Camellia show and sale
The JC Raulston Arboretum will host the second annual Camellia Show and Plant Sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. The event is free and sponsored by the Triangle Camellia Society. Those who would like to have their blooms judged can take them to the arboretum between 8 and 10 a.m. The show will run from 1 to 5 p.m., with a featured floral design arrangement from the Raleigh Garden Club on display. Cindy Watson of the CAMTOO Nursery in Greensboro will lead an educational seminar about camellias at 2 p.m. Experts will be on hand to help you identify varieties of camellias that you might have growing in your yard. You can also buy camellias from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The arboretum is at 4415 Beryl Road in Raleigh. For more information, call 515-3132.
Garden tips
The Master Gardeners of Orange County remind us not to be fooled by bursts of warmth this month. The safest bet is to plant tomatoes and other tender annuals after the last frost. That's generally April 15 in the Triangle.
Get a jump on spring garden season by planting beets, potatoes, onions and radishes this week. It's also a good time to consider transplanting cabbage, broccoli and other members of the cabbage family. Be aware that temperatures below 20 degrees can still hurt them, though.
For general gardening questions, you can call an Orange County master gardener from noon to 2 p.m. each Wednesday and Friday. The number is 962-0522. See a list of more Master Gardeners in the Triangle in the GardenGoingsOn list at the bottom of this page.
Knit one, bless two
Grab your needles and join the effort to help children in need through the Knit1, Bless2 campaign. Best-selling author Debbie Macomber is asking women to mark Mother's Day by making and sending a hand-knitted or crocheted item that will be donated to one of three children's charities. The creations will go to Project Linus, Newborns in Need or The Binky Patrol. Go to www.knit1bless2.com/ or www.debbiemacomber.com/ to register and choose your project from a list of recommended items and download a pattern. You'll also learn more about the charities and where to send your creations. Submissions will be accepted through May 31.
You can jump-start your project by joining the Wake County chapter of Project Linus for a Knit-a-Thon from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 20. The event will be at The Diapering Doula, a children's clothing store at 4109 Grace Park Drive in Morrisville. Sign up and learn more at projectlinusraleigh.blogspot.com/ or by calling 961-9885.
Time to make that change
Daylight saving time begins overnight when we set our clocks forward one hour. This is a great time to test the batteries in your home's fire and carbon monoxide alarms. You might also want to change air filters in your home.
When the power goes out
With spring rapidly approaching and storm season not far behind, it's a good idea to review some safety procedures for making it through power outages. Michael Betker, spokesman for Briggs and Stratton Corp., a company that makes automatic generators, offers these tips:
Assemble a kit of basic supplies such as flashlights, hand-cranked radios, blankets, bottled water, a manual can opener, canned foods, matches, candles, a first-aid kit and batteries.
Turn your refrigerator/freezer to the coldest settings.
Identify the most insulated room in your house to gather in to stay cool or warm.
Have blankets and cardboard handy to cover windows and prevent sun or a draft.
Leave one light on to alert you as soon as electricity is restored.
Once the power comes back on, turn down the thermostat and turn off the circuit breaker for the water heater to reduce high demand for electricity. This will help prevent an overload.
Learn how to manually override an electric garage door.
Use a surge protector to prevent damage to electrical items such as computer, TV, stereo, etc.
