From trial garden inspiration to a close-up look at granulate ambrosia beetle damage, our Field Trip Friday to Johnson’s Nursery was packed with learning, laughter, and a great lunch to top it off.

A rainy day didn’t stop more than 20 Master Gardeners from heading back to school! For Field Trip Friday, we visited Brunswick Community College to learn about their Horticulture & Turfgrass program.

Our latest Field Trip Friday led us to Moore Farms Botanical Gardens, where cutting-edge horticulture blends with Southern gardening tradition — all dressed up for Halloween 🎃. From the Fire Tower Gardens to the Mediterranean Garden, each space offered new inspiration and insight into what truly defines a Southern Garden.

As part of Field Trip Fridays, 12 EMGs explored the extraordinary Juniper Level Botanic Garden in Raleigh. This 10-acre garden is home to more than 27,000 plants—native perennials, rare exotics, and one-of-a-kind specimens from around the world. Designed with the philosophy of “drifts of one,” it offers beauty and discovery in every corner. Juniper Level has become one of the largest ex-situ plant collections in the world, dedicated to preserving biodiversity and sharing it with gardeners everywhere.

As part of our Field Trip Fridays program, 20 Extension Master Gardeners visited the world’s top public blueberry breeding station in Castle Hayne to learn about cultivar research and pest resistance—before ending the day with some blueberry picking of their own.

Our Field Trip Fridays crew explored Wilson’s Botanical and Rose Gardens plus the whimsical Whirligig Park, gaining inspiration for our gardens—and maybe even a custom whirligig of our own!

As part of our Field Trip Fridays program, EMGs enjoyed a fascinating visit to the Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden in Wilmington. This unique park, dedicated to the conservation of native carnivorous plants, offers one of the few protected public spaces where these rare species can be seen in their natural habitat.