Below is our September schedule of events. Please call 919-668-5309 or e-mail to register for an adult class, and call 668-1708 to register for a children's event.Consider joining Friends of Duke Gardens for a 20 percent discount on all classes, a free subscription to "Better Homes & Gardens" (offer ends Sept. 30), admission to the popular Plant & Craft Festival preview sale and other perks. Student memberships available.
Sept. 2, 11 a.m. 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. $5; free for Gardens Friends. See all tours here.
Look for the colorful cart near the foot of the Terrace Gardens; it's full of simple and fun activities for children. Play flower bingo or make pressed flower bookmarks, paper butterflies, pond life pictures and bark, insect or leaf rubbings. Or get some nutritious food for the Gardens' ducks. Free.
Sept. 9 & 30, 9-11 a.m. HISTORIC GARDENS COLOR WALK
There is an astounding range of plants displayed across our gardens, including perennial plants, annual flowers and foliage, and tropical plants. Join our expert staff to review the wonderful plant combinations and learn what is currently in bloom and which plants you may like to introduce in your own garden. $5; free for Gardens Friends. See all tours here.
Sept. 9, 16, 23, 7-9 p.m.
PERENNIAL SELECTION AND DESIGN
Create a beautiful garden with maximum impact using the design strategies and plant selections you will learn in this three-day class with Lauri Lawson of Chapel Hill’s Niche Gardens and Jan Little, Duke Gardens’ director of education and public programs. We will begin identifying your goals, discuss collecting and evaluating site information and introduce you to a broad selection of perennial plants. You will develop a plant list to match your site and goals. $75; $60 Gardens Friends.
Sept. 9, 16, 23, 30, 6-9 p.m. (CANCELED) THE ECOLOGY OF CHANGE: Native Plant Communities
The communities of plants and animals that share our land are products of millions of years of development and refinement. The plants tell you the story of their environment simply by their presence. Norman Christensen, ecology professor at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment, will explore the variation of plant distribution across the Piedmont and help you learn to decipher the saga of environment and history. $150; $120 Gardens Friends.
Sept. 10, 17, 24, 1-4 p.m. (CANCELED) DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY: Understanding Your Camera, Camera to Computer, and Photo Editing
Learn about your camera’s bells and whistles with photographer Jennifer Weinberg. You’ll review all functions and menus, control settings and white balance; and then learn to load, edit, and organize photos on a computer. Weinberg will also teach basic photo composition. Bring your camera and manual to each session. Classes will be in a Duke computer lab. $110; $90 Gardens Friends.
Sept. 10, 10:45 a.m.-noon; Sept. 25, 7-9 p.m. TRADITIONAL JAPANESE TEA GATHERING
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. The event on the 10th is a Chrysanthemum Tea. On the 25th, it's a Moon-Viewing Tea. $25; $20 Gardens Friends; $25 for one adult and one child age 6 or older. All seatings full. Please call to get on waiting list.
Ikebana is the ancient Japanese art of arranging flowers to emphasize form, harmony andbalance. Artist Muriel Roberts will teach basic Ikebana principles and help students create arrangements to take home each week. A container, a kenzan flower holder and all flowers are included. $90; $70 Gardens Friends.
Sept. 11, 10 a.m.-noon WINTER GARDENS IN A CONTAINER
Plant a container that will brighten your garden, patio or front entrance throughout the cold days of winter. With winter-hardy evergreens and herbaceous plants, Duke Gardens horticulturist Michelle Stay will help you create a lively arrangement of texture, shapes and color that will provide a pleasant brightness through the winter season. All plants, soil and containers supplied. $60; $45 Gardens Friends.
Sept. 11, 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.
Sept. 12, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. FALL FAMILY FUN DAY
The day will include many nature-themed activity stations and events in the Gardens. Our celebration is in conjunction with the North Carolina Science Festival: Life is Your Lab. Free admission. More info on the day's activities here.
Sept. 13, 7-9 p.m. TRIANGLE ORCHID SOCIETY
The Triangle Orchid Society conducts its monthly meetings at the Doris Duke Center. The public is invited. Free admission. September topic: classic cattleyas. For information: triangleorchidsociety.org.
Sept. 15, 22, 29, Oct. 6, 10 a.m.-noon. LANDSCAPE PLANTS FOR NORTH CAROLINA GARDENS
Each season this class will cover a different group of approximately 40 plants suitable for North Carolina gardens. Bobby Mottern, Duke Gardens’ director of horticulture, will teach identification skills and design use and help you understand the culture of each plant. The fall classes will focus on plants that shine in autumn, as well as late- blooming perennial flowers. Each student will receive a portfolio of photos showing the plants studied in each season. $105; $85 Gardens Friends.
Sept. 16, 23, 30, 6-8 p.m. AUTUMN LIGHT
Autumn light hangs low in the sky and is moving through a warm atmosphere, which creates a golden hue. Photographer Jennifer Weinberg will teach you how to make the best use of seasonal light in this class that will focus on the special qualities and scenes of the autumn season. $75; $60 Gardens Friends.
Sept. 18, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. GARDEN TOUR
Tour guides Jan Little, director of education and public programs for Duke Gardens, and Helen Yoest, field editor for Better Homes & Gardens and owner of Gardening with Confidence, will join participants in a visit to three nationally recognized private gardens in Raleigh. Learn of the goals and challenges at each garden and take home ideas to use in your own garden. $65; $50 Gardens Friends. Fee includes presentations and an ecological motorcoach with Greenway Transit. Restaurant suggestions will be distributed for lunch on your own.
Sept. 19 & 26, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. SUNDAY SCIENCE
Join us in the Gardens for simple drop-in science or craft projects for children and families, which include something to make and take home. Sunday Science will continue through Oct. 31. Location noted each week at our information desk. Free.
Sept. 19, 2-4 p.m. BACKYARD CHICKENS
Hear the story of one family’s foray into the world of raising chickens with Lissa Lutz, a Durham Extension master gardener. Learn to build a habitat consistent with city ordinances, develop a system that has minimum upkeep and benefit from an endless supply of fresh eggs. This lecture is part of the Master Gardeners’ Extension Gardener Series. Free, but registration required.
Sept. 21, 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. September topic: native plants. $10; free for forum members. 668-5309. Info: Durhamgardenforum@gmail.com.
Sept. 23, 9-11 a.m. WATERLILY WALK
Join water plants specialist Tamara Kilbane to see and learn about the dozens of waterlilies in the International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society’s annual New Waterlily Competition, and about annual maintenance and preparation for winter. $5; free for Gardens Friends. See all tours here.
Sept. 25, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. FALL PLANT & CRAFT FESTIVAL
Celebrate fall with Sarah P. Duke Gardens. The Gardens and outside vendors will sell an array of plants appropriate for this region, including plants featured in Duke. Local artisans will sell garden-related gift items. And you can also get free horticultural advice from the staff and Durham County Master Gardeners. Free admission. Join Friends of Duke Gardens for an invitation to the preview sale Sept. 24. Discount student memberships available. See our website for more info and a vendor list.
Sept. 25, 8-11 a.m. BIRD WALK
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. See all tours here.
Some youngsters might be uninspired on a rainy day. But the kids in the Durham Public Schools summer program who visited Duke Gardens yesterday drew poetic inspiration from the Gardens and the rain.
Here's some of what they wrote:
"Lost," by Malisha I get lost in the garden of Duke trying to find my way out of the rain
"Flowers," by Porsche The flowers blossom like the peeling of a banana that you might like
"Puddle," by Denisha I see a big puddle like it would overflow; the leaves are soaking wet
"Bamboo." by Trevon Bamboo is a weird name does it go bam or does it go boo?
"Trees," by Sybil So rich with all the rings nice brown tone making a home is easy for you
"Pergola," by Morgan As I stand under a roof Made of leaves There is a stone, dedicated
"Thunder," by Faith The lions roar in the sky
"Way in the Rain," by Ms. Katrina Water without light shiny, slippery leaves hikers trying to find their way
And they participated in a traditional Japanese Tea Gathering, enjoying tea and sweets in a bamboo grove of the Asiatic Arboretum.
They also celebrated Tanabata, or Star Festival, writing wishes on colorful papers and hanging them on bamboo branches. We can't tell you what their wishes were, but we hope they come true.
Doris Duke Center Curator Jason Holmes and interns Tate and Heather take a rest from the hot day at a forest classroom at North Carolina Botanical Garden.
A Rotation in the Life of a Duke Gardens Intern: Rotation 3
Article and photos by Amanda Wilkins
It’s been awhile since you’ve heard from the Duke Gardens interns in reports #1 and #2. We haven’t gotten lost in the Blomquist or withered in the sun. We’ve been working hard and learning more about horticulture every day. Since the last time they were interviewed, interns Heather and Tate have been on a field trip and made a lot of headway on their projects. In this post, they reflect on their experiences in the gardens they’ve been in so far and how their projects have progressed, as well as their favorite class.
We are already halfway done with our internship and we have been here at Duke for almost eight weeks now. How do you feel so far?
Heather: Tate feels sweaty.
Tate: I’ve enjoyed it. I like working outside. I’ve never worked in a public garden before, so I am starting to appreciate the work that goes into public gardens, the collaboration of the garden staff as a whole that it takes to efficiently keep the Gardens looking good and aesthetically pleasing. So yeah, I like it a lot.
H: It is amazing how good the Gardens looks with so few [staff] people. I mean, really. So much is done by volunteers. I mean, it would be impossible without the volunteers.
Where were you working the last time, Tate? What did you do?
T: Well, we set a couple of benches in the Memorial Garden, which I have learned to do. There are a lot of different things you need to know to set it, as far as keeping it level horizontally and vertically. You have to make sure it is set just right in the landscape, where you can get a good view of the garden. And I did some weeding, a lot of watering, a lot of weeding. That’s basically what I did for three weeks. A lot of watering, a lot of weeding. We planted a few plants. We didn’t plant as much as Heather did when she was here. But we still planted some hydrangeas and creeping raspberries, a few other things.
What was your favorite part of working in the Historic Core? What was your least favorite part?
T: Well, I know this has nothing to do with horticulture, per se, but I really enjoyed [learning] how to put the benches in correctly and how to set them, where you can sit down in them and see the whole garden and a nice view, a more intimate view. I like it. I really like learning hardscapes and things of that nature, because I know a lot about landscaping, per se, but hardscaping I really don’t know much about. So I have enjoyed that.
I didn’t mind doing anything, really. I didn’t have a least favorite part. The weeding was easy. There was nothing to it. You just go through the Terraces and pull them right up.
I guess the worst part would be the heat, because [the Historic Core] is the hottest part of the garden.
So, Heather, where did you work last time?
H: I was in the Asiatic Arboretum. [Horticulturist Michelle Stay] was gone, so I was glad I could be there to take up what she normally does. So my mornings were very routine. There were certain containers I filled with water, certain plants had to be watered, I had to feed the ducks, so my morning up until 11 was very regimented. And then the rest of the day was whatever needed to be done.
Because of my historic preservation background, of course, I gravitate towards the building. So I enjoyed the pavilion and plantings over there, and that sort of feeling that you get in that part of the garden. I liked feeding the ducks; that was always very fulfilling. They’re always happy to see you.
I’m with Tate; I don’t think I had a least favorite. It was all good. Paul was good to take time to explain things to me that I didn’t know, so that was just good for me personally. The tree came down while I was there, so I got to watch that come down, literally. And water all that moss. So none of it was bad. It’s all good. I liked the routine part; I enjoy routine.
What gardens are you in now, Heather? What kind of things have you been doing there?
H: I am at the Blomquist now, but because of the holiday and being gone, we haven’t been doing too much there. But cleaning paths -- surprise, surprise. Pulling wisteria off of that back fence. That’s really about it.
Interns are met with the reflective vision of the Millstone Pond as they groom paths and sweep the hardscapes in the Blomquist Pavilion and elsewhere.
The curious thing about [the Blomquist], I think, is that for a “native garden,” there is a lot of maintenance still. It seems like we should [let it go]. It’s the forest; let the forest do what forests do. But there still is a lot of maintenance involved. I know in the Terraces a lot of maintenance goes on, and you can’t help it, but it seems like in the Blomquist it would be less.
So, what has been your favorite part of working there?
H: Reading all the labels. I am not a native plant person. This is not my background, so I have made it a point to read every label I can find to try and educate myself. I might as well; while I am cleaning a path, I might as well be reading. And so that has been good.
There is no least favorite. Am I just thrilled to pull wisteria off of a fence? No, but it is just part of it. I expect it.
So where are you working right now, Tate?
T: I am at the Doris Duke Center. It’s not bad. We haven’t done anything that I have just absolutely hated. We’re expanding a flower bed just left of the water lily pool, so we’ve been planning that, putting in edging, taking out some daylilies, cleaning them up, and storing them in the greenhouse and the nursery. I’ve cleaned up about 25 clumps. I don’t mind that.
I don’t have a favorite or least favorite part. I like the watering. I like watching the blue heron come to the lily pond and stare at the water. I like working with some of the volunteers. They’re really nice. There’s one in particular, named Jay, who works all day on Wednesdays and helps out a whole lot. I have put in a few plants in the woodland garden. I put in a bottlebrush buckeye right behind that statue behind the arbor. Now we’re just trying to close that gap.
Volunteer Jay Stoltz helps Jason Holmes load lily of the Niles, an Agapanthus variety, onto a cart in the White Garden.
Where is your last place, Tate?
T: My last place is the [Asiatic] Arboretum, which I think is pretty good because my project is in the Arboretum. I can spend a little more time doing maintenance work on my project.
Where are you going last, Heather? Anything particular that you are looking forward to working with?
H: I am all about the Doris Duke Center. …. I am all about the White Garden. That’s good for me.
So, as far as projects, how are they coming along?
H: My plans are in Ithaca [N.Y.]. I am on my way up there on Monday. … A professor of landscape architecture is meeting me there and we are going to the archives [at Cornell University] together to look at Ellen Shipman’s drawings for the garden that’s in Winston-Salem. So I’ll be there Monday, come back Tuesday. So, I’ll know a whole lot more on Wednesday. It’ll be fun. As soon as I get the plans, get a good idea of what’s there, not there, then the decisions have to be made where to go from there. I’m all about these plans right now.
Do you have a list of plants that you’ve been thinking of putting in there?
H: It all depends on these plans. If Ellen Shipman said we’re going to put in "blank," by golly, we’re going to put it in. I know there are two versions of the plan, 1929 version and the 1947 version. So something changed. Something went right or went wrong. She’s from New York and she’s notorious for planting plants that were great in New York but not so great in the South, so it is possible that this revision has something to do with, ‘OK, the first ones you planted didn’t live, let’s try it again.’ Or maybe somebody changed their mind; it’s hard to tell.
So, there’s that issue, and the other issue is it was common for the late ‘20s to plant plants that have turned out to be invasive -- wisteria is the real standard one -- and so a decision will have to be made. There is wisteria in the garden in Winston-Salem now. It just all depends. If there is someone who could love it every day, it’s great. If there’s not somebody to babysit it, then plan B. So these are the decisions that will have to be made after we see the plans.
I am going to take pictures of everything. There are 28 plans [for this garden in Winston-Salem]. It’s not that big. There’s the upper trellis, the lower trellis, the rose trellis. It’s just hard to tell when they are. There is a bulb planting plan, a tulip planting plan, so it’ll be curious. I’ll do what she says. It’s not for me to decide. Ellen decided 75 years ago.
So how’s your project coming along, Tate?
T: It’s coming along a lot better than it was a few weeks ago. I finally got in contact with some people at Chanticleer [Garden] and I am going up there in a couple weeks myself to get a guided tour of their ruin gardens. I got in contact with the landscape architect that designed it, and he gave me just a brief summary of the gardens and why it was created. …
Just today, I went to the site that we are thinking of putting the ruin gardens in. Me, Paul and Michelle marked off some trees where the path is going to be, so probably next Thursday I will be in there trying to take some of that stuff out, get the path started.
The way the path is going to be constructed is we’re going to have one path with steps that winds up in there and comes out right before you get to the tea house. And then we’ll have another path that comes a little further down that is going to be wheelchair accessible that kind of cuts back into the other path. They’re thinking about building a bathroom in there, because there is a septic line that runs right through those little woods. So, we’re getting the ball running. Like Paul said, we didn’t expect construction to start before I left; it’s just to give me a background on it and a history and the idea behind ruin gardens.
I’m really getting into the hardscapes and the waterscapes, as well. They’re going to have a stream eventually. They’re thinking about it. Anything is liable to change. But they’re thinking about having a little stream that runs through right across the path and then have stepping stones. We’re trying to give you a feel of mountainous terrain and the ruins is basically going to be like they had the tea house on this side of the path and say that was built in the 1900s sometime and then we’re going to have the ruins of an old tea house up in this elevated area that dates back to the 1700s and was destroyed somehow, fire or earthquake or something. We’re going to build a ruined garden around that. I think it would be cool to have little a little well to have that off to the side of the tea house and the stream is another cool idea. It makes you think, “Why did they build this tea house here?” and it’s because the stream is right here and not too far from water to make their tea. It’s coming along. I’m pretty excited about the tour of Chanticleer. Everyone I talked to says it’s an amazing garden.
Tony Avent's xerophytic garden extended behind his house and spilled over into pots. Avent held an open house for interns during a field trip.
A hummingbird clearwing moth, Hemaris thysbe, tries to get at the nectar in a lily near the native water gardens at the North Carolina Botanical Garden.
T: I really liked Tony Avent’s area. It was pretty cool. I really liked the water plant lecture [by Duke Gardens horticulturist Tamara Kilbane]. I’ve enjoyed all of them. I guess the water lily one is my favorite because I don’t know much about it and I learned a little bit more in it than the others.
Horticulturist Tamara Kilbane talks to interns about the plants in the bog garden below the Virtue Peace Pond during a tour of the Doris Duke Center Gardens.
H: I guess I will have to concur for the same reasons. … Tony Avent was a big trip, so it sticks out in my mind.
We’ve had a lot of fun this summer so far. Our classes have been interesting, and working with the Gardens staff members has taught us so much. Time has flown and now we only have three more weeks left in our internship. Check us out in a couple of weeks to hear our final thoughts on our experience.
One of my favorite waterlilies in the Virtue Peace Pond. You can vote for your favorite online in IWGS's international waterlily competition.
A Rotation in the Life of a Duke Gardens Summer Intern: Rotation Two
Article & photos by Amanda Wilkins
Since I didn’t answer any of the questions I’d asked the other two interns last time, I am taking a moment in today’s post to share my thoughts and internship experiences.
Like I said before, I am a horticulture student at N.C. State University. I just finished my first year there, so I am the greenest intern this summer (no pun intended). However, I have lived around Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden most of my life, so I fell in love with botanical gardens.
When I was thinking about a career, horticulture made the most sense. I wanted to get more experience in a public garden setting, and Duke Gardens had a good reputation and was recommended to me by a friend at State. I was so excited to apply, and I couldn’t wait to get to work and learn more about plants. I couldn’t help myself when I considered I would be working in a garden every day and learning so much.
My first rotation at Duke Gardens was in the Doris Duke Center area. On my first day of work I was by myself, but it was complete heaven. I had never been more content weeding and watering in my life. Those were the majority of my duties, but I also checked the containers in the front and back every day, pruned, and moved plants around.
It hardly rained the entire time I was in the area, so I watered a lot. I really enjoyed working with horticulturist Tamara Kilbane in the water garden and learning about the aquatics. I worked with some great volunteers as well. The only negative experience the entire rotation was my battle with poison ivy that left me with rashes on both of my arms for a week. The poison ivy may have won the battle, but I won the war.
Tamara shows the interns Carolina fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana) in the greenhouses during an aquatic plant ID class.
This is our last week in our second rotation and I am finishing up at the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants. Working with Blomquist curator Stefan Bloodworth and horticulturist Katherine Wright has been great, and seeing the biodiversity of the Blomquist was refreshing. I really enjoyed working with the unique and endangered plants. I learned a lot. I have done a lot of different things this time around. I started out by sanding cedar branches, then I moved on to grooming paths and making labels. Some of my favorite activities were repotting plants and watering in the nursery. Yet again, my least favorite part of the whole experience was the second round with poison ivy. This time I ended up having to see a doctor because the rash began to make my arm swell. However, in my opinion, the poison ivy still lost.
I miss both areas already, but my next rotation will bring me to the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum. Sadly, I haven’t been able to walk around the Arboretum as much as I would like, but I do look forward to helping in the area. There are so many things going on in that area of the Gardens that I know I will always be busy. I especially look forward to learning about Asian design. Paul Jones, the arboretum’s curator, is very knowledgeable and has a passion for the Arboretum and its goals.
Finally, like all of the other interns, I have an internship project as well: writing some articles and blog posts about the Gardens. I hope you have enjoyed my posts. Look forward to more in the future!
Unlike this stone lantern in the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum, a garden that intern Tate Warren is working on will feature broken stone pieces to resemble a ruined ancient house.
A Rotation in the Life of a Duke Gardens Summer Intern: Rotation One
Interview byAmanda Wilkins Photos by Amanda Wilkins, except where noted.
Summer 2010 has brought Duke Gardens three new horticulture interns. My name is Amanda Wilkins and I am one of the interns. I am a sophomore in horticulture science at N.C. State University. Tate Warren has traveled all the way from Mississippi State University to work in the Gardens. He has one semester left before he gets his bachelor’s degree in horticulture. The third intern, Heather Seifert, is pursuing a second career in horticulture and is at Alamance Community College, after being in nonprofit preservation for many years. So even though we come from different places and backgrounds, we are united in our interest in and passion for horticulture.
Tate Warren visits the site a garden he's working on in the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum.
The way our internship works is we each work in a separate garden for three weeks, then switch to another garden. We have been working at Duke Gardens for almost four weeks now and last week was our first week in a different garden since we started. There has been plenty of time to adapt to the sweltering North Carolina summers and get a little wear on our side clippers. Since I never get to work with the other interns, I felt it was time to see how they were doing.
What attracted you to Duke Gardens?
Heather: “Well, I have been a volunteer here since July of last year. My background is historic preservation and this is a second career for me. I was hoping to combine my years of nonprofit preservation experience with my love of gardening, so I quit my job and took this huge plunge and went to school. I am trying to get some background in public gardens and historic gardens. Obviously, being here would be a big help for me, so I have been working for Jan [Watson, a Gardens horticulturist] since July.”
Tate: “Well, for the past two years I have been working in greenhouses, and I feel like I have a good understanding on how to manage greenhouses. So when I was deciding what I was going to do for my internship, I kind of wanted to broaden my knowledge to different fields of horticulture. I decided I would try public gardens to see what it was like and if I enjoyed it, and so far I do, and just broaden my experience just a little bit.”
So we do a three-week rotation. Where did you work the first three weeks? What kind of things did you do?
T: “I worked in the Blomquist Garden, which is the native garden. Well, I cleaned up a waterscape, did a lot of weeding of Microstegium, helped sand down some cedar branches that we are getting ready to build a fence with, and replaced all the rope fences and groomed paths. Stefan [Bloodworth], who is the curator, let me join in on a tour he gave some of the volunteers … . That’s pretty much it. Groomed paths a lot. Maybe twice a week.”
H: “I worked in the Terraces and it was their big annual winter-spring-summer annual switch, and we planted, we figured, 15,000 plants in those three weeks. That’s a lot of holes. And that was really it. It was this major switch.”
What was your favorite part of working in those gardens?
H: “My interest, of course, has been in that particular part of the garden for a long time, and it is fun for me to see the combinations that Mike [Owens, Historic Gardens curator] and Jan come up with. It’s not always the same standard plants together all the time. That’s the fun of being there, seeing the great, unusual combinations they pull together.”
T: “My favorite part was learning about the native plants and noticing the wildlife that these native plants support. I mean, you saw rabbits, you saw squirrels, hawks, all kinds of birds. There is a lot of wildlife in the native gardens and I think I enjoyed learning about that more than anything else.”
Did you have a least favorite part about working in those gardens?
T: “I mean, well, weeding is never fun, but it is a necessity. You have to do it. So I don’t mind doing it, but I would have to say that it was my least favorite part.”
H: “The only thing I can think about is it was hot. But no matter when you do it, it’s going to be hot. Endurance was an important part of the last three weeks.”
Sun shines through a Japanese maple in Asiatic Arboretum.
What gardens are you in now? What have you been doing this week?
T: “I am in the Terraces. We’ve been doing a lot of pruning. We pruned the old wisteria right there on the terrace, right as you walk in on the pergola.
After looking at his arms, we knew immediately: “And roses, apparently,” Heather said.
T: “We pruned some roses yesterday, some spirea. We’ve pruned a lot of stuff the past few days, actually.”
H: “I am in the Arboretum. I have been weeding, which is interesting, though, because it is very specific. It’s this one, not that one. That one, not this one. So, I know a sweet gum tree when it’s 30 feet tall but not when it’s an inch. So that’s been interesting. I’ve spent a lot of time in the [Japanese] Pavilion understanding locking up, cleaning up, how it should look, and sort of the etiquette of that part of the garden. Dead-headed daylilies for about four hours yesterday. Lots of daylilies. There are more little rooms in the Arboretum than I realized. Little rooms, that is the best I can describe it.”
Heather points to one of the many vines of poison ivy she was trying to avoid that plague the area she is weeding in the Asiatic Arboretum. Don't worry, the vines are not near the paths!
What are you looking forward to the most in the garden you are working in now?
T: “For me, it’s basically design. Like Heather said, how plants go together. I am also curious to see how they’re going to grow together. It’s more important to me than what they look like right now, because they have only been in there a couple of weeks. I really like the aesthetics of the Terraces. I think it is a really, really nice spot in the garden.”
H: “I am interested in the Pavilion. There is a tea ceremony that we get to go to. The whys of ‘why this plant?’ There’s the lighting of the lanterns. All that very Asian-influenced gardening. I am fascinated with it, but know very little about it, so here’s obviously a great opportunity to get to the bottom of it.”
As a horticulture intern, we each work on a project that interests us over the course of the summer. What is your summer internship project?
T: “I am working in the Arboretum. There are some woodlands right behind the Pavilion across the path and I am going to try to create a winding path through those woodlands, and in these little pockets we are going to try and build ruins to look like someone has lived there. Take some stones and slab that looks like it used to be part of a house, and then plant Japanese garden-type plants around those ruins in these pockets through there. Just make that extra area people can enjoy in the Arboretum.”
Although it was hiding among harmless Virginia Creeper vines, this poison ivy vine was one of many throughout the future site of the ruin garden in the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum. The underbrush in the area will be cleared when construction begins.
H: “My project is the redesigning — finding the plans for the James G. Hanes Garden in Winston-Salem. Ellen Shipman did the gardens here as well as that particular one in Hanes’. And there was a Hanes connection and Ellen Shipman connection … and they knew my interest in historic gardens and were kind enough to make that connection. So, we thought we knew where the plans were. Now we are not so sure anymore. … One person says they’re there and another one doesn’t, so now I have to decide when I am going to cut this loose and go on, just design it myself in an Ellen Shipman style. So we went last week to look at it, to see what was left of it and it was interesting.”
Heather Seifert's project involves the James G. Hanes Garden in Winston-Salem. Ellen Biddle Shipman, who designed Duke Gardens' original Terrace Gardens, also designed the Hanes garden, which is now masked by overgrown boxwoods. Photo by Mike Owens.
We still have eight weeks left in our summer internship, but so far we have had an interesting time. Each day and garden bring some new experience for us. Check back in a couple more weeks for an update on “A Rotation in the Life of a Duke Gardens Summer Intern.”
Cultural programming coordinator, Culberson Asiatic Arboretum
On May 19, fifth-graders from Duke School for Children gathered for a haiku adventure in Sarah P. Duke Gardens. These emerging haiku artists took their inspiration from the 17th century Japanese haiku poet Basho, who abandoned his humble dwelling in the old city of Edo to travel Japan on foot and record his meanderings in a now-famous haiku diary. In similar fashion, the students set out onto the trails of the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum to see what scenes and experiences would inspire their writing.
Stopping at a quiet streamside spot, a bamboo grove overlooking a small waterfall gave our writers pause.
“Creek,” by Charlotte A creek reflecting green, An old pathway, With new life.
“Green,” by Aaron Dominant Color, Everything Around Us, Green with no envy
“Waterfall,” by Margot Tinkling of a waterfall A feather floats down This is where the pond ends
“Stream,” by Zoe Tall stalks of bamboo Water, cascading down rocks Bright new leaves of spring
“Wet Bamboo,” by Lindsey Tall, skinny, green. Bamboo. Wetness.
Moving farther into the garden, our young poets were greeted with the fresh scent of the previous evening’s rainfall.
“Shiver,” by Amelia The air is cold and sweet After a long rain Is my shiver cold or joy?
“Tears,” by Djelimory Water falls on the trunk As if the tree is crying Tears for its kinsmen
“Nature’s Treasure,” by Shelby Water drops from a leaf Diamond shatters on the dirt Earth swallows the gem
“Rain,” by CJ Rain has fallen Turning green Grass greener.
A quiet moment pondside inspired these artists to reflect on the ever-fleeting treasures of the garden. “Mother Duck,” by Rachel A big mother duck With four cute baby ducklings Oh no! They’re gone now “Birds,” by Katelin Gliding above the trees, Touching the clouds With its wings
“The Pond,” by Emma Very still water A duck breaks the silence Leaving spray in its wake
“Duck,” by John The feather glistens in the sun Dark as night “The talk of the forest,” by Conrad The trees talk Silent whispers of life Can you hear it?
These poems were written as part of a haiku field trip offered by Sarah P. Duke Gardens’ Into the Gardens children’s programs. For program information, please contact Annie Nashold, director of children's education and family programs, at 919-668-1708.
For information about haiku field trips or other cultural experiences in the Asiatic Arboretum, please contact Nancy J. Hamilton, coordinator of cultural programming for the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum, at nancy.hamilton@duke.edu
We hope to see you at the Plant & Craft Festival today. The weather has been fantastic, and crowds lined up early to get first dibs. There's still plenty left for afternoon shoppers, including some late-day markdowns.
Please also see our Plant & Craft Fest videos, including vendor features and horticulturists and curators talking about specific plants from their gardens.
Sept. 2, 11 a.m.
Sept. 3, 10, 17 & 24, 10 a.m.-noon.
Sept. 9 & 30, 9-11 a.m.
Sept. 9, 16, 23, 7-9 p.m.
Sept. 10, 17, 24, 1-4 p.m.
Sept. 10, 10:45 a.m.-noon; Sept. 25, 7-9 p.m.
Sept. 10, 17, 24 & Oct. 1, 1-3 p.m.
Sept. 12, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Sept. 15, 22, 29, Oct. 6, 10 a.m.-noon.
Sept. 16, 23, 30, 6-8 p.m.
Sept. 19 & 26, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Sept. 23, 9-11 a.m.
Sept. 25, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Sept. 25, 8-11 a.m.
