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The Scoop on Smith’s

with Smith’s Farm Market and Garden Center

443 Sanders Rd., Benson, NC 27504

Located Near McGee's Crossroads


Welcome back to Smith’s newsletter! We hope you can find helpful tips on how to care for your (and our) favorite plants and keep you up-to-date on what’s happening on the farm.


Summer is still in full swing, but we are beginning to look forward to our Fall season. We have had a really busy summer with our Kid's Garden Club, storytime, and our usual fun on the farm. Continue to keep an eye out for future activities and opportunities on the farm. Follow along as we give you an idea of how to begin preparing your garden for fall, important information about landscaping in the fall, and tell you what's happening next!

Summer Hours

Our retail store, garden center and ice cream stand are currently open Monday-Saturday

9 am to 5 pm

and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm


Our wholesale nursery operation is open Monday-Friday 8am to 5 pm.

Upcoming Events


Every Tuesday at 11 am

Meet us at 11 am sharp every Tuesday for a wonderful story and craft time! This event is geared towards children ages 3-8, however, all ages are welcome. This event is free. Starting Tuesday, September 6th Storytime will be moved to 2 pm for the fall season!


Terrarium Building Workshop

August 20th at 10 AM 

Are you ready to build your own mini rainforest or mini plant environment, perfect for brightening up your home or work space?

At this workshop, you'll do exactly that (and learn a few fun plant facts along the way). Our knowledgeable plant staff will show participants techniques on the design and maintenance of your own glass jar terrarium, complete with plant and miniature decorations. 

All supplies needed and light refreshments are provided. Purchase your ticket here! 

National Bee Day Recognition

August 20th

Join us on the farm to celebrate all things honey bee related! We will have local honey for you to sample, tasty honey flavored treats in The Ice Cream Shack, honey bee and pollinator games for children, beekeeping tools to touch and learn about, an old bee hive to examine, and amazing pollinator plant sale for you to take advantage of, and much more! Beekeepers will be on-site to answer any honey bee questions! For more information on the times that activities begin, visit our website. 



Visit our website for more info and tickets to our workshop! 

August Gardening To-Do

As fall begins creeping closer, we want to start preparing our garden for fall and the upcoming year. These are a few things that you can begin working on to prepare for the fall season. 


  • Repot your houseplants into a larger container if they grew a lot this summer. Repotting your house plants now will allow them to acclimate to their new space before the growing season ends. Properly acclimated plants have a greater degree of winter hardiness. 
  • Do not prune landscape shrubs for the remainder of the year to allow them to prepare for dormancy.
  • Pull up tired annuals and deadhead those that are healthy. This will create room for you to begin planning fall plantings. 
  • Plan for your fall vegetable garden.
  • Things to plant in August
  • Directly sowed in the ground: lettuce, spinach, arugula, and other salad greens, parsley 
  • Transplants: broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, and cauliflower.
  • Begin planning for your Spring bulbs. 

"Fall is for Planting"

     I’m always willing to plant something new and add something to my landscape, but when is the best time to install my landscape plants for a high success rate and low maintenance?  

     It is really hot and dry in the summertime here in North Carolina which makes it difficult to install landscaping. During this time, plants demand a lot of watering and other care to keep them alive. Watering your plants properly is extremely important, especially when they are newly planted and are trying to get established.

     Many believe that spring is the best time to plant landscape plants because it is starting to warm up, and everything is becoming so green and lush. Unexpected heat waves or cold snaps can place stress on a newly installed plant making spring the second best time to plant. 

     We have found that the most ideal time to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials is in the fall. As the temperatures and humidity begin to drop, it becomes very pleasant to work outside in your yard. These conditions are also good for newly installed plants because they do not require quite as much maintenance as ones planted other times of the year. 

     Another reason that fall is a great time to install landscaping is that the roots are active during the fall and winter. The weather is less demanding, allowing the roots to develop and become strong by the time spring and summer arrive. 

     Even though it is only August, now is the time to begin planning what you want to plant so you are ready when Fall is in full swing. We have lots of great options for landscape plants and some very knowledgeable plant experts that you can consult with. 


August Plant of the Month


Head Over Heels Hibiscus

This perennial hibiscus is a favorite to many for it's large, showy flowers that come in a variety of colors. This shrub grows about 3-4' tall and thrives in full sun. Not only is this a beautiful shrub, it attracts many pollinators. 

This shrub is herbaceous meaning that the stems will completely die back in the winter. Although their isn't anything to see in the wintertime, the show that it puts on during the summer is well worth it. 

We have it in a variety of different colors to choose from so there is something here for everyone!


Kid's Garden Club Update

Vermicomposting: The kids got to learn about what would fall under the category of biodegradable vs. nonbiodegradable and discover what you can compost. 

Water Cycle: We learned about permeability and water holding capacity by doing an experiment with sponges. 

Solar Energy: The kids worked together to make solar ovens and then made smores. 

Since our last update, we have had a class on propagation and made lots of new plants to take home, learned all about vermicomposting and got to handle the finished product, took a deep dive into the water cycle and made miniature terrariums, studied photosynthesis and created chlorophyll paintings, we went in-depth about solar power and made solar ovens to make a sweet treat, and lastly, we celebrated with a Farm to Table end of summer celebration! Even though these classes have come to an end, keep an eye out for similar opportunities for your kids with a budding green thumb. 

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Instagram: @smithsnursery

Twitter: @smithsnursery

Website: www.smithsnurseryinc.com

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