Duke Gardens: November + December events

We’ve got lots of great activities in store for November and December. To register or for information, please e-mail or call 668-5309 for adult programs, or e-mail or call 668-1708 for children’s programs. For more information, please go to gardens.duke.edu.

Nov. 4 & 11, 7-9 p.m.
(2-class series)
PATIOS, WALKS and WALLS

*CLASS FULL* Building your own patio, walk or wall is less of a challenge if you begin with a great foundation of knowledge. Learn which paving type will suit your needs, review several installation methods, and then sketch out a plan to explore your choices first on paper. You can see examples of instructor and stone mason Cleve Wagstaff’s work all through the Duke campus. Read an interview with Wagstaff. $44; $40 Gardens Friends.

Nov. 4 & 18, 7-9 p.m. and Nov. 6 & 13, 8 a.m.-noon
(4-class series)
LEARNING TO SEE IN NATURE

Learn to more effectively observe nature, improve your ability to see the possibilities in a setting, and become a “photo-naturalist.” Photographer Melissa Southern will help you develop the ability to translate that vision into photographs that communicate to others and create something new and distinctive. $150; $120 Gardens Friends.

Nov. 5 & 19, 10 a.m.-noon

AUTUMN IN THE ARBORETUM

The Culberson Asiatic Arboretum holds many fascinating plants, displayed in beautiful and ever-changing combinations. Curator Paul Jones and horticulturist Michelle Stay Rawlins will guide you to little-known garden spaces and unique plants. Meet at the Doris Duke Center. $5; free for Gardens Friends. Please pre-register.

Nov. 6, 8-11 a.m.

BIRD WALKS

Enjoy an early morning stroll in the Gardens with fellow bird enthusiasts and Cynthia Fox, of Chapel Hill's Wild Bird Center. Cynthia will help you to spot, identify and learn more about the birds that call this region home, even temporarily. Don't miss this opportunity to experience that one remarkable bird sighting. Children are welcome if they are age 8 or older. Please bring binoculars. Free, but registration required.

Nov. 8, 7 p.m.
TRIANGLE ORCHID SOCIETY

The Triangle Orchid Society conducts its monthly meetings at the Doris Duke Center. This month’s topic: Orchids of the Dominican Republic. The public is invited. Free admission. For information: triangleorchidsociety.org.

Nov. 11 & Dec. 2, 11 a.m.-noon

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

Explore wild North Carolina in these walks through our Blomquist Garden of Native Plants. Join curator Stefan Bloodworth on the first Thursday of every month to discover native flowers and design strategies, and discuss ecology and your role in protecting the health of our planet. (The November tour was postponed one week.) $5; free for Gardens Friends. Please pre-register to ensure a spot on this popular tour.

Nov. 12, 10:45 a.m.-noon
TRADITIONAL JAPANESE TEA GATHERING

*EVENT FULL* As a guest to Tea, you will experience the patterns and poetry of Chado, or the Japanese “way of tea,” while enjoying an enticing bowl of whisked tea and a seasonal treat. The practice of Tea is characterized by the phrase ichigo ichie, or “one moment – one meeting.” The small class group will meet at the Doris Duke Center to be escorted by instructor Nancy Hamilton to the Durham-Toyama Sister Cities Pavilion in Duke Gardens for this intimate gathering. This is the seasonal “Falling Leaves Tea.” $25; $20 Gardens Friends; $25 for one adult and one child age 6 or older.

Nov. 13, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

GARDEN GUILD CRAFT SALE

Please stop by for some fun holiday shopping from the Gardens’ volunteer Garden Guild. Items for sale include knitted goods, stationery, ornaments, jewelry and other nature-focused gifts. Free admission. All proceeds support Sarah P. Duke Gardens.

Nov. 13, 10-11 a.m.
NATURE STORY TIME

Gather for nature stories and a take-home creative project with your 3- to 8-year-old child. Adults must accompany their children. Please make other arrangements for younger siblings. $3 per child. Registration required.

Nov. 18, Dec. 2, 9 & 16, 6-9 p.m.
(4-class series)
DESIGN YOUR HOME LANDSCAPE I

A well designed landscape creates a garden that is both enjoyable and maintainable. Jan Little, the Gardens’ director of education and public programs, will teach you the steps to complete a landscape design for your home, from identifying the existing conditions through generating potential ideas and completing the bed outlines. $110; $90 Gardens Friends.

Nov. 20 & 21, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
(2-class series)

SILHOUETTE

In this spare season, the beauty of line and edge is revealed. Nature photographer Kevin Adams will help you capture the natural silhouettes of bare limbs, seed pods, and water edges. Class includes field work and classroom review. Please see Kevin’s work at kadamsphoto.com. $180; $150 Gardens Friends. 668-5309.

Nov. 20, 11 a.m.-noon

ARTS IN THE GARDEN: WILLA BRIGHAM

A storyteller, poet, recording artist and host of the regional Emmy Award-winning morning television show "Smart Start Kids" on WRAL and public television, Brigham aims to empower children and adults alike to believe in themselves. "Imagination is a building block for success," she says. "Storytelling is a wonderful vehicle to ignite a child's imagination." See a sample of Brigham's television show at WRAL. See some short "Making Stories in Duke Gardens" videos. The show will be inside the Doris Duke Center. $10; $6 for children. 684-4444; tickets.duke.edu.

Nov. 21, 2-4 p.m.
TREES IN THE URBAN LANDSCAPE

Let master gardeners Gene Carlone and Leanna Murphy Dono help you transform your landscape with trees in this presentation, part of a series co-presented with the Durham County Cooperative Extension Service. Learn a palette of plants and proper planting and mulching techniques, and enjoy your trees more. Free but registration required.

Nov. 30, Dec. 7 & 14, 1-3:30 p.m.
(3-class series)
LANDSCAPE PLANTS FOR NORTH CAROLINA GARDENS

Each season, this class will cover another group of approximately 40 plants suitable for North Carolina gardens. Bobby Mottern, the Gardens’ director of horticulture and a landscape architect, will teach you identification skills and design use, and how to understand the culture of each plant. These winter classes will include plant silhouettes and evergreens. Each student will receive a portfolio of photos showing the plants studied. $100; $80 Gardens Friends. Read a blog feature about this class.

Nov. 30, 6:30-8 p.m.
DURHAM GARDEN FORUM

The Durham Garden Forum is an informal group that meets once a month to enrich the members’ gardening knowledge and skill. Local experts speak about topics of interest to the group. November topic: winter interest. $10; free for forum members. Durhamgardenforum@gmail.com.

Dec. 4, 2-4 p.m.

HOLIDAY DECORATIONS

Deck the Halls! Horticulture Superintendent Harry Jenkins and horticulturist Michelle Stay Rawlins will share tips and techniques for turning greenery, stems, flowers, and fruit into wreaths and centerpieces for the holidays. Each of you will make your own swag, wreath or centerpiece. We will supply all plant materials and a bow. Bring a pair of hand pruners and any embellishment you would like to include. $60; $45 for Gardens Friends.

Dec. 13, 7 p.m.
TRIANGLE ORCHID SOCIETY

The Triangle Orchid Society conducts its monthly meeting at the Doris Duke Center. This month will be a holiday potluck. The public is invited. Free admission. Information: www.triangleorchidsociety.org.

Dec. 14, 6:30-8 p.m.
DURHAM GARDEN FORUM

The Durham Garden Forum is an informal group that meets once a month to enrich the members’ gardening knowledge and skill. Local experts speak about topics of interest to the group. December topic: trees. $10; free for forum members. Durhamgardenforum@gmail.com.