Master Gardener Lisa Doss thinks Stokes County is the best place to garden.
“Stokes is the farthest south you can grow northern plants, and the farthest north you can grow Southern plants.”
The central Stokes County homestead she shares with husband Kevin demonstrates years of learning and experience, one step at a time.
“We all start from somewhere,” Doss says.
The homestead’s assorted berries, fruit trees, honey bees, vegetable garden, a lushly bursting-at-the-seams greenhouse, and pasture-raised chickens show how far she has come.
“I garden. My husband cans,” she laughs. Paw paws, pecans, and heirloom apple varieties adds a North Carolina flavor to the homestead.
Doss has comments on every part of the homestead.
“When blueberry season ends, elderberry season begins.”
“We want to be self-sufficient.”
“I love, Love, LOVE the bees!”
While growing up near Hagerstown, Md., Doss was already into the family garden.
“I’d plant, hoe, and harvest.” Doss tries to pass gardening passion to her daughter, Sayre. “When she wanted to buy plants, I told her ‘OK, you’re the gardener. I’m the helper. What should we do?’ “
Doss’ curiosity and wanderlust carried her around the country — from Colorado to Texas — until fate brought her to the North Carolina Piedmont.
Writing a series of gardening and teaching articles in area magazines increased Doss’ curiosity about medicinal herbs. Researching medicinal herbs and herbalists “took me down the rabbit hole,” Doss said. It set her on the path to becoming an herbalist.
The classes she teaches as an herbalist allow her to grow her “herbal community” in Stokes County.
Doss’ path to Master Gardener came serendipitously. In 2018, she requested advice on her berries from the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Stokes County Center. During the farm visit, Doss asked the Extension Agent how he knew so much about plants.
“I’m a Master Gardener,” he explained, then told her about the Master Gardener program. “Sign me up!” Doss told him.
That led Doss to Stokes’ 2019 Master Gardener class.
“We only had three people. We eat very well. We have a passion about the same things.”
Some of Doss’ favorite learning was what grows best in what conditions, and how to amend the soil.
“Gardening has its challenges here. In Stokes County, we grow rocks,” Doss laughed. She learned about soil and how to improve it to suit what she grows.
Asked about a gardening tip of the month, Doss offered several.
“Find a gardening app that tells you what plants correspond with the month, when to plant, and suggests companion planting.”
“If you want pumpkins this fall, plant now. June is the month to plant pumpkins.”
“Consider providing water for pollinators. It doesn’t have to be fancy. A saucer with water is enough. Put in some marbles for pollinators to land on to drink, or you’ll have drowned bees.”
“As a Master Gardener, I love spreading the word about the N.C. Cooperative Extension and community groups,” said Doss.
The Extension Master Gardener program in Stokes County is an intensive course in consumer horticulture. In exchange for their training, Extension Master Gardener volunteers contribute time as volunteers and work through N.C. Cooperative Extension, Stokes County Center, to provide horticulture-related information to the public through classes, plant clinics, demonstration gardens, and much more.
Topics covered in the Master Gardener training course include: Soils, Fertilizers, Organic Gardening, Botany & Plant Physiology, Plant Identification and Propagation, Attracting and Deterring Wildlife, Native and Invasive Plants, Beneficial and Pest Insects, Managing Plant Diseases & Weeds, and much more!!!
New Master Gardener training courses typically are held starting in January and run through April of each year. For more information contact Matt Lenhardt, County Extension Director and Extension Agent, Agriculture, at malenhar@ncsu.edu or 336.593.8179.
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