Monarda: Easy but Difficult
When poring through the catalogues, you’ll inevitably come across exciting descriptions of Monarda. Before making the plunge, you might want to learn more about this popular native plant.
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Leave the leaves, please!
Our town is fortunate to have county workers who collect yard debris, Christmas trees and leaves during the autumn and winter seasons. The county then sells the processed vegetative material as yard mulch. But rather than buy mulch from them or from stores, it’s worthwhile if we just participate in leaving the leaves on neighborhood and town properties.
American Legion Club Grand Opening
The new American Legion Club, 3700 NC Highway 54 West, Chapel Hill, will host its official grand opening on April 18, 2020. The public is invited to attend.
Catalogue Daydreaming in January
Beginning Dec. 26, the garden catalogues start to pour in. The planting season is short – and growers know that they have to get the word out on their new products as soon as possible.
Get Current
CURRENT ArtSpace + Studio, an immersive arts venue and studio space, opened to the public in February 2018. Since then its 7,000 square-foot state-of-the-art black box-style theater has hosted music, dance and theater.
It’s Good for the Planet, Too
It is no surprise that groups like the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have been warning us that the biggest single impact we can make on the climate is to adopt a plant-based diet.
Gifts for Good Bicyclists
Yes, there were some few extraordinarily lucky riders out there who might have gotten a new Santa Cruz full suspension carbon mountain bike or a camper van with a custom bicycle rack and an outdoor hot shower. But what about the rest of us?
Orange County to Celebrate the Many Lives of Pauli Murray
“The wager was ten dollars. It was 1944, and the law students of Howard University were discussing how best to bring an end to Jim Crow.
A Book of All Seasons
Book Review: Gardening in the South by Mark Weathington. Recently, I had occasion to meet Mark Weathington, director of the JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University — and immediately bought his book.
Tis the Season to Take a Hike
ORANGE SLICES By Laurie Paolicelli Ah, Orange County’s beauty. A hush falls over the woods in winter. But the quiet unlocks a secret world that you miss out on during…
Duke University Researcher Calls for a ‘His & Hers’ Approach to Tackling Hypertension this Holiday Season
Team uses math – “the new microscope” – to demonstrate that men and women react differently to blood pressure medication
2019: The Year of the Cradle
1969 was the year that the Cat’s Cradle opened its doors, and gave music a place to live and be live in the Triangle. First in Chapel Hill, now in Carrboro, bands will tell you that between D.C. and Atlanta there is no better club than the Cat’s Cradle.
Our Dog Makes Me a Better Gardener
We have a new puppy — although he’s been part of our family for nearly a year. As our last dog was with us for 15 years, this little guy will hold the “new puppy” title for a bit longer. Maybe it’s how he came into our lives or maybe because I think this will be our last dog, that he seems so precious. I’m weirdly picky about everything related to this critter. I shudder at the thought of any chemicals near “new puppy…”
The Brown File: Mack Brown
Mack Brown, whose charismatic style and disciplined approach led the University of North Carolina into the Top Five, and the University of Texas to the 2005 BCS National Championship, began his second stint as head coach in Chapel Hill on Nov. 27, 2018.
The Garden of Wrath
Two things incur my wrath when it comes to gardening: certain wildlife and nurseries that sell the wrong plants. There are few serious gardeners who haven’t felt fury at wildlife. You see, wildlife has to eat — and many creatures savor the meals we unwittingly prepare for them in our garden. We call graceful does “giant rats.” We reread Peter Rabbit, only this time we sympathize with Mr. McGregor. Deer and I share one attribute in common: We happen to enjoy the same plants.
Two Towns, One Community
Recently I was talking with colleague, friend, and former Herald Sun columnist Neil Offen about Carrboro and Chapel Hill. The two are contiguous, one runs into the other, and often visitors don’t differentiate. But locals do. Here’s Neil’s perspective…
In the Spirit of Thanksgiving: A New Model for Serving the Homeless
Affordable housing, sufficient food, and the opportunity to work for a living wage should be fundamental rights in a civilized society. But we need not look far to see that homelessness is an ever-deepening problem in our communities.
Recreational Forests & Trails
Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina are linked historically, economically and physically. Chapel Hill’s fire trucks are not only painted Carolina blue but our town was created at the founding of UNC to quite simply “serve the University”.
Seeds need to nap. How do you wake them up?
I dream of native plants thriving in my suburban garden — I’m here to confess, reality doesn’t resemble my dreams.
Arbor Week in Rogers Road
In June 2019, the Town of Chapel Hill initiated a voluntary Tree Committee to help “engage the entire Chapel Hill community in enhancing and protecting the town’s tree canopy and urban treescape.”
Patience is a Virtue
THE ABSENTEE GARDENERS By Kit Flynn and Lise Jenkins For a long time, I was into instant gratification in the garden. The acre allotted for the garden had large bare…
Journalists Travel to Chapel Hill to Discuss Climate Change
Professional seminars attract a wide range of visitors to Chapel Hill, including professionals who need continuing education, retirees who enroll in workshops at UNC Friday Center…
A Few “Best Rides”
Chapel Hill and Carrboro have much to offer, but it isn’t always easy to find the best suggestions for bicycling. Everyone has his or her own favorite rides, so below are a few of my own. I’d suggest making sure you have Google Maps on your phone — it has a bicycling function that clearly shows greenways and bike lanes.
Morehead Planetarium to Expand STEM Initiatives, Unveil New Exhibits in October 2020
ORANGE SLICES By Laurie Paolicelli When Morehead Planetarium and Science Center completes its renovation and reopens to the public in October 2020 the emphasis will focus less on space travel…
Herbs or a Bottle of Pills?
THE ABSENTEE GARDENERS By Kit Flynn and Lise Jenkins It started with some herbs in pots in our kitchen window. I happily snip while I cook, feeling righteous about growing…
Tiny Home Village
ORANGE SLICES By Laurie Paolicelli Tourists are drawn to Orange County with certain expectations, just as they are everywhere else they may visit. It’s a feature-driven decision: culture, architecture, dining,…
Riding with Kids: Trailers, Tag-a-Longs and First Bikes
THE BIKE BEAT By Adam Searing One of the great joys of being a parent for me has been riding with my kids over the years. Our children create the…
Phlox, Glorious Phlox
THE ABSENTEE GARDENERS By Kit Flynn and Lise Jenkins The genus phlox is comprised of approximately 60 species that are native to the U.S. Recently, the Mount Cuba Center in…
The Person Giving You Orange County, NC Travel Advice May Be an Inmate
ORANGE SLICES By Laurie Paolicelli The warm voice answering your 800-VISITNC call will gladly mail you the 174-page Official 2019 NC Travel Guide and a North Carolina road map. She has…
Yes, There are Plants We Cannot Grow
THE ABSENTEE GARDENERS By Kit Flynn and Lise Jenkins “What is it about echinacea? Why can’t I grow it?” my neighbor asked me. I assured her that for some inexplicable reason…
Our Area Has One of the Largest Communities of Mountain Bikers
THE BIKE BEAT By Adam Searing The Chapel Hill-Carrboro area has one of the largest communities of cyclists who ride mountain bikes in the state. Why? We are blessed with…
What Goes Around Comes Around
THE ABSENTEE GARDENERS By Kit Flynn and Lise Jenkins A year ago, I developed what I thought was an original idea: Why not plant a clematis with a rose? To me…
Walking Tours in Orange County
ORANGE SLICES By Laurie Paolicelli Walking tours offer a wonderful way to see an area, get your bearings, and learn about a locale from an expert. After all, half the…
College Towns Are Next Big Thing for Entrepreneurship
ORANGE SLICES By Laurie Paolicelli With students and recent graduates all over the country experiencing startup fever, college towns are the next big thing for entrepreneurship. Even though nearly 47% of venture…
The NC 54 Corridor
ORANGE SLICES By Laurie Paolicelli New American Legion Club Joins a Growing Corridor in Chapel Hill The new American Legion Club, 3700 NC 54 West, Chapel Hill, is scheduled for…
Why Do Some Autumn Leaves Turn Red?
THE ABSENTEE GARDENERS By Kit Flynn and Lise Jenkins Many of us look forward to the arrival of autumn with its cooler temperatures and brilliant colors. We know that there is…