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JULY Plant Spotlight HYDRANGEA COLOR CHANGE Hydrangeas are a popular flowering shrub in the landscape with showy flowers in late spring through early summer. Hydrangeas provide a large burst of color in the landscape with their large flower clusters. You will often see a variation of colors on hydrangeas from blue to pink. It is possible to change the color of the bigleaf hydrangea based on the soil pH. So, if you decide that you want to change the color of your hydrangea you will have to change the soil pH. The fi rst step would be to know what your current soil pH is. The best way to determine this is to get a soil test. Soil test boxes and forms are available at the Wayne County Extension Offi ce at 3114-B Wayne Memorial Drive, Goldsboro. Once you get your soil test results back, you will know what the soil pH is and whether you need to increase or decrease it to get your desired flower color. To increase soil pH, you will need to add lime to the soil. To decrease soil pH, you will need to add sulfur to the soil. Many soils in North Carolina are acidic (low soil pH), so most people will probably have a hydrangea with blue flowers. Unfortunately, it can take a while for the effects of changing the soil pH to show up in the flower color. Some materials, like lime, will take several months before changing the soil pH. You might not have realized that you could have a science experiment in your own garden but with a little knowledge of soil pH and patience, the bigleaf hydrangea is the only plant you can have some fun with manipulating the flower color. Jessica Strickland is an agriculture extension agent, specializing in horticulture for North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Wayne County 2 THE BUZZ AROUND WAYNE COUNTY JULY 2026 july Line Line-up! -up! NOW: Registration Open for Summer Art Camp* Learn about art history icons like Monet, Matisse, and many more! Spots are limited, sign up today . 7/1: Beginner Character Design Class 5-7pm $75/pp* Week two begins of this four week beginner class. This class explores character design, fundamentals, anatomy, and drawing skills. Ages 13-19 7/4: Creation Station at the Fairgrounds 4–9 PM FREE Meet us at the Fairgrounds for an evening of family fun! Stop by to meet our team, get your face painted, purchase patriotic art, and make a take-home craft. 7/8: Homeschool Art Hour 10-11am $15/ pp* Join us every 2nd Wednesday of the month for educational, rigorous, and fun projects by our teaching artists! 7/10: Opening Reception: Nature/Human @ 139 W Walnut St. 3-6 pm FREE Join us for the opening of Nature/Human, a collaborative exhibition exploring the relationship between humanity and nature. 7/11: Yoga + Mimosas 1-2:30pm $15/pp* Enjoy a rejuvenating 1-hour yoga season then relax and mingle at our mimosa social. Rentals: Main Gallery & Vault Host your next event in one of our unique rental spaces. Learn more and inquire about rentals on our website. *To register for specific programs and events, please visit www.artsinwayne.org or call 919-947-0009. Averil Williams, Publisher and Owner A Publication of AUTH Media Group, LLC 2822 Cashwell Dr, #330 Goldsboro, NC 27534 919-289-9238 averil@thebuzzaroundwaynecounty.com www.thebuzzaroundwaynecounty.com Only 1 copy per household • All rights reserved We reserve the right to accept or deny any advertising or news items presented to us. All advertising copy in The Buzz unless completely made and submitted by someone else, remains property of AUTH Media Group and cannot be used without written permission from Buzz management. RED, WHITE WHITE AND BUZZ' BUZZ' By Averil Williams Happy July, Buzz Nation! America is turning 250 years old, and we've packed this issue tighter than Uncle Bob's plate at the cookout! Don't miss the article on the Revolutionary Journey on July 3rd in Downtown Goldsboro— it's history with fireworks (and fewer homework assignments). The wildly popular Speak Your Mind section is back, where opinions fly faster than mosquitoes at a backyard barbecue. Don't miss the Mommy and Son photos, tugging at the heart! We've also got Sprinkler Summer Fun photos, local Cooling Station information to help you survive this heat that's got the sun showing off, and we're excited to debut something new—an article presented in both English and Spanish because community speaks every language. We're all in this together! As for me, I'm on a very important patriotic mission… locating as many cookouts as humanly possible. If you see me near several grills and smokers, mind your business, I'm on Cookout Patrol. I'll stop writing so you can start Buzzin'. Enjoy this jam- packed edition of The BUZZ! A big BUZZ shout out to LOS FOGONES for being the MOST VOTED BEST OF NORTH CAROLINA 2026 LATIN RESTAURANT! Thank you for great food and great service. Congratulations!