Facebook Photo Contests are on again

It's been a while since we had a photo exhibit+contest on our Facebook page. Let's see if we can get our collective lens caps dusted off and share some more photos. Facebook's structure has changed, so we can no longer do the contests in "events" with ease (thanks, Facebook). So we'll have to resort to a collective album and email and see how it goes.

TOPIC: The topics for September will be (1) water plants, and (2) plants from Duke Gardens plant sales growing in your own gardens.

HOW TO ENTER: Email up to 3 photos for each contest to DukeGardensPhotos@yahoo.com. At least 5x7" or larger at 72 ppi is best, but if you don't know how to resize photos, feel free to send them as is, 1 per email. We will post them in an album on Facebook, with your Facebook name in the photo description. You can then add more information about the photo if you like, and encourage your friends to come see it and vote. You may also post the photo on our wall, but be sure to email it as well, so that it's officially in the contest and album. Only "like" votes on the album photos will count in vote tallies.

PRIZES: We'll have prizes for most "like" votes as well as judges' awards. First prize is a Duke Gardens 2012 calendar. 2nd prize: Duke Gardens greeting cards or a 75th anniversary T-shirt. 3rd prize: discount coupon for the Terrace Shop. Entrants may only win one prize per contest theme.

SHARE: Even if you're not interested in prizes or contests, we'd love for you to share your photos just for fun. We look forward to seeing your favorites.

LEARN MORE: Please check out our education & event listings for photo courses that you may enjoy. We also have a Nature Photography Certificate program that may interest you.

July + August 2011 events at Duke Gardens

Floral Studio with Theo Roddy

We've got lots of activities in store for the Duke Gardens community this summer. Here's our July and August schedule. And stay tuned for a link to our entire July-December schedule.

Unless otherwise noted, please call 919-668-1707 to register or for more information about classes and events.

July 5 & 6, 9:15 p.m.
American Dance Festival presents Eiko & Koma
Known internationally for their exquisitely meditative dances that resonate with strength and intensity, Eiko & Koma have created a theater of movement all their own. The choreographers will celebrate their 40th anniversary with the reconstruction of River (1995) in the pond of Duke Gardens’ Culberson Asiatic Arboretum. Through their journey downstream in serene waters, their small nuances of movement will transcend your previous notions of life and time and challenge the relationship of audience to artist. 684-4444. tickets.duke.edu; americandancefestival.org.

July 6, 7 p.m.
Duke Performances' Music in the Gardens series presents Holy Ghost Tent Revival. $10; $5 Duke students and employees; free for children age 12 and younger. 684-4444 or tickets.duke.edu.

July 7, 11 a.m.-noon Walk on the Wild Side
Explore wild North Carolina in the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants. Join curator Stefan Bloodworth on the first Thursday of every month to see which plants are in bloom, learn strategies to design with native plants, and discuss regional ecology and global environmental issues affecting native ecosystems and your role in protecting the health of our home planet. $5; free for Gardens members.
July 13, 7 p.m.
Duke Performances' Music in the Gardens series presents Lost in the Trees. $10; $5 Duke students and employees; free for children age 12 and younger. 684-4444 or tickets.duke.edu.

July 17, time TBA
American Dance Festival choreographer/instructor Rodger Belman presents a free outdoor performance by ADF student dancers, See photos and videos of Belman's 2010 and 2009 Duke Gardens projects. No registration required.

July 19, 6:30-8 p.m. Durham Garden Forum
The Durham Garden Forum is an informal group that meets once a month to enrich members’ gardening knowledge and skill. Local experts speak about topics of interest to the group. The public is invited. July topic: dealing with drought. $10; free for forum members. Durhamgardenforum@gmail.com.

July 20, 7 p.m.
Duke Performances' Music in the Gardens series presents cellist Bonnie Thron with clarinetist Fred Jacobowitz and pianist John Noel in the Kirby Horton Hall of the Doris Duke Center. $10; $5 Duke students and employees; free for children age 12 and younger. 684-4444 or tickets.duke.edu.

July 22, 10 a.m. to noon. Floral Studio
Work with floral designer Theo Roddy to design a stunning display for that special place at your home. Studios will also be offered Aug. 19, Sept. 16 and Oct. 21. Attend one or all four. Please bring your own flowers and container. $30; $25 Gardens members (or take all 4 for $20 per session; $16 for members).

July 27, 7 p.m. Duke Performances' Music in the Gardens series presents the Ciompi Quartet cellist Fred Raimi with violinist Eric Pritchard and pianist Jane Hawkins in the Kirby Horton Hall of the Doris Duke Center. $10; $5 Duke students and employees; free for children age 12 and younger. 684-4444 or tickets.duke.edu.

Aug. 4, 11 a.m.-noon Walk on the Wild Side
Explore wild North Carolina in the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants. Join curator Stefan Bloodworth on the first Thursday of every month to see which plants are in bloom, learn strategies to design with native plants, and discuss regional ecology and global environmental issues affecting native ecosystems and your role in protecting the health of our home planet. $5; free for Gardens members.

Aug. 6 & 13, 8-11 a.m. Local Fauna: Butterflies of North Carolina
Expand your enjoyment of these magical creatures as you learn how to recognize specific butterflies and understand their life stages and cycles. Instructor Jeffrey Pippen, of Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment, will teach you about butterfly behavior and the adaptations that allow such seemingly delicate beings to survive. Class time is spent indoors introducing topics and outdoors seeing that information come to life. See Jeff's butterfly page online.$75; $60 Gardens members.

Photo by Jeff Pippen

Aug. 19, 10 a.m.-noon Floral Studio
Work with floral designer Theo Roddy to design a wonderful display for that special place at your home. Please bring your own flowers and container. $30; $25 Gardens members.

Aug. 21, 2-4 p.m. Cool-Season Vegetables: Expanding Your Garden Season
Double your garden production this year in the cooler (and hopefully wetter!) growing seasons. Durham County Extension Master Gardener Faye McNaull will share her methods to extend summer harvest by planting fall crops and strategies to jump-start next spring. Free; registration required.

Aug. 25, 9-11 a.m. Waterlily Walk
Enjoy the waterlily display across the late summer season. Each tour with horticulturist and water garden expert Tamara Kilbane highlights the lilies in bloom. Learn how these unique plants live and how you can enjoy them at home. $5; free for Gardens members. Registration required.

Waterlily Walk

Outdoor films update: Movies in the Gardens at Twilight will not feature an animation series, as originally scheduled. We are sorry for the inconvenience. Please plan to come to our Sept. 15 free film, "Play Again," a documentary about the consequences of a childhood removed from nature. You can learn more about "Play Again," and read an interview with the filmmaker, on our website. For information on other free or low-cost movies being shown around the Triangle, please see the comprehensive database at WRAL's Go Ask Mom blog.