County Extension

Cheryle Jones Syracuse
Family and Consumer Science Staff
NC Cooperative Extension
Brunswick County Center
Strawberries are plentiful this season and many folks are thinking about preserving the bounty. I’ve received a few calls about making reduced sugar jams and jellies. Often the caller is a family member or a friend of a diabetic and they want to make this “special jam” so the diabetic patient can enjoy the fresh fruit spreads.

Brunswick County 4-H, sponsored by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, will offer a variety of activities, field trips, and day camps for children through the “Super Heroes in Training” 4-H Summer Enrichment Program. This summer is full of fun and educational activities for youth to participate in, beginning June 18.

By Tom Woods
Master Gardener

Often purchased as a gift plant, big leaf hydrangea can be transplanted in landscapes and enjoyed year after year. It prefers morning sun, afternoon shade and moist, well-drained soil. It will grow in locations with afternoon sun, but will probably wilt and need more supplemental watering.

By Judy Koehly
Master Gardener
Our sandy soils cannot store nutrients for long periods of time, releasing them according to plant needs, as do loamy soils, so domesticated plants (including lawns, flowers, shrubs and vegetables) benefit from a careful periodic application of fertilizer. Gardeners add fertilizer either by applying it to the soil or by using a water-soluble product and spraying the foliage.