ONSLOW COUNTY, NC— The Onslow County Cooperative Extension and the Onslow County Master Gardeners Volunteers will host a ribbon cutting for the new Discovery Gardens on Thursday, June 01, 2017 at 11 a.m.

The Discovery Gardens is located behind the Cooperative Extension Multipurpose Building at 4024 Richlands Highway, Jacksonville. The Discovery Gardens is an inviting space for the community with a summer house, nature boardwalk, and raised bed vegetable gardens. The Discovery Gardens also features a lawn mall for hosting public events and an area for shuffleboard.

In 2004, the Master Gardeners Volunteers saw a need for a public garden in Onslow County. The Master Gardeners wanted the space to serve as an outreach and education effort for those to learn about plants that grow in Onslow County and how to care for them. The Master Gardeners envisioned a public space for citizens to enjoy the outdoors and reflect upon the natural beauty around them. The space would also serve as a peaceful location for community events.

The Onslow County Board of Commissioners gave the Cooperative Extension permission in 2011 to use the land for the Discovery Gardens; construction began in 2012. This ribbon cutting will celebrate the most recent phase of construction, which includes the completion of all pathways, the summer house and the irrigation system. The irrigation system pulls from cisterns that collect rain water off the roofs of the Multipurpose Building and Farmers’ Market. With the completion of this phase, all hardscaping is in place for the Master Gardeners to plant several gardens to include: wildlife, pollinator, shade and heritage plant gardens. One more phase of construction is anticipated with the eventual completion of the ornamental pond, children’s farm garden and educational signage.

“We would like to thank the Master Gardeners Volunteers who had the vision and passion to start this project. We also thank the Onslow County Board of Commissioners for without their support, we would not have been able to get this project off the ground,” said Extension Agent Lisa Rayburn. “We’d also like to thank the community who supported this project through donations, volunteering and using of this space. There is nothing the Master Gardeners would like more than to see people visiting and enjoying the Discovery Gardens.”

The public is invited to attend the ribbon cutting; light refreshments will be provided.

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