Fun Alternatives to Easter Egg Hunts

Families love to explore Duke Gardens together.
Photo by Bill Snead.

Easter egg hunts are great fun in your home, but they can create problems in Duke Gardens. We want to remind visitors that Easter egg hunts are not permitted in Duke Gardens, and to offer some fun ways for visitors—particularly youngsters—to celebrate Easter and enjoy all springtime visits together.

Why no Easter egg hunts at Duke Gardens? We ask visitors to refrain from egg hunts so that we can keep the fragile plants in this botanic garden safe from excited little hands and feet searching high and low for eggs and candies. We also ask visitors to help protect wildlife, so animals and birds won't try to eat the large number of forgotten eggs and candies later. Many people are unaware that chocolate can be especially harmful to dogs, and we want visiting dogs to be safe, too.

What to do instead? We'd love to hear your ideas. Here are some of ours:

* Explore the Discovery Garden, a sustainable, organic food garden, to see fruits, vegetables and herbs getting their start for the season. You can also learn a lot about Earth science, chickens, and bees! We have lots of bee houses in the garden, and also a new bee observation hive where you can safely peer at the bees at work.

New bee observation hive at the Burpee Learning Center. Photos by Nick Schwab.

* Play a game of Search with Your Eyes (not hands, please): Kids can have lots of fun looking all over the Gardens for signs of spring, from new buds to colorful blossoms. How many times can they find their favorite color? How about familiar shapes that appear in leaves and flowers? How many circles, triangles or squares can you find? If you visit our information desk before heading out into the Gardens, we'll give you a free Scavenger Hunt for young visitors to follow.

From beehouses to flowers, there are many cool shapes to observe throughout the Gardens.
Photos by Nick Schwab and Cathi Bodine.

* Fun activities to print out in advance: Plan your family visit ahead of time with the activities on our Self-Guided Garden Resources webpage.

Great blue heron and ducks.
Photo by Jordan Montgomery.

* Bird watch: From a great blue heron to a red-tailed hawk, ducks and many other species, lots of birds will be enjoying the spring weather in the Gardens this weekend. How many different birds can you spot? Any you've never seen before? Check out the informational signs at the Asiatic Arboretum Pond or the Bird Viewing Shelter in the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants, and you can write down species names to learn more about when you get home.

* Shutterbug Madness: We'd love to see your favorite photos that celebrate spring in Duke Gardens. Please share them on our Facebook page or on Instagram (tag us at #dukegardens).

*Easter Sunday Service: Join Duke Chapel Sunday for a 6:30 a.m. Easter Sunrise Service on the South Lawn of Duke Gardens. Please don't forget to bring a flashlight to help find your way to the lawn in the morning darkness, and a towel to wipe the dew from your chairs. If it rains, the services will be in Duke Chapel.

Thank you for joining us in celebrating spring and protecting the plants and animals that we all love.

Sarah P. Duke Gardens creates and nurtures an environment in the heart of Duke University for learning, inspiration and enjoyment through excellence in horticulture and community engagement. Duke Gardens is at 420 Anderson St.

Spring Plant Sale Preview: Bee Balm

Bee balm (Monarda).

By Rose James
Photos by Annie Yang

For those who love bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, consider the Monarda plant, commonly known as bee balm, which we’ll have in nine varieties at Saturday’s Spring Plant Sale and tomorrow’s members-only preview sale (event details below).

 Of those nine, three are from the Sugar Buzz series. Released in 2014 by Walters Gardens Inc., this family of Monarda is extremely resistant to powdery mildew, a fungus that previously prevented many gardeners from introducing Monarda into their collections.

Each variety of Sugar Buzz Monarda features dark green foliage that smells of mint—thus its attractiveness to pollinators such as butterflies. Monarda is a hardy plant and can survive in full sun or partial shade with consistent, regular watering, and Sugar Buzz varieties are deer and rabbit resistant.

When cared for properly, Monarda will spread quickly. It’s often planted in perennial borders, but it is also a favorite for container planting, as the sturdy foliage allows flower clumps to form upright and prevent drooping.

The Sugar Buzz varieties of Monarda are favorites for summer-blooming gardens, and all varieties bloom around the same time, making them perfect choices to plant together.

In our Sugar Buzz trio this weekend, ‘Bubblegum Blast’ will give you the bright pink splash that its name implies. It is perfect for perennial borders and mass planting. It’s also easy to grow, heat and humidity loving, and will clump and spread with average care. ‘Cotton Candy’ features pale pinky purple flowers with lighter centers and lavender dots. Monarda “Grape Gumball” is the darker variety of the bunch, displaying deep magenta blooms.
Monarda

Our Monarda selections will also include Monarda didyma ‘Purple Rooster’, which provides the perfect purple complement to the Sugar Buzz series. This plant features true purple flowers and clean foliage. Its stalks are so sturdy that even the blooms reaching 3 feet tall do not require stakes.

Monarda didyma ‘Purple Rooster’ blooms in mid to late summer with fragrant foliage and flowers. The plant grows most quickly in full sun, but spreading will occur more rapidly in partial shade. In addition to attracting pollinators, it is deer resistant. To encourage flowering, foliage should be cut back at the end of every re-bloom.

Monarda didyma 'Purple Rooster'.
Photo courtesy of Mt. Cuba Center.

SPRING PLANT SALE INFO:
Date: Saturday, April 7, 2018
Time: 8 a.m.-noon
Preview sale for members only: Friday, April 6, 4-6 pm. Duke Gardens members get 10% off at the preview sale and public sale, as well as a full list of plants in advance! Join online or on site.
Parking: Free.
Pets not permitted
Wagons + boxes: Our supply is limited; please bring your own if possible, and you'll have more time to spend gathering beautiful plants.
Your support helps Duke Gardens to provide summer internships to aspiring horticulturists from across the nation.
Please see our event page for more information, and we'd love for you to spread the word by sharing the event on Facebook and inviting your friends.
Thank you!

Bloggers Rose James and Annie Yang are in Duke's Class of 2020 and are Duke Gardens work-study marketing assistants.

The Changeover Magic of the Historic Terraces

By Sarah Leach Smith

Photos by Cecilia Xie

Horticulturist Jan Watson installs new plants.

If you have ever visited Sarah P. Duke Gardens, you probably took a photo of, or maybe a selfie in, the photogenic Historic Terraces. Even if you have never been able to visit the Gardens in person, it is highly likely that the photo that popped up in your Google search was of the Terraces.

Since 1939, the Terraces have been a widely recognized icon of Duke Gardens. Designed by Ellen Biddle Shipman, an American landscape architect, the Terraces have remained largely unchanged since their creation over 75 years ago. Seven levels make up the garden, which was built into a naturally occurring slope. Curator Mike Owens is currently preparing for the twice-a-year display changeover and has offered an inside scoop into what this process is like.

Each June and October, Owens and his team of horticulturists (Jan Watson and Heather Seifert) begin the changeover. The new planting designs, however, are created as many as six months in advance! Each design is based on a theme, and the designs that Owens comes up with have only gotten more complex over time. 

A Terrace bed awaiting new plants.

“We used to use just tulips, and it would be a tulip show. Now, we probably have around 15 different bulb species – Crocus, Narcissus, then the tulips, and later in the spring you’ll see the Allium coming up.” Throughout the bulb display there is a variety of herbaceous material, including pansies, Dianthus and foxgloves. Owens likes using combinations like this, as well as techniques like bulb layering, to help extend the display season. 

The changeover of the Terraces does not happen all at once. The roughest-looking plants will be removed and replaced first. For the fall changeover, Owens, Watson and Seifert will begin in mid-October and wrap up with the bulb installation by Thanksgiving.

October’s changeover is designed to last until after Duke’s spring commencement, which occurs in mid-May. To keep the plants looking happy and healthy until then, Owens has several successful methods. Each bed has its own pop-up irrigation system that ensures the plants stay quenched. The beds are fertilized almost exclusively with feather meal, which is made from poultry feathers and is rich in nitrogen. “I think it has really helped ‘pump up’ the display,” Owens said. 

Horticulturist Heather Seifert hard at work!

Keep an eye out for this talented team in the Terraces this fall. As the weather warms up in the spring, make sure to come back for a visit – and a great photo in an iconic part of Duke Gardens!

Plants of Distinction Series

by Erika Zambello

It isn't often that you see a group of people kneeling on the trail, faces full of daffodils. But that's just what we were doing in Duke Gardens' Plants of Distinction class "Scents of Spring."

The Plants of Distinction series provides participants with the opportunity to look at specific plants in the Gardens with more focus, whether those plants provide color, delight, seasonality, or, in our case, fragrance. Spring is an especially fragrant time to be in the gardens, both for pleasing and not-so-pleasing odors. Jason Holmes, curator of the Doris Duke Center Gardens, led us on a walk to learn about plants that would charm us with their springtime perfumes.

Cherry trees in the Entry Allée

Though we were focusing on the scents of spring, its colors were hard to ignore. The cherry trees were in full bloom, decorating the Gardens with their pink and white blossoms. We stopped a few times near the Doris Duke Center and in the Perennial Allée, gradually making our way to the Terrace Gardens. There we were greeted with a wealth of flowers to pause over and smell.

Peach blossoms

Hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis), which grow in multiple colors throughout the Gardens, have an especially sweet fragrance that I just loved. Directly across from them was a bed full of pansies and daffodils, showing off their yellow and purple colors. Though the Narcissus 'Falconette' variety have smaller petals than others, Jason explained that in his experience, the smaller flowers actually have the better and more powerful fragrance. Directly above the daffodils were the peach blossoms, and though they only had a faint smell the tree was jam-packed with beautiful blossoms that I could not stop photographing.

Mixed bed of pansies and daffodils

We moved down the Terraces and up above the fish pool to take in the delicate aroma of the winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima), and then up through the Memorial Garden and Butterfly Garden before heading into the Woodland Garden. Throughout the tour we had many opportunities to test the fragrance of each flower that Jason described, as well as learn the best growing conditions for the plant and how we might use them in our own gardens. By the end of our walk, I had a whole new appreciation for the wonders of the spring season.

The final course in the spring and summer Plants of Distinction series is "Early Summer Blossoms," which will be led by Bobby Mottern, director of horticulture. Learn which plants ornament our early summer in this stroll through the Gardens to see fringe trees, late magnolias, peonies, and more. The "Early Summer Blossoms" walk will be on Thursday, June 11, from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

The class fee is $7; $5 for Gardens members and Duke students/staff. Participation is limited to 15 only, so don't miss your chance to learn more about Duke Gardens' Plants of Distinction!

Blogger and photographer Erika Zambello is a graduate student studying ecosystem science and conservation at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment.

Spring Plant Sale Preview

Plants from Duke Gardens are always
popular at the Spring Plant Sale

By Kate Blakely

Springtime is a lovely mix of old and new. Old favorite bulbs are sprouting. And gardeners begin scouting out new possibilities for that extra special spot in the garden. Whether you’ve made a tradition of it or it’s your first time visiting us, the Duke Gardens Spring Plant Sale is always a wonderful opportunity to celebrate spring.

Every year Duke Gardens gathers a great variety of plants to offer for sale. This year, the sale will be Saturday, March 31, 8 a.m. to noon, with a preview sale for Gardens members Friday, March 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. (you can join on site).

Many of the featured plants have been propagated by volunteers on the Gardens’ propagation team. Gardens staff members, volunteers and members of the Durham Master Gardeners will be on hand and love to answer questions and provide advice for all your gardening needs.

Here’s a preview of some of the new and old favorites you’ll be able to find at the sale this year.

Purple-leaved smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'): This is an unusual plant of Chinese origin, and it sells out almost every year. The multi-stem shrub can grow up to 12 feet high. Its new growth and foliage provides a splash of purple or burgundy color in the garden.

“They produce flowers in a large panicle that’s open and fluffy,” says Jason Holmes, curator of the Doris Duke Center Gardens. “That’s what gives them the appearance of smoke in the distance. It’s a real unique oddity that would fit well into a woodland landscape.”

Hostas: Hostas always generate interest in the garden, and you’ll see some new varieties at the sale, including ‘Autumn Frost’ and ‘Heat Wave’.

“ ‘Autumn Frost’ is a uniquely blue-foliaged hosta with an awesome variegation through the mid-vein,” says Holmes.

‘Heat Wave’ is certainly the best way to describe our southern summers. During the spring, this hosta has chartreuse centers with blue margins; then in summer the center brightens to gold and the edges turn blue-green.

“If deer are a problem and you love hostas,” Holmes says, “I would try them in a container on your deck or close to the house.”

Roses: If you’re looking for a hardy rose, don’t miss the Rosa chinensis ‘Mutabilis.’ This no-spray rose is a very heat-tolerant cultivar, said Holmes. It also stands up very well against insects and doesn’t appear to get diseases. It will bloom from the beginning of May through November, and you won’t even have to deadhead it. The Rosa chinensis will respond well to a little pruning during the winter months. All in all, it’s an easy-care favorite.

The sale will also feature a wonderful variety of herbs and vegetables, including squash, zucchini, fennel, dill and peppers, as well as heirloom tomatoes. It won’t include craft vendors, but it will feature additional plant vendors, with diverse offerings and areas of expertise. (See more info on our plant sale page.)

At the sale, plants will be marked with signs noting whether they’re drought- or deer-resistant. The Duke Gardens-propagated plants will also be marked; you may want to head there first, as people love bringing a little piece of Duke Gardens home to their own gardens.

A final thing to keep in mind is that because the sale is earlier this year than previous years, you should refrain from heading home and planting right away. Keep your new plants indoors until the last frost date, April 15.

For more information about the plant sale, Gardens membership or other Duke Gardens classes and public events, please go to gardens.duke.edu. To join Friends of Duke Gardens in order to attend the preview sale, please call 668-1711.

Sarah P. Duke Gardens creates and nurtures an environment in the heart of Duke University for learning, inspiration and enjoyment through excellence in horticulture. The Gardens is at 420 Anderson St.

Kate Blakely is a graduate student at Duke Divinity School and a work-study assistant at Duke Gardens. This column first appeared in the March 17 Durham Herald-Sun.