Bonnie B. Davis Demonstration Gardens

This is what Mart Bumgarner, NC Cooperative Extension Service Ag Agent, and Kay Johnson, Master Gardener, had to say about the gardens.

How much maintenance do the gardens require? Since the gardens are 'new,' there is considerable watering needed to get the garden established. We recently installed a micro-irrigation system that is really taking much of the watering tasks to a minimum. This frees us up to weed, mulch, harvest, etc. 

What have been the most successful crops? Which ones were the least successful? I think the most successful crops are the fruit shrubs, canes, and trees (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, figs, muscadines, apricots, persimmons). The fruit trees were planted as part of the initial building design but we added and amended. We are challenged by the soil composition because it is so poor. It does not have good drainage. We continue to amend the soil to build it up to be more friable. Our compost pile is growing some wonderful cantaloupes and the ornamental okra will be producing like gang busters within the next week. The health of the NC Natives really surprised me. They, as one would expect, are really doing well, but I am disappointed in the insects I'm seeing in the pollinator garden. I am not seeing the volume we had just last year. For example, our swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) were covered with butterfly larvae. We had 8 larvae pupate on the building. This year, I've seen three larvae and zero pupae. 

What do you do with the produce? We actually have two vegetable gardens, the Edible Garden and also the Tarleton & Bonnie Davis Memorial 4-H Youth Garden located at Bonnie's homeplace (corner of Hwy 86 and Hwy 57). We have Master Gardener Volunteers working with both. The vegetables are donated to a local food bank.

Any tips you would give to the average home gardener? Start small, but just start. Most vegetable plants need full sunlight. However, you can grow herbs in partial sun to partial shade. Try different things like growing snap beans, peppers, tomatoes. You may find a niche where beans do really well but tomatoes don't. Don't give up. Drop a few vegetable seeds among your shrubs. Throw a few zinnia seeds by the mailbox. It is amazing how something so simple can bring you pleasure. 

What is your favorite thing to grow? To eat from the garden? Mart says: “I like it all! Salad tomatoes are my favorite. It doesn't take much effort to grow tasty tomatoes, with complimentary basil, onions, and a slice of cheese." 

What are your plans for the future? The 2024 Master Gardener Volunteer Student class project will be to develop a tour for each of the gardens with an age theme. Each of 5 intern groups will design an educational tour and/or signage for a target audience for a garden area. The plans will be presented to the class in December 2024 and shared at Plantfest 2025. We also intend to continue expanding our plant diversity all around our building. 

Why do you think these kinds of gardens are important to our community? Growing small gardens teaches people to be self-sustaining. During WWII, they were called freedom gardens and, frankly, fed the nation. Today, we can grow vegetables in pots and buckets on our high-rise patio. How hard is it to grow fresh herbs to dress up a meal?