KHA presents ‘The Visit’
KANNAPOLIS — Kannapolis History Associates invites you to enjoy an evening with “J. W. And Mary Ella Cannon,” pioneers and founders of Kannapolis and Cannon Mills.
It will be a short visit, as “Mr. and Mrs. Cannon” will be returning to Kannapolis to get an update on how the area has changed and is progressing since they moved on to a “better place” many years ago.
The A. L. Brown High School Drama Club presents “The Visit” which they have written, directed and produced. There will be time for questions.
The presentation is Monday, April 2 at 7 p.m. in the A. L. Brown High School social Room, 415 East First St.
Park in the lot East of Trinity Methodist Church. To learn more call Phil Goodman at 704-796-0803.

Church security — where do we start?
An informative program at First Presbyterian Church will be offered at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 17, for church leaders and anyone else interested.
The seminar will be held at Lewis Hall, First Presbyterian Church, 308 W. Fisher St. It is sponsored by Central Carolina Insurance, Southern Mutual Insurance and the Rowan County Sheriff’s Department. RSVP by April 11 to brownj@centralcarolina.com or harrisw@centralcarolina.com with your estimated number of attendees. Questions? 704-636-5311.

A.L. Brown Class of ‘63 mini reunion
The A.L. Brown Class of ‘63 will hold its Spring Mini Reunion on Saturday, April 14, at Logan’s Roadhouse. Call or email if you plan to attend: Joyce E. Bost, 704-224-3776, redwdycruiser@aol.com or Linda L. Turner, 828-230-1750, linda.doug@gmail.com or Brenda L. Hodgens, 704-467-5708, brendahodgens@carolina.rr.net

Kneeling Gardeners
KANNAPOLIS — The Kneeling Gardeners’ monthly meeting was at Trinity United Methodist Church on Feb. 26. Speaker for the evening was Thomas Joyner. Thomas and his wife own “Southern Roots,” a small garden center in Belmont. He has been called the Billy Graham of the plant world after 25 years experience in landscaping, design and install. March is the time to fertilize lawns in preparation for Spring. Pre-emergent is recommended for weed prevention. In April use again. Seed lawns in the fall only. While 90 percent of us use fescue, from now to mid-June there is not enough time for the roots to germinate. The rule of thumb is: battle weeds in the spring and plant in the fall. Weed Out is also good to clear cover and 200 other weeds and is also economical. Trimec is another herbicide but is used more commercially. By the way, onions in your yard are wild garlic. Always lime your lawn but it will take 6 months to raise the PH unless you buy the new super lime which will work in about 3 weeks. Walk off your yard with 1 stride equally 3 feet to determine the quantity of fertilizer and lime needed. We keep our plants healthy with fertilizer and water but sometimes our plants get tired and worn out. Fertilize azaleas, butterfly bushes and roses after they bloom. Do not feed azaleas Epsom salts since this lowers the PH and they like more acidic soil. When the plant goes to flower or fruit, all the energy goes to the bloom. Feeding after bloom promotes foliage and health. Fertilize shrubbery and evergreens in April. Organic base fertilizer is recommended for trees and shrubs. Southern Roots makes their own organic base fertilizer. Miracle grow is for annuals only. You want them to bloom like plants on steroids. They only have the one season to show their beauty. When it comes to pruning crape myrtles, prune only to maintain size. Most are pruned improperly which allows for too many shoots. Use smaller ornamental grasses for texture in flower gardens; no pampas grass since it is so invasive. Monkey grass, lariope, is appropriate and may be cut back anytime. Cassian is a good little grass showing white plumes June through September. Carex is like monkey grass but does not spread, and everillo grass fluffs over yellow. If the frost has already burned your camellias and gardenias, leave them alone until the first two weeks of April. Hydrangeas respond best to pruning after blooming since the new blooms set immediately and do not forget to fertilize them. The reason plants in containers sustain so much damage during winter is that they are usually dry. Water once weekly to help resist cold damage. Thomas has a wealth of information and can answer questions regarding our own plants. Although it is still winter at the garden center, he brought Yew, an evergreen that moderately grows and has to be shaped once a year, dwarf boxwood which is versatile for shade or sun and is a slow grower, Lenten rose, black mondo grass. Plants are a popularity contest. If you are interested in gardening, join us March 26 at 7 p.m. when Doug Vernon from the NC Research Campus will be our speaker.