed descriptions and photographs of plants as well as light, soil and moisture needs, bloom time, pest considerations and other information. The Toolbox is maintained with the help of Master Gardener volunteers.

    Registration is encouraged.

  • cover of 2027 gardening calendar, A Pollinator Year in the Piedmont

    2027 gardening calendar

    Discover how your garden can make a difference for pollinators throughout the year!

    Our 2027 calendar, A Pollinator Year in the Piedmont, can help gardeners create welcoming habitats for pollinators. It has simple monthly ideas, practical gardening tips and links to reliable gardening resources.

    Whether you have a large garden, a small backyard or a few containers, you can support pollinators, one plant, one bloom and one pollinator at a time.

    The calendar is being sold by the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association of Orange County, NC (EMGVA), an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the NC State Extension Master Gardener program in Orange County by raising funds for its educational programs and community outreach.

    Proceeds of the calendar sales will support our work in the community.

  • Photo of woman standing at table, talking to two people and pointing to soil and plant information sheets.

    Find us at farmers' markets

    The Master Gardener volunteers of Orange County host booths at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market and at the Eno River Farmers’ Market in Hillsborough.

    Our booth at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market (301 West Main St., Carrboro) will be open from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 14, our last market day of the year.

    Our booth at the Eno River Farmers’ Market (144 East Margaret Lane, Hillsborough) is open on the third Saturday of each month and will return in March 2027.

    At both markets, we love to answer gardening questions or talk about plants. We offer soil testing boxes and other information. Please stop by and say hi!

    (Photo by Eric Kurtz.)