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.

Exploring nature with children

By Jan Little

Most of us live in some kind of building, one that we call home. But in a larger sense we live in the entire world. That world can be a mysterious place, or it can feel just like home. Imagine a child’s excitement when he can find evidence of animal and insect homes in his own back yard, or know which plants feed the butterflies. Families and children can learn together at Duke Gardens in a variety of classes for all ages.

Water is one of the topics we will explore in a class (pre-registration required) for children ages 6 to 8. Water is necessary for all life, but we rarely think about its source or the water cycle. Most children are surprised to learn that water is a limited resource; additional water is not being shipped in from outer space.
In the program “Drip Drop: Be a Raindrop for the Day,” we will consider how water moves around our planet, beginning by tracing its path in the garden. The children can imagine where they would go if they were raindrops, moving through the garden in drips and splashes or through small streams, watering the plants, and finally joining the ponds and pools before it moves beyond the Gardens’ borders.
Once we are in a watery frame of mind, we can then think about water as a transformer. Liquid, vapor, fog, ice, snow, sleet—how many forms of water can you think of? Regardless of its form, the water we sip today has been moving around this planet for a long time. The water in your cup could be the same water used by George Washington to cook his green beans, or Genghis Kahn could have washed his hands in those very same water molecules, or a dinosaur could have splashed through this water millions of years ago. Water doesn’t go away; it just transforms and moves around the planet over and over.
This class will include creating your own water cycle in a plastic bag, with a pond, land, and eventually a rainy sky for each child to take home and display on a window. All it takes to work is a sunny day.

Other programs to introduce your family to the magic of nature include free drop-in programs such as Nature Storytime and the science and craft activities offered during the four weeks of Fall Family Fun. During Fall Family Fun, you will have the opportunity to investigate the natural world in quick experiments or make a craft to take home. We will also have displays on different weekends of reptiles and amphibians or local wildlife.

Other classes this fall include an introduction to our animal neighbors in “Knock, Knock. Who’s There?” for ages 4 to 6. Their older siblings, ages 7 to 9, can track butterflies and dragonflies through the Garden, learning how these magical creatures partner with plants, in the program “Flying Flowers.”
Youngsters ages 3 to 5 can join us for a month of seasonal explorations in Nature for Sprouts. Children ages 8 and 9 can investigate the impact of trees and shade on temperature in “Shadow World,” and children ages 10 to 12 will complete a foraging experiment over two Saturdays in “Food Fight.” We end the season with the program “Shelter,” which explores the function of shelter as each child builds a shelter and then measures its effectiveness at managing wind, weather, and water.
INFORMATION: For all of these programs, you can get full information at gardens.duke.edu, including a PDF download of our entire July-Dec. events program (or see a quick list in this blog entry). To register, please call 668-1707 or write to slsmith@duke.edu.

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.

Jan Little is the Gardens’ director of education and public programs. This column first appeared in the Durham Herald-Sun.

Local Fauna: Butterflies of N.C.

American Lady

What can butterflies teach us? Plenty, according to Jeffrey Pippen, an instructor at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment. For instance, even as caterpillars, they know instinctively what’s good for them and what’s not. That’s not always true for humans.

“So by studying butterfly/plant interactions, we may discover some properties of plants that could potentially be useful to humans as well,” Pippen says.

You can learn more about butterflies in Duke Gardens’ next “Local Fauna” course, “Butterflies of North Carolina,” which Pippen will teach Aug. 6 and 13. The indoor/outdoor class will cover butterflies’ life histories, physiology, anatomy and behaviors, as well as how to identify them in the field. Read on for a taste of Pippen’s passion for butterflies at Duke Gardens and elsewhere, which he shared in an email interview.

On butterflies’ life stages:
Butterflies are amazing creatures at all of their life stages! Eggs are often camouflaged or hidden and sometimes intricately patterned. Caterpillars are amazing eating machines with interesting self-preservation behaviors. Pupae (chrysalises) undergo a pretty incredible transformation from wingless caterpillar to winged adult. And adults can be incredibly patterned and have interesting "personalities" that are just plain fun to watch!

Pearl Crescent

On survival:
Butterflies show myriad adaptations for survival, including eating poisonous plants as caterpillars and storing or using those toxins (at no harm to themselves) for protection against predators.

On butterflies in the Gardens:
Duke Gardens is a great place to search for butterflies! Participants may see two or three species of swallowtails, a couple of species of sulphurs, Cabbage White, a couple of species of hairstreaks, Eastern Tailed-Blue, several species of brushfoots (e.g. Pearl Crescent, American Lady, Common Buckeye, Monarch, etc.), and several species of skippers (e.g. Silver-spotted Skipper, duskywings, Fiery Skipper, Sachem, etc.)

Cabbage White

On a Duke Gardens rarity you may see:
Brazilian Skipper: They're pretty rare in this part of the state, although if there's enough canna planted, it's certainly a species to look for.

Brazilian Skipper

On this month’s class:
I'd like folks to come away from the class thinking, "Wow, butterflies are kinda cool! I've learned to identify several of them, and they're pretty fun to watch."

I think it's important for more people to be aware of the diversity of butterflies and how they fit into a healthy ecosystem. That way, more people will be concerned about environmental issues that affect all of us, and there will be more folks out there who could add to our understanding of butterfly knowledge in North Carolina. There's still a lot we actually do not know about N.C. butterflies. Perhaps some students of this class will go on to solve some of these mysteries!

CLASS INFO: “Butterflies of North Carolina,” a 2-class course, runs Aug. 6 & 13 from 8 to 11 a.m. The cost is $75; $60 for Gardens members and Duke staff and students. To register, or for more information, please contact Duke Gardens’ registrar at 668-1707 or slsmith@duke.edu. Also, be sure to check out Pippen’s nature photo website. For a full schedule of classes, tours and other events, please see our July-Dec. brochure (PDF) or our quick reference blog post.

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.

American Lady

Duke Gardens events: July 15-Dec. 31, 2011

Sarah P. Duke Gardens’ new education guide is now online. The PDF includes class descriptions, instructor information, meeting times/locations and fees for all classes between now and Dec. 31.

Below is a quick rundown of the season’s offerings, including page numbers where you can find more information in our full guide.

Gardening and Horticulture

Durham Garden Forum: Dealing with Drought (July 19) – pg. 8
Ikebana International: (4th Wednesday monthly) – pg. 8
Triangle Orchid Society: (2nd Monday monthly) – pg. 8
Cool-Season Vegetables: Extending Your Garden Season (Aug. 21; part of the Master Gardeners’ Extension Gardener Series) – pg. 5
Waterlily Walks (Aug. 25 or Sept. 15) – pg. 4
Plants of Distinction: Fall (Sept. 7, Nov. 9 and/or Jan. 18) – pg. 4
Gardening 101 (2 Saturdays, Sept. 10 & 17) – pg. 6
Landscape Plants: Fall and Winter (Fall: 4 Wednesdays, Sept. 14, 21, 28, Oct. 5. Winter: 3 Tuesdays, Nov. 29, Dec. 6 & 13) – pg. 6
Durham Garden Forum: Bryce Lane on gardening trends (registration required) – pg. 8
Historic Gardens Color Walk (Oct. 6) – pg. 6
Gardens of the Doris Duke Center (Oct. 7 or Oct. 28) – pg. 7
Durham Garden Forum: Norm Christensen presents "Treating Your Garden Like an Ecosystem (Oct. 18) – pg. 8
Design Your Home Landscape 1 (Oct. 20-Nov. 17) – pg. 7
Autumn in the Arboretum (Oct. 21 or Nov. 4) – pg. 7
Durham Gardening for Yankees (Oct. 30; part of the Master Gardeners’ Extension Gardener Series) – pg. 5
From the Erotic to the Exotic: Tips to Transform Your Garden from Mundane to Magnificent (Nov. 6; part of the Master Gardeners’ Extension Gardener Series) – pg. 5
Durham Garden Forum: Jesse Turner discusses "Sculpture in the Garden" (Nov. 15) – pg. 8
Durham Garden Forum: Durham City Arborist Alex Johnson presents "How Do Trees Work?" (Dec. 6) – pg. 8

Botanical Art and Craft

Floral Studio (Fridays, July 22, Aug. 19, Sept. 16 and/or Oct. 21) – pg. 9
Garden Elements: Cast Stone Leaves (Sept. 17) – pg. 9
Artificial Stone Sculptures and Pots: Hypertufa (Sept. 17) – pg. 10
Garden Guild Craft Sale (Nov. 12, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.). See blog preview.
Holiday Decorations (Dec. 3) – pg. 10

Natural History

Walk on the Wild Side (First Thursdays monthly: Aug. 4, Sept. 1, Oct. 6, Nov. 3, Dec. 1) – pg. 11
Local Fauna: Butterflies of North Carolina (2 Saturdays, Aug. 6 & 13) – pg. 11
Penny’s Bend: Prairie Disjunct Display (Sept. 10) – pg. 11
Local Flora: Autumn (4 Saturdays: Sept. 24, Oct. 1 & 22, Nov. 5) – pg. 12
Bird Walks (Sept. 24, Oct. 1, Nov. 5) – pg. 12
Wild Areas and Waterfalls (Sept. 30-Oct. 2) – pg. 13
Local Fauna: Birds of North Carolina (2 Saturdays, Oct. 8 & 15) – pg. 14
Human Impact on the Environment: The Ecology of Change (4 Wednesdays, Nov. 16 & 30, Dec. 7 & 14) – pg. 14

Nature Photography

Durham Photography Club at Duke Gardens (2nd Monday monthly) – pg. 8
Autumn Light (2 Thursdays, Sept. 15 & 22) – pg. 15
Wild Areas and Waterfalls (Sept. 30-Oct. 2) – pg. 15
Introduction to Nature Photography (2 Tuesdays, Oct. 4 & 11, and Saturday, Oct. 8) – pg. 16
Basic Photography for Gardeners (4 Saturdays, Oct. 15-Nov. 5) – pg. 16
Learning to See in Nature (2 Wednesdays, Nov. 9 & 30, and 2 Saturdays, Nov. 12 & 19) – pg. 17
Digital Photography: Understanding Your Camera, Camera to Computer and Photo Editing (3 Tuesdays, Nov. 29, Dec. 6 & 13) – pg. 17

Japanese Tea Gatherings

Chrysanthemum Tea (Sept. 17, 2 seatings) – pg. 18
Harvest Tea (Oct. 14) – pg. 18
Moonviewing Tea (Oct. 14, evening) – pg. 18
Dancing Leaves Tea (Nov. 4, 2 seatings) – pg. 18

Children and Family Programs

Nature Storytime (free drop-in book club; Saturdays, Aug. 20 & 27, Sept. 10 & 24, Oct. 1 & 22, Nov. 5 & 19) – pg. 28
Flying Flowers (Sept. 1 or Sept. 17) – pg. 27
Nature Ranger Cart (free drop-in activities, Friday mornings in Sept. & Oct.) – pg. 28
Drip Drop: Be a raindrop for the day (Sept. 13 or Sept. 24) – pg. 26
Fall Family Fun (free drop-in activities, Sundays, Sept. 18-Oct. 9) – pg. 29
Nature for Sprouts (4 Fridays, Oct. 7-28) – pg. 26
Shadow World (Oct. 8) – pg. 27
Knock, Knock. Who’s There? (Oct. 15 or Oct. 16) – pg. 26
Food Fight (2 Saturdays, Nov. 12 & 19) – pg. 27
Shelter (Dec. 10) – pg. 27
Family Backpacks (self-guided activities; adult chaperone required) – pg. 29

Movies in the Gardens at Twilight (more info)

Sept. 15: "Play Again"

Music in the Gardens

Duke Performances series (more info)

Swing for Scrap

Fundraising swing dance for Durham creative reuse center The Scrap Exchange. See details on Scrap's ticket page. Tickets also available at The Scrap Exchange.

Duke Gardens Fish Pool: post-storm cleanup

Curator Mike Owens retrieves water plants
from the muddy Fish Pool.

Photos by Gardens intern Crystal Cotton
Report by Crystal Cotton and Gardens staff

Last week's downpours in Durham left the Fish Pool at the bottom of the Terrace Gardens full of clay soil and debris from higher ground – a mix that’s not just unsightly but also bad for the koi fish and water plants that live there. So Historic Gardens curator Mike Owens has had to drain the pool and the pond in the South Lawn in order to clean them.

“We’ve had some really abnormal, heavy downpours of 2 or 3 inches" on July 4 and Friday, Owens said Monday, as he made his way through the muddy water to rescue the plants and fish.
“It just all rushed down at once and didn't have time to drain off properly. In a normal rain, we wouldn't have that problem."

This challenge isn't new. Duke Gardens is located in a ravine. The original Duke Gardens, an iris garden planted in the mid-1930s in what is now the South Lawn, washed away in a storm soon afterward. That led to a new approach for the next incarnation, the tiered Terrace Gardens, dedicated in 1939.

Compounding the long-standing problem of water flowing downward from higher ground is current construction in the allee at Duke Gardens’ main entrance, which exposed mounds of clay soil that the double-whammy of intense storms carried downstream to the Fish Pool, carving ditches in the paths along the way.

These storms necessitated an immediate draining and cleanout – something the Gardens does periodically but had to expedite this time around.

"This heavy clay in here cannot be filtered out,” Owens said of the Fish Pool mud. “It's such a fine clay that the only way I can get it out is to wash it out with a hose.”

As the pool drained,
Owens also rescued the fish for safe-keeping.

While Owens brings the ponds up to par, the water plants and the koi will be given extra care for the next few days. Some will go in water pots

“The Victoria water lilies we just started, so we’re going to take them to the pond behind the Doris Duke Center,” Owens said. Other plants are fine in water pots or sitting out of water for a while.

Owens transferred the fish to water tanks in the greenhouse until the cleanup is done. This way, they can keep their gills clean and be free to swim about freely once again.

Fortunately, storms of this intensity – coupled with construction – don’t happen often. And Owens expects the Fish Pool to be full and photogenic again by the end of the week. The South Lawn pond may take a few days longer to clean and will fill up naturally after the next rainfall.

The drained South Lawn pond
awaits removal of accumulated dirt.

See our previous post for photos of the flooding, and an update on the Asiatic pond and Virtue Peace Pond.

Damage from the mighty storm

Today's intense rainfall wreaked havoc on Duke Gardens. The water rushed from the higher parts of the Gardens (including construction areas, with their mud and debris), as well as higher ground at Duke University Medical Center. It made its way into the pond in the Asiatic Arboretum and to the foot of the Terrace Gardens, including the newly renovated Fish Pool.

Not only that, this was the second time this week that we've had so intense a storm. So there is much cleaning up to be done here. The water should recede overnight, unless it rains again. But we'll be looking to find a long-term solution that will prevent such havoc in the future.

Here are a few photos from this evening.

The grassy banks at pondside are submerged,
as are the ends of our iconic Iris Bridge.
The paths were covered, too.

A submerged bench that's normally up on a bank.

(Above is a "before" shot of the same bench.
Note the grassy bank in the background,
leading up to the path that you saw
submerged in the previous photo.)
Photo by Wendell Hull

Above is where the Zig-zag Bridge would be.
It's under there somewhere.

Above is what the Zig-zag Bridge normally looks like.
(Photo by Wendell Hull)

The grassy area and path leading to the
duck-feeding rock beach is now more pond,
which makes the ducks happy.

Duck feeders will recognize this path out to
the beach and our informational sign.

The path from a different vantage point.

To the right in the background is where the
multi-level duck beach normally can be seen.

Above is what the duck-feeding beach usually looks like.

The stream on the other side of the dam.

The rushing water created ditches in our paths.

Our renovated Fish Pool,
home of giant koi, as well as water lilies and lotuses,
is a muddy mess.

The haggard water lilies in the Fish Pool.

A beautiful lotus framed by muck.

More plants with migrated dirt.

The view up the waterfall,
on the other side of the Fish Pool.

Bobby Mottern, director of horticulture,
tries to unclog the drain and filtration areas.

A "before" shot of the beautifully clear Fish Pool
on a gorgeous spring day.
Photo by Rick Fisher

Monday update: Culberson Asiatic Arboretum curator Paul Jones says the water levels have gone down, and that it's not uncommon for summer storms to raise the arboretum pond levels substantially. The water and debris flowing down to the Terraces are a greater worry, he says. Some of the paths really took a beating, as did the Fish Pool.

All the debris that builds up in the Asiatic pond from such storms will eventually have to be removed, though. Much of it settles around the Zig-zag Bridge, which has to be dug out routinely so that the bridge crosses over water, not land.

Water plants specialist Tamara Kilbane says the competition waterlilies in the Virtue Peace Pond are fine, too. The pond ended up with mulch in it from the surrounding area. But she and other staff members cleaned it and the plants were unharmed.

For those concerned about our waterfowl, Paul says the ducks, swans and other creatures love these events, which briefly expand their water world and their menu. They are all content and unharmed. But we're checking on the koi fish now. The Terrace Gardens Fish Pool will need to be drained and cleaned.

Read our update of the Fish Pool and South Lawn pond cleanup.

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.