Make plans: HerbFest, plant sales, pottery events and more

HerbFest 2017

Wake Forest’s annual HerbFest takes place April 21-23 and April 28-30 at 527 S. White St. in downtown Wake Forest.

At the event, you can purchase certified organic, non-GMO and heritage/heirloom varieties of herbs, vegetables, tomatoes, peppers and much more. Perennials sold here are specific to our area – Zone 7 – and like the herbs, grown locally in North Carolina.

The herb of the year is cilantro, so expect a large selection of the herb as well as free recipes daily. On Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, the WPTF Weekend Gardener Radio Program will broadcast live with hosts Mike Raley, Ann Clapp and Rufus Edmisten. Live music will entertain throughout the weekend days.

For more info, visit facebook.com/Herbfest.

Spring kiln opening

Hewitt Pottery announces their Spring Kiln Opening in Pittsboro April 22-23 and April 29-30.

Hewitt Pottery is located at 424 Johnny Burke Road, Pittsboro. More info at 919-542-2371 or hewittpottery.com.

Native Plant Sale

The North Carolina Botanical Garden hosts a spring plant sale 3-7 p.m. Saturday, April 29. You can buy native plants grown at NCBG and items from other local vendors. There also will be food trucks, music, kids’ activities and more.

Get the details at go.unc.edu/native-plant-sale.

Spring Fling Pottery Auction

The North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove has their Spring Fling Pottery Auction 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, April 29. There’s a barbecue lunch at 11:30 a.m. and a live auction at 12:30 p.m. featuring mostly older (pre-1980) donated pieces. There’s a modest ticket fee for the lunch and auction, TBD. The N.C. Pottery Center is a nonprofit that promotes awareness and appreciation of the tradition of pottery in the state. Learn more at ncpotterycenter.org.

Garden Days

Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic Garden holds Spring Open Nursery and Garden Days events April 28-30 and May 5-7.

Gardeners can shop for native, rare and unique perennial plants at the nursery and then stroll through the botanic garden.

Local food trucks will be on site each day (except for May 7) and local artisans featured include Angie McClure of Treasures of Clay; Kathy Phillips of Kathy Phillips Pottery; and Jim Phillips of Jim Phillips Sculpture. There is also an Eastern NC Iris Society accredited iris show – “Rainbows in the Garden” – April 28-29. Anyone can enter their iris for judging between 8 and 10 a.m. April 28.

There are also garden chats held throughout the event, and a container potting station on April 29 and May 6, for which you bring your own planter and let staff help you select and plant your items ($15 fee).

Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. April 28-29 and May 5-6, and 1-5 p.m. April 30 and May 7. Get more info at plantdelights.com or jlbg.org.

Local gardener honored

Brie Arthur of Fuquay-Varina has received the Emerging Horticultural Professional Award from the American Horticultural Society. The award honors the best in American gardening and horticulture.

In addition to the recent publication of her first book, “The Foodscape Revolution,” Arthur is the foodscaping and landscape design correspondent for the PBS show, “Growing a Greener World.” She is also the national director of the Association for Garden Communicators for the Southeastern United States and sits on the executive committee for the International Plant Propagators Society, Southern Region.

Arthur is also dedicated to getting children involved with gardening, and assisted with the creation of an elementary school garden in Glassboro, N.J., serving as a mentor to the students.

Arthur will accept her award at banquet on June 8 at the American Horticultural Society’s River Farm headquarters in Virginia.

This story was originally published April 20, 2017 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Make plans: HerbFest, plant sales, pottery events and more."