Holiday cheer in the Doris Duke Center

If you're in need of some holiday cheer, try to check out the Doris Duke Center this month. We've got five trees decorated to the hilt, courtesy of local community groups. The decorations vary each year, with themes assigned to the groups in advance. This year, the theme was primary colors.

Below is a taste of the decorating day festivities. If you'd like to see the trees up close, the Doris Duke Center is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Visitors can tour the reception hall during those hours, except during special events. The trees will remain up through January 5.

Thanks to all the inventive minds who created such a beautiful scene. We at Duke Gardens are thankful for your contributions, and each day we spot new details in the trees that we hadn't noticed before.

Happy holidays!

Orange was the Hillsborough Garden Club's theme. Here's Pat Lopp working on some finishing touches.

The tree included dried oranges, indian corn, wisteria beans, cotton, okra pods, dried grasses, Japanese lanterns, gold yarrow, sweet gum balls, and historical tidbits about Orange County.

Club members with their tree.

Jerry Sheehy and Inga Headrick with the Durham Women's Club's gold-themed tree.

Clarice Bullock adds more gold to the tree.

Jewell Simpson adjusts an ornament.

The Town & Country Garden Club was inventive with its purple theme, embellishing also with starfish, ivy and moss.

More details of the purple tree, with its complementary colors.

The Duke Campus Club took on a red theme.

Some details of the Heritage Garden Club's green-themed tree, which is in the main entrance to the Doris Duke Center.

And two more views of the Heritage Garden Club's tree.

Winter Photography Tips

The following column appeared in the Herald-Sun on Dec. 12. Thanks to our fantastic instructor Jennifer Weinberg for sharing her useful tips.

Winter Photography

Photo & article by Jennifer Weinberg

Winter is a fantastic time for nature photography. But there are pitfalls, from light issues caused by snow to tricky indoor-outdoor temperature changes. Below are 10 tips to help you capture the outdoor scenes of your dreams.

You Have the Power. The cold can freeze the energy flow in batteries, making them act like dead batteries. Keep them warm with body heat. If your camera isn’t working, take the battery out and warm it in your hand. Keep extra batteries in a pocket close to your body so they’re ready to go.

Keep Your Legs Warm. Your tripod legs, that is. Cold metal can be very uncomfortable to the touch. Wrap tripod legs in pipe insulation to make carrying and adjusting your tripod freeze free.

Watch for Water. Photographing in snow is like photographing in rain and can cause water damage if you’re not careful. Keep your equipment protected and wrap gear in plastic bags. Don’t forget to leave an opening for your lens!

Prevent condensation whenever you can. Going into the cold from your home or a warm car may cause condensation. Be patient and allow your camera to adjust slowly.

Breathe Deeply. And away from the camera. Warm breath can cause condensation and in some cases may cause frost or ice. To avoid this, keep your breath away from the viewfinder and lens. Also, don’t give in to the urge to blow snow off of your camera. Wipe it away with your hand or cleaning cloth.

Make all white all right. Snow tricks the meter in your camera, and photos often appear dark or underexposed. Use the exposure compensation setting (+/-) to correct for snow at a +1 or +2 setting. Another approach may be to try setting your camera on the scene mode for snow.

Get a clear view. Because a winter scene can cause glare, it may be difficult to view your LCD screen. You may want to invest in a hood or use your hand to shade the screen. You can also make your own hood with duct tape or mat board if you’re crafty!

Position Yourself. Knowing where the sun is in relation to your subject is important any time of day. As with all outdoor photography, time of day and quality of light are key. Early morning and late afternoon are the best time to be outside. At a lower angle, the sun casts long, soft shadows and should be positioned at a right angle to your subject. Keep the sun behind you when it’s high in the sky.

You Can Forget. About your memory, that is. Most memory sticks won’t have any problem with cold or freezing temperatures.

Come in from the cold with care. Again, condensation presents an issue. Take your memory card out of the camera and store it in your camera bag (or a plastic bag) before going inside. Keep the bag closed and let your equipment slowly acclimate for an hour or so.

If you’d like to learn more about nature photography or your camera, consider taking my class at Sarah P. Duke Gardens, “Digital Photography: Understanding Digital Camera, Camera to Computer & Photo Editing,” Jan. 14, 21 and 28, or the myriad courses in Duke Gardens’ Nature Photography Certification series. For information or to register, call 668-1707 or write to aleduc@duke.edu. Go here for a full schedule of Duke Gardens classes.

Jennifer Weinberg has been a professional photographer for eight years and teaches photography workshops in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. She has a portrait studio on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh. See Weinberg’s photos and workshop dates at www.jenniferweinberg.com.

Duke Gardens craft sale preview

We hope to see you at the Garden Guild Holiday Craft Sale Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Doris Duke Center. Here are some photos to whet your appetite (and speaking of appetites, we'll also have candies and baked goods). All items are crafted by Garden Guild volunteers. We'll even have a gourd-ornament crafting demo.

Admission is free, and all proceeds go directly to Duke Gardens. If you miss the sale, some remaining items will be available at the Terrace Shop.

Quilted placemats

Gourd bird houses

A hand-smocked Christening gown

Painted stone paperweights

Decorative boxes

Sewing kits & potpourri sachets

Knitted duster covers

Felted and woven pins

One of many greeting card designs

Mosaic tray

Origami boxes

Fluffy scarves & shawls

Knitted baby caps

More gourd & egg ornaments

Children's apron crayon-holders

Beaded jewelry

Wind chimes

Table centerpieces

Duke Gardens pins

Tobacco stick Santa decorations

Fold-over cotton bags to keep rolls or tortillas warm during dinner -- or use as French press warmer or holiday gift bag.

Gourd green man ornaments

More gourd ornaments

Nov.-Dec. activities at Duke Gardens

Here's our roundup. We hope to see you here!

Arts in the Garden

Storyteller Louise Omoto Kessel & percussionist Beverly Botsford
Saturday, Nov. 7, 11 a.m.

The Arts in the Garden family performance series presents a high-energy collaboration. Louise Omoto Kessel delights in welcoming audiences into the world of story, where turtles win races, rivers sing, giants dance and fools are wise. Botsford creates soundscapes for Louise's stories, using bells, chimes, drums, gongs, rattles and shakers from around the world.
The show will be in the Doris Duke Center. Admission is $8, and tickets are available at http://tickets.duke.edu or by calling (919) 684-4444.
See a video preview of Louise & Beverly or just Beverly.

Garden Guild Holiday Craft Sale

Nov. 14-15, 1-4 p.m.

Get into the holiday spirit with ornaments, knitted caps, painted plates & pots, jewelry, fabric microwave bags, wreaths, baked goods and more. All proceeds support Duke Gardens. Location: Doris Duke Center
Free admission

Free tours

Autumn in the Arboretum tour with Paul Jones, curator of the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum. Nov. 6 & 20, 10 a.m. Meet at the Doris Duke Center.
Walk on the Wild Side tour with Stefan Bloodworth, curator of the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants, Nov. 5, Dec. 3, 11 a.m.-noon. Rain or shine. Meet at the Blomquist gatehouse. This tour runs throughout the year on the first Thursday of every month.
Bird Walk with Cynthia Fox, of Chapel Hill's Wild Bird Center, Nov. 7, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Please bring binoculars. Children welcome if they are 8 years old or older. Meet at the Doris Duke Center. If the weather is iffy, call Alice Le Duc at 730-2503 to check the status of the walk.
Please pre-register for the free tours at 668-1707.

Children’s Programs
Story time, Nov. 14, 10-11 a.m.
Also, please ask about children’s activity backpack rentals and Tues.-Thurs. morning school programs. Information: 668-1708.

Adult Classes & events

Spring Bulbs in a Container (pictured above; Nov. 5); Starting a Community Garden (Nov. 8; free); Triangle Orchid Society Meeting (Nov. 9; free & public is invited; topic is Costa Rican Orchids); Japanese Tea Gathering (3 seatings Nov. 11); Bow Making (Nov. 19); Holiday Decorations Workshop (Dec. 1).
Pre-registration is required, even for free courses. Call 668-1707.

Arts in the Garden video preview

Here's Louise Omoto Kessel and Beverly Botsford with a taste of their percussive storytelling. You can see them perform at Arts in the Garden in the Doris Duke Center at Sarah P. Duke Gardens Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. Tickets are $8 and available at tickets.duke.edu or by calling (919) 684-4444. Video by Lauren Sims.

Opera Express: family fun at Duke Gardens

Photo by Gregory Cable

Touring company makes opera an interactive delight

By Lauren Sims

As a horde of young children swarmed into the elementary school’s ladies' room for hugs and autographs, I imagined this must be what it’s like to be Hannah Montana. But I am no Hannah Montana, that’s for sure. I am a classically trained singer, and the performance that had worked these kids into such a frenzy was not marked by smoke effects or pyrotechnics. It was, in fact, a Mozart opera.

Opera Express, the educational arm of Charlotte-based Opera Carolina, has been bringing opera to elementary-aged students for more than 30 years. The company is a favorite in Sarah P. Duke Gardens’ Arts in the Garden series, which will kick off its 2009-10 season on Oct. 24 with Opera Express’ “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

My Hannah Montana moment happened while I was touring with the company in “The Three Little Pigs.” Like other Opera Express Productions, it combined a favorite fairy tale with classic operatic melodies.

It’s a productive pairing, says Teresa Robertson, Opera Carolina’s director of education.

“If you want someone to learn something new, you have to start them from what they already know. …We all know the stories and elements of stories. So then we can take them from that known to the unknown, which is the art form.”

These shows are specifically designed with elementary school students in mind. Restricted to under an hour in length, they keep kids engaged with a combination of playful music, bright colors and fast-paced staging. Additionally, children’s operas are deliberately connected with the literary structures students are learning in the classroom.

“This is not ‘extra’, it is another form of looking at the elements of a story,” says Robertson, a former public school teacher. “And true learning is going to occur if students can take what they’re learning in one sense and … apply that to another story genre -- that is, opera.”

The results are astounding. Young children who may never have been exposed to such sounds find themselves entranced with music that is hundreds of years old. They laugh at the performers’ antics, giggle and scream when the characters come into the audience, and clap and shout during the curtain call. By the end of the show, students are able to identify characters by terms like “protagonist” and “antagonist.” Finally, they leave the show with a new appreciation for, and desire to learn about, the classical arts.

After the shows, children are welcome to stick around to ask questions, meet the performers and take pictures. If you come to Duke Gardens’ performance, bring your imagination and plenty of energy, and prepare to experience the time-honored art form of opera in a whole new way!

The Oct. 24 performance is at 11 a.m. Tickets are $8 and are available by calling (919) 684-4444 or at http://tickets.duke.edu.

Lauren Sims is a former Young Artist with Opera Carolina. She is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at Duke Divinity School.

October events at Duke Gardens

Here's our October roundup:

Opera Express/photo by Gregory Cable

Arts in the Garden
Opera Express presents “Jack and the Beanstalk,” Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m.
Arts in the Garden opens its 2009-10 season with "Jack and the Beanstalk." Opera Carolina's educational touring company, Opera Express engages children and families throughout the Carolinas with professional performances of opera for young people. These delightful productions help students understand and appreciate opera as an art form that integrates all of the fine arts and humanities. Performances are tailored to children in kindergarten through fifth grade, and the children are encouraged to be vocal and interact with the performers.
The show will in the Doris Duke Center. Admission is $8, and tickets are available at http://tickets.duke.edu or by calling (919) 684-4444.

Free tours
Autumn in the Arboretum tour with Paul Jones, curator of the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum. Oct. 9, 23 (also Nov. 6 & 20), 10 a.m. Meet at the Doris Duke Center.
Walk on the Wild Side tour with Stefan Bloodworth, curator of the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants, Oct. 1, 11 a.m.-noon. Rain or shine. Meet at the Blomquist gatehouse. This tour will recur throughout the year on the first Thursday of every month.
Bird Walk with Cynthia Fox, of Chapel Hill's Wild Bird Center, Oct. 3, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Please bring binoculars. Children welcome if they are 8 years old or older. Meet at the Doris Duke Center. If the weather is iffy, call Alice Le Duc at 730-2503 to check the status of the walk.
Please pre-register for the free tours at 668-1707.

Nature Rangers/Photo by Orla Swift

Free Children’s Programs
Sunday Science free drop-in program. Fairy Houses, Oct. 4; Germ Experiment, Oct. 11 (don’t wash your hands in advance); Build a Pine Cone Bird Feeder, Oct. 18; Make Sand Paintings in a Jar, Oct. 25.
Nature Ranger Cart every Friday from 10 a.m.-noon. Nature-focused activities.
Both programs are at the Dawn Redwood near the foot of the Terrace Gardens.
(Update: sorry, but the Nov. 1 Family Fun Day has been canceled; please mark your calendar for the next one, May 30, 2010)

More Children’s Programs
Nature for Sprouts: Sensory Walk (Oct. 9); Story Time (Oct. 10); Nature for Sprouts: Roots, Shoots, Flowers, Stems & Leaves (Oct. 16); Nature for Sprouts: Super Seeds (Oct. 23); Nature for Sprouts: How Does Your Garden Grow? (Oct. 30). Also, ask about children’s activity backpack rentals and Tues.-Thurs. morning school programs. Information: 668-1708.

Japanese Tea Gathering/Photo by Jon Gardiner/Duke Photography

Adult Classes & events
Landscape Design Study Course (Oct. 1-2); Sharing Your House with Plants: A Cohabitation Primer (Oct. 8); Triangle Orchid Society meeting (Oct. 12; open to the public); Advanced Ikebana (Oct. 14, 21, 28); Japanese Tea Gatherings (Oct. 21); Master Naturalist Program Summary (Oct. 26-27 & 30).
Pre-registration is required, even for free courses. Call 668-1707.


Looking ahead:
Please mark your calendars for the Garden Guild Craft Sale Nov. 14-15. The sale will feature holiday ornaments, knitted items, bird houses, fabric microwave bags, wine bags, stationery, framed cross-stitch, jewelry and hair accessories, photographs and other gift items.