While most people are thinking about Thanksgiving, on Friday, November 18, about 20 Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteers in Mecklenburg County will be digging holes and installing almost 100 plants at two county facilities at 2415 Lester Street, off West Boulevard in Charlotte. The plants include junipers, abelias, beautyberries, ornamental grasses, a smoke tree, American Fringetrees, and others. After that, the volunteers will return to spread 5 cubic yards of compost and 10 cubic yards of mulch, and install irrigation lines. It’s all part of a broader effort to update and refresh the two long-dormant facilities in advance of youth and adult programming in the new year.

Plant installation:
Date: Friday, Nov. 18, 2022
Time: 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Location: 2415 Lester Street, Charlotte

The two facilities – the Amay James Recreation Center and the Amay James Annex Building (the new Cooperative Extension Center) in the Reid Park Neighborhood – have been under renovation for about a year. Owned and managed by Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, investments will enable programming opportunities for all ages. Amay James Recreation Center will offer adult therapeutic recreation, afterschool programs, youth sports, introductory culinary arts, educational activities, wheelchair basketball, mentoring, community meetings, special events and more. The former Amay James Annex building houses the N.C. Cooperative Extension-Mecklenburg County Center and offers soil testing, food and nutrition education programs, and 4-H Youth Development including cooking, nature, and STEM activities. The facility also houses the Extension Master Gardener program.

“Fall is the best time to plant as it gives trees and shrubs time to get established over the winter months,” said Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Barry Pettinato. “The foundation plants we’ve selected will greatly enhance the look and feel of these decades-old buildings, making them more attractive to the neighborhood and those who visit.”