Category Archives: Weekend Gardener
Meet the real holiday cacti and learn the easy way to keep them thriving
By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend GardenerThere is one thing we don't have a lot of in my house and that's houseplants. I have absolutely no reason why. I have had a pothos and a snake plant on my desk at wo...
Dec 09, 2025
Tending God's earth: a journey of faith through gardening
By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend Gardener I have always believed that God is in everything. There can be nothing on Earth to which this idea applies more than a garden. Don't forget - one of God's first cre...
Nov 30, 2025
This NC plant eats bugs for breakfast - and looks beautiful doing it
By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend Gardener Most of us have seen or have some knowledge of the most iconic plant in the world: It's the "Venus Flytrap", which is native to a small area of southeastern North C...
Nov 16, 2025
Composting Made Easy: Tips from the WPTF Weekend Gardener
By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend Gardener One of the most economical and practical things you can do for the plants in your landscape and vegetable garden is to start a compost pile. We've discussed it fair...
Oct 26, 2025
Ironweed: The resilient perennial transforming North Carolina landscapes
By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend GardenerWe all want resilient plants for our landscape. Frankly we want something that is cost effective. A plant which fulfills that description and expectation is "Ironwee...
Oct 12, 2025
Witchy native shrub brings spring bottlebrush blooms and fiery fall color
By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend GardenerIf you have ever wanted to grow your own bottle brushes, then you have come to the right place. The Fothergilla latifolia or F. major or the Dwarf Fothergilla (garde...
Oct 05, 2025
Russian sage: Not from Russia, but perfect for NC gardens
By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend GardenerI planted some Russian Sage (Salvia yangii) decades ago. Alas, I can't remember when it faded into oblivion. It is really not native to Russia and hails from Central...
Sep 24, 2025
Sweet autumn clematis charms, but NC experts say avoid it
By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend GardenerI must say that I have rarely written an article about a plant I like but I don’t recommend for WPTF Weekend Gardener listeners. Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clemati...
Sep 21, 2025
Red and black chokeberries thrive in North Carolina landscapes
By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend GardenerRed Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) and Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) are versatile shrubs native to North Carolina. I have seen many of the red varieties, w...
Sep 14, 2025
Bottlebrush blooms, fall color make Clethra a versatile shrub
By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend GardenerI have many different species of plants in my landscape. However, I do not own a "Clethra alnifolia" or "sweet pepper bush" or "summersweet". I bet if I were to ask ...
Sep 07, 2025