Richmond Roots Garden Club:
Richmond Roots meets the second Thursday of the month at 5:30pm. In addition to meetings, the group goes on field trips to learn about surrounding gardens and horticultural businesses. See below for program topics and field trip schedule. For more information about how to get involved, please contact Kinsey Watkins at kinsey_watkins@ncsu.edu
| Month | Date | Topic |
| JAN | 8 | Book Club: The Serviceberry / The Hidden Life of Trees / Nature's Best Hope / The Light Eaters; Read one, read all! Come to discuss and share |
| Field Trip | No field trip this month | |
| Feb | 12 | Growing oyster mushrooms (hands on) |
| Field Trip- 27/28 | Visit mushroom operation | |
| Mar | 12 | Camellias |
| Field Trip- 27/28 | Visit Camellia Forest Nursery | |
| Apr | 9 | Carnivorous Plants/Plant Swap |
| Field Trip- 24/25 | UNC Botanical Gardens | |
| May | 14 | Growing Lavender |
| Field Trip- 29/30 | Visit Lazy Fox Farm (Cameron); help Kinsey with planting lavender at Demo Farm | |
| Jun | 11 | Growing Blueberries |
| Field Trip- 26/27 | Visit Eagles Nest Berry Farm | |
| Jul | 9 | Growing Daylilies |
| Field Trip- 24/25 | Visit Marrietta Gardens | |
| Aug | 13 | Growing Figs |
| Field Trip- 21/22 | Visit John's Farm | |
| Sept | 10-12 | Service project with United Way Day of Caring |
| Field Trip- 24/25 | Chalks Landing garden visit/party | |
| Oct | 8 | Oak Tree ID |
| Field Trip- 30/31 | Chalks Landing- or somewhere else with oaks | |
| Nov | 12 | Growing Bonsai |
| Field Trip- 19/20 | No field trip | |
| Dec | 10 | Christmas party — garden themed ornament? |
Seed Library:
The purpose of the Richmond County Seed Library is to give individuals the opportunity to acquire free seed, return unused seed, or donate seed. Seed libraries and saving seed have a strong association. Saving seed from heirloom varieties preserves genetics and the varieties themselves. Seed saving also preserves the stories and history of the variety. Volunteers are welcome! If you are interested in learning more or want to get involved, please contact Kinsey Watkins at kinsey_watkins@ncsu.edu
How it works: Simply browse the inventory list below. Once you decide what you would like to request, use the request form link to request varieties. Please include your name, email address, and a list of varieties you want. Once your request has been processed, you will be notified that your seeds will be available for pick up.
Use policy: This library is a community resource built on shared success. While there is no set limit on requests, we ask that you only take what you can realistically plant this season to ensure we can serve as many community members as possible. These seeds are intended for personal and educational use and may not be used for sale or profit.
Pick up:
123 Caroline St
Suite 100
Rockingham, NC 28379
Office hours: 8am-5pm, Monday through Friday
One thing asked in return is to send pictures of what you grew and to answer follow up surveys so we can continue providing this service. Photos will be kept internal unless authorized to share. They can be emailed to kinsey_watkins@ncsu.edu
Upcoming Events:
Homesteading Basics: Seed Saving
April 16, 2026
5:30-7:00 pm
Seed saving can be as simple or as complicated as you make it. However, there are a few fundamental 'rules' that will ensure your seeds remain true to type. We’ll break down the different terminology, do's and don'ts, and different production, harvesting, and cleaning methods.
Details and Registration
