Andrew Munch
f Robert Stiehl
Out and About
By Sara Barbee
Gardens for the eye and the palate
Tryon Palace offers behind-the-scenes tours featuring the palace gardens, the
costume shop and the conservation lab. These meet on alternating Tuesdays at
3 p.m., and I highly recommend all three.
In May, the Crystal Coast Womens Club garden group toured the Tryon
Palace gardens with Hadley Cheris, the gardens and greenhouse manager. Our
tour was peppered with the usual lore of founders and plantings, supported by
many volunteers. Sixteen acres of gardens have a mere six paid staff, and Ms.
Cheris stressed how much appreciated (and needed) volunteers are.
We started in the Kellenberger garden, named for Mr. and Mrs. John A.
Kellenberger, two of the original benefactors of the palace restoration. Mrs.
Kellenberger liked pink, and this garden had predominantly pink and purple
tones. At both entrances, aromatic Confederate jasmine covered the arches.
There were Japanese irises with variegated leaves, spirea, lilies and lilacs. The
gardeners try new varieties, and one success has been a reblooming lilac called
“Bloomerang.”
As we meandered through contemplative settings, which included formal and
edible (kitchen) gardens, Ms. Cheris talked about plants that would come back
each year and those that added color and interest. There were exotics like dwarf
pomegranate and many beautiful plants arranged in perfect color schemes and
patterns.
A strong warning was given to be aware of the mature size that trees and
shrubs might reach as they grow. One thing I will plant is a serviceberry, a
shrub or small tree with scrumptious berries, also known as a “shadblow” or
“shadbush” because it blooms during the time that shad return to their spawning
grounds. Ms. Cheris let us enjoy some of the berries as we walked through one
of the gardens.
Check out the Events Calendar at tryonpalace.org to find a behind-the-scenes
tour that may interest you.
Variety at your fingertips. The Carteret County Local Food Network sells
Veggie Van CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes of assorted locally
grown produce. Boxes must be ordered ahead of time for pickup on Tuesdays.
To find out about this resource, visit CarteretLocalFoodNetwork.org and click
on CSA Boxes, or call 252-777-2359. There’s nothing quite like farm fresh
produce.
At the Library
By Ellen Childress, MLS
Branch Manager, Down East/Bogue Banks
Our annual Summer Reading Program, Tales & Tails, is in full swing. All ages
are encouraged to participate, and you can drop by any of the branches in the
Carteret County Public Library system to register. Pick up a reading log, keep
track of the minutes you read, and simply turn in your completed logs at your
local branch to qualify for prizes. All completed reading logs will be entered
into our grand prize drawing for four tickets to the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll
Shores.
The Summer Reading Program lasts until August 6. Special thanks to the
Friends of the Carteret County Public Library and the Friends of the Western
Library for their continued support of the summer reading program.
Summer programs remain virtual out of an abundance of caution, but that
doesn’t mean there aren’t exiting things happening. Virtual programs include
Really Grim Tales for Adults, Facts & Snacks with Frogs, Animal Defenses—and
don’t miss your chance to play Animal Trivia. Program information is available
under the appropriate age group (Adults, Teens or Kids) on our website at
carteretcountync.libguides.com and social media pages. We also have take-and-
make crafts available at all of our branches.
Our Knit 2gether series continues. Join Bogue Banks Branch Manager Ellen
Childress as she continues to work on her ongoing knitting project, answers
your questions about the craft of knitting and shares recommended resources
and books that have helped her along the way. The next program is July 27 at
11 a.m., live on the library’s Facebook page.
New books are coming in daily, but we are also adding new formats. We have
recently introduced Playaways, which are preloaded digital audiobooks for you to
enjoy on the go. Don’t hassle with CDs anymore; now you can simply check out a
small audio device that fits in the palm of your hand. Plug them into your car, your
stereo, or your headset. Go to the library website as shown above, and search for
Playaways using the magnifying glass search tool at the top. On the next screen,
enter Playaways in the keyword box and click Search for a list of available titles.
There is an instructional video on the library’s YouTube channel as well.
E/.-.
Fresh CSA produce ready to be delivered—Photo courtesy of Carteret County Food Network
July 2021 I The Shoreline 7