City of Sanford Appearance Commission

05/26/2026

We are looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday for the Jambor-Bee! 🐝🌸

Along with a pollinator craft, a bee cage, and a demonstration hive, you’ll have the chance to talk with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension- Lee County Center Master Gardeners.

🌱 They’ll also have native plants for sale (cash only)!

🗓️ Saturday, May 30, 2026, 9 a.m. to noon
📍 Chatham Street Parking Lot behind the Buggy Company Building
💲 Free (except for the plant sale)

05/20/2026

We’d love for you to join us on Friday, June 19, 2026, at W.B. Wicker Elementary for our third annual celebration.

🎶PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT🎶 “Freedom Songs” will pay tribute to the WBW Class of 1966 with spoken word and song.

The Brenda Johnson Community Choir and Ray Owen with Rod Brower and the Together-N-Unity Choir will perform.

The event is free and open to all. Bring the family and help us celebrate the resilience, determination, and achievement that Juneteenth represents!

📅 Friday, June 19, 2026, 6PM-7PM
📍 W.B. Wicker School Auditorium, 806 S. Vance Street in Sanford, NC
🔗 https://micro.page/juneteenth

The Lee County Arts Council, Visit Sanford, Downtown Sanford, Inc., City of Sanford, NC - Government, Rod Brower, Tanette Headen, Margaret B Murchison

05/10/2026

Fill those spring gardens with beneficial, local plants and support our pollinators at the same time. 🌱🌸

🐝 The Online Pollinator Haven Garden Plant Sale is LIVE! Order here: https://go.ncsu.edu/leecopollinatorplantsale.

Hosted by the Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteers of Lee County

Transform your garden into a thriving ecosystem with plants that are North Carolina tough! Our 2026 Online Sale features a massive selection of perennials, grasses, and shrubs specifically chosen to support our local bees, butterflies, and birds.

🛒 HOW TO SHOP:
Online Store Link: https://go.ncsu.edu/leecopollinatorplantsale

Selection: We have over 40 varieties available, from spring ephemerals to late-fall nectar sources.

📦 CONVENIENT CURBSIDE PICKUP:
All orders must be picked up at the McSwain Extension Education Center (2420 Tramway Rd, Sanford) during the following windows:

Thursday, May 21: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Friday, May 22: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

🌱 A SNEAK PEEK AT OUR 2026 INVENTORY:
We have something for every corner of your yard! Here are just a few highlights:

The Monarch Favorites: Butterfly W**d (Asclepias tuberosa) and a huge variety of Bee Balm (Monarda—including 'Jacob Cline', 'Claire Grace', and Spotted Bee Balm).

Late-Season Stars: 'Sheffield Pink' Mums, Goldenrod (Solidago), and several varieties of Asters (Symphyotrichum) to keep the pollinators fed into the fall.

Drama & Structure: Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium), Scarlet Rose Mallow (Hibiscus coccineus), and False Indigo (Baptisia).

Shade & Texture: 'Autumn Bride' Heuchera, Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis), and 'Tifblue' Blueberries.

Native Grasses: Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and 'Golden Sunset' Indiangrass.

💡 WHY BUY FROM THE Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Lee County?
Our volunteers have vetted every plant on this list for Lee County success. All proceeds go directly toward supporting local gardening education, youth programs, and the maintenance of our public demonstration gardens.

Ready to plant for the future? Click the link below to start your order!
👉 https://go.ncsu.edu/leecopollinatorplantsale

04/30/2026

Due to the high likelihood for (much needed) rain and the cool temperatures forecast for Saturday, the Jambor-Bee has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 30. Same time and place.

04/28/2026

Date change for the Sanford Jambor-Bee!🐝🦋🌼

Bee-prepared! Our local bee experts are sharing why you don’t want to miss this year’s Jambor-Bee.

From live demonstrations to kid-friendly activities, there’s something for everyone.

Join us and see how small actions can make a big impact for our pollinators!

🗓️ Saturday, May 30, 2026.
⏰ 9 a.m. - Noon
📍 Chatham Street Parking Lot behind the Buggy Building, 115 Chatham Street.

04/24/2026

*RESCHEDULED TO MAY 30, 2026*

We are excited to announce the Bee City Field Day has a new name and new location!

The ✨Sanford Jambor-Bee✨ will be a morning of pollinator education and hands-on activities, including:

🐝Beekeepers Jody Moore and Dennis Brown, as well as members of local beekeepers associations, with a live bee cage and demo hive.

🌿 Native and pollinator-friendly plant education with the Extension Master Gardeners of Lee County and the N.C. Native Plant Society-Sandhills Chapter. (Plus plants for purchase!)

🍯Midnight Bee Supply Co. with beekeeping supplies for purchase.

🌼 Buzzline Microtransit, "Stripe” the Bee Mascot, and kids activities.

📍Join us in Chatham Street Parking Lot behind the Buggy Building, 115 Chatham Street, on MAY 30 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Rain or shine!

03/06/2026

03/02/2026

Liz Whitmore has been a driving force behind the many innovative and creative projects accomplished by the Appearance Commission. We wish her the most amazing retirement, full of wonders and wanders. Sanford will be much less colorful without her! 🩷💛💚

02/25/2026

Thank you to the CCCC Automotive Restoration Technology students for their work on our bee sculptures. Their care, attention, and skill will allow the bees to shine for years to come! 🐝🌟

01/28/2026

Have you noticed the beautiful new plaques at our four bee sculptures? Thank you to Bee City USA for featuring them! 🐝💛