05.17.2023

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Today’s Forecast

51º | Cloudy | 0% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:25 a.m. | Sunset 5:17 p.m.

🌸 Grow big, grow home

Become an expert on native flowers

Black-eyed susans are similar to Europe-native daisies. | Photo via Wikimedia Commons

You love local food, music, business, and art — so while you’re planning your garden this spring, why not choose local plants, too?

Native plants are naturally adapted to the local climate, provide sustenance to native wildlife, and save water by thriving on normal rainfall. Plus, they’re more visually diverse than, say, lawn grass.

Consider planting some North Carolina flora this spring. We’ll get you started.

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

Water needs: Moist, Dry
Light needs: Sun
Bloom time: March-November

Growing tips: Black-eyed susan can become aggressive without competition, so consider planting it alongside other plants on this list.

Attracts: Birds, butterflies (Bordered Patch + Gorgone Checkerspot)

Trumpet honeysuckle — Also called coral honeysuckle, don’t confuse this native plant with invasive bush honeysuckle. | Photo by Wikimedia Commons

Carolina Jessamine

Gelsemium sempervirens

Water needs: Moist
Light needs: Sun, part-shade
Bloom time: March-May; may bloom again in early fall and December

Growing tips: Make sure your soil is never completely dry. Use elastic stretch ties and prune Jessamine early in its blooming season to train and maintain your desired shape.

Attracts: Hummingbirds, butterflies (Spicebush Swallowtail)

Trumpet Honeysuckle

Lonicera sempervirens

Water needs: Moist
Light needs: Sun, part-shade
Bloom time: March-June

Growing tips: Rich soil and structural assistance will help this vine climb to its full potential — up to 20 feet.

Attracts: Quail, purple finch, goldfinch, hermit thrush, and American robin

Two more native blooms

Events

Wednesday, May 17

Pay-What-You-Can Farmstand | Wednesday, May 17 | 4-7 p.m. | Raleigh City Farm, 800 N. Blount St., Raleigh | Free | Purchase produce like basil, cabbage, collards, okra, peppers, and tomatoes from this neighborhood farm.

Thursday, May 18

Live@Lake Raleigh | Thursday, May 18 | 5-8 p.m. | Lake Raleigh, Main Campus Drive + Campus Shore Drive, Raleigh | Free | Bring picnic blankets or lawn chairs and listen to live music on the shore; food trucks will be on site.
Liberation Station Bookstore Fundraiser | Thursday, May 18 | 6:30 p.m. | CAM Raleigh, 409 W. Martin St., Raleigh | $500+ | Enjoy tea and dessert from Ora Teahouse + Bakery, eat cotton candy by Wonderpuff, and receive an autographed copy of “The Museum Lives in Me.”

Friday, May 19

Got to Be NC Festival | Friday, May 19-Sunday, May 21 | Times vary | NC State Fairgrounds, 4285 Trinity Rd., Raleigh | Free | Enjoy this agricultural-related fair with animals, educational booths, food, games, and rides.
Bike To Work Day | Friday, May 19 | 8 a.m.-7 p.m. | Downtown Raleigh, Raleigh | Free | Bike to work and get bike swag, snacks, and more, set up at various pit stops by the City of Raleigh Transportation and Commute Smart; registration required.*

Saturday, May 20

Artsplosure | Saturday, May 20-Sunday, May 21 | Times vary | Downtown Raleigh, Fayetteville Street, Raleigh | Free | Enjoy this arts festival featuring an art market with ~175 juried visual artists, live music, installations, and arts + crafts.
Woofstock | Saturday, May 20 | 2-9 p.m. | West St. Dog, 400 W. North St., Raleigh | Free | Dance to live music, indulge in Midwood Smokehouse Smoky Hollow barbecue, and enjoy free dog caricatures, prizes + giveaways from local breweries.
Start Making Sense | Saturday, May 20 | 7:30 p.m. | Lincoln Theatre, 126 E. Cabarrus St., Raleigh | $17-$20 | Enjoy this tribute to the Talking Heads.

100+ fun May events

Click here to have your event featured.

Shop

Try This: Spend a day (and evening) in North Hills

Presented by a RALtoday Partner

Slideshow of shops, restaurants, and an outdoor concert at North Hills.

Need to find us on a Thursday night? Chances are, we’ll be here. | Photos by RALtoday

If you’ve visited before, you know North Hills is the perfect spot to shop, dine + play — and the lineup of spring and summer events is a can’t miss. Come along as we spend a day at North Hills.

What we tried:

Our Thursday found us in the North Hills’ Lassiter District shopping for a friend’s birthday gift. Stops (and a few purchases) were made at PaperBuzz, Fleur, and Voda Boutique before picking up some stunning stems at Trellis Floral for the birthday girl.

Fun fact: All the stores we stopped at are female, locally-owned shops.

Before we got our groove on at the Midtown Beach Music kickoff, we popped over to the Park District for a pre-concert al fresco dinner on the patio of Giorgio Pizza Bar. We shared light bites of burrata and fritto misto before white wine mussels and a kale Caesar salad with grilled prawns entrees — paired with a crisp glass of white wine.*

See how the concert went

News Notes

Sports

The Canes released its Eastern Conference Finals schedule yesterday. The series will open at home tomorrow, May 18 at 8 p.m. against the Florida Panthers. Score tickets.

Transit

After a brief pause in operation, Cardinal Bikeshare will be available for public use the first week of June. To celebrate, the City of Raleigh is offering free rides for 60 days.

Coming Soon

Cape Fear Seafood Company is opening a Wake Forest location on Monday, May 29. Guests can expect fresh seafood dishes like the Cape Fear Shrimp + Grits and Lemon Pepper Sea Scallops. This will be the restaurants third Wake County location.

Cause

Note in the Pocket partnered with three local breweries to release a special beer, Plays Well with Others. On Saturday, May 20 stop by Trophy Brewing, Crank Arm Brewing, or Raleigh Brewing to taste the new brew. Bonus: Each location will be collecting clothing donations to support its mission to end clothing insecurity.

Ranked

Raleigh jumped from last year’s ranking of No. 16 to No. 3 on Milken Institute’s list of the Best-Performing Cities. Important drivers for the City of Oaks include strong job + wage growth and a high-quality talent pool.

Plan Ahead

Up, up, and away. Grab a kite or rocket to join Dix Park and YMCA of the Triangle Y Guides for Flight Day on Saturday, June 3. There will be food trucks like Alsies Ice Cream and an on-site kite vendor.

Shop

Shop local, buy local, u-pick local strawberries. It’s nearly summertime which means strawberry season. Delicious by themselves, in jams and jellies, cakes and pies, ice cream and milkshakes, fruit salad, acai bowls + more. Find a strawberry farm near you and happy picking, Raleigh.*

Eat

Hosting a graduation party? Pro tip: Order a freshly-prepared party tray from Lowes Foods, and check catering off your list. Here’s how.*

Health

Feeling sick (but worried about urgent care costs)? MakoRx Care Connect is a healthcare hack that makes care affordable + easy. Read: Upfront cash price service menu, no insurance needed. Book an appointment at your local pharmacy to feel better faster.*

Featured Job

Attention teachers: Trinity Academy is hiring full-time Lower (TK-6) and Upper (7-12) school Latin Teachers to join their growing faculty. Bonus: They’re hiring various other teaching positions, too. Learn more + apply.*

Fun Fact

You can get $15 toward your tab at Oak City Meatball Shoppe when you become a member with Offline — a local restaurant club. Use the code “RALTODAY” to skip the waitlist and become a member so you can get dinner on them + more perks.*

Today Is

Today is World Baking Day. To celebrate, shop our online store (Six & Main), which features Sourhouse, a company that creates simple tools for sourdough bakers to care for their starters. You might just knead it. Start shopping now.

Try This

✨ Strut your stuff at Raleigh Fashion Fest

Strut your stuff at Raleigh Fashion Fest

Models for Charity will direct the collaborative fashion show. | Photo by RALtoday

Dress to impress today, May 17 because Raleigh is Growing is hosting Raleigh Fashion Fest in Smoky Hollow. This annual fashion, food, and shopping experience celebrates locally-owned boutiques + businesses.

The stars of the show? There will be a pet fashion show in partnership with Truss Vet at 6 p.m. and a Models for Charity collaborative runway show at 8 p.m.

In between shows, Raleighites can shop from local boutiques + food and drink vendors like Frills Atelier, Trophy Brewing/Young Hearts Distilling, and Midwood Smokehouse.

Funds raised from the fashion-forward event will benefit local charities The Women’s Center and The Grey Muzzle Organization.

The Wrap

Cat George in a black turtleneck sweater

Today’s edition by:
Cat

From the editor

I had the pleasure of attending Raleigh Chef Sunny Gerhart’s menu tasting at St. Roch for his upcoming restaurant Olivero, opening this summer in Wilmington.

My favorite dish of the night was a tie between the ramp + ricotta agnolotti or the rabbit milanese with soppressata. I guess I’ll be hopping in my car this summer to pay a visit to the new spot (a ~2 hour drive from downtown).

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