Enjoy an explosion of color this fall during A Festival of Fabulous Mums at Duke Gardens. Exhibition mums will create a dazzling floral display outdoors at the Ruth Mary Meyer Japanese Garden in the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum and inside the Doris Duke Center. Central Carolina Chrysanthemum Society members will be on hand to highlight the 13 classes of mums and answer questions. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Join us for a series of free demonstrations and workshops during the Festival of Fabulous Mums at Duke Gardens! In this session, learn how to grow the spectacular chrysanthemums on display at the Festival of Fabulous Mums. See samples of chrysanthemums at various growth stages as you learn the basic horticultural elements involved in growing them. Learn about the 13 classes of mums, how to obtain new plants and their requirements for soil, light, water and fertilizer. With this introduction, you will be ready to grow these incredible blooms in your garden. As a longtime chrysanthemum grower, a National Chrysanthemum Society judge, and former president of Central Carolina Chrysanthemum Society, Joan Matthews presents engaging educational programs on the cultivation, exhibition and history of chrysanthemums. This series of free demonstrations and workshops will take place in the Pelham-Cullen Classroom inside the Barnes Welcome Center. No registration required. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open 15 min before the scheduled start time.
Join us for a series of free demonstrations and workshops during the Festival of Fabulous Mums at Duke Gardens! In this session, learn the basics of floral design from retired floral designer Patty Stimmel, who worked in Washington, D.C. as a designer for the British Embassy, the White House and Hillwood Museum and Gardens. Patty will demonstrate how to prepare a container for designing a floral centerpiece, as well as the proper way to condition flowers and foliage for longevity. This series of free demonstrations and workshops will take place in the Pelham-Cullen Classroom inside the Barnes Welcome Center. No registration required. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open 15 min before scheduled start time.
Are you unsure about when to cut back dormant plants or how many leaves to leave behind? Perhaps you've heard about stem-nesting bees or insects that overwinter in fallen foliage and want to support them. Traditional garden practice dictated raking leaves and cutting everything back to "tidy up" before winter. Today, delaying cutbacks and leaving fallen leaves has become more common as gardeners appreciate plants’ unique winter beauty and prioritize wildlife. The best approach depends on your landscape goals and priorities, and this session will help you navigate seasonal cutbacks and leaf management. Join Shannon Currey, education and outreach at Izel Native Plants, to learn strategies that support local wildlife while maintaining a landscape that looks cared for and intentional. This description is for the in-person attendance option—register separately to attend virtually.
Are you unsure about when to cut back dormant plants or how many leaves to leave behind? Perhaps you've heard about stem-nesting bees or insects that overwinter in fallen foliage and want to support them. Traditional garden practice dictated raking leaves and cutting everything back to "tidy up" before winter. Today, delaying cutbacks and leaving fallen leaves has become more common as gardeners appreciate plants’ unique winter beauty and prioritize wildlife. The best approach depends on your landscape goals and priorities, and this session will help you navigate seasonal cutbacks and leaf management. Join Shannon Currey, education and outreach at Izel Native Plants, to learn strategies that support local wildlife while maintaining a landscape that looks cared for and intentional. This description is for the virtual attendance option—register separately to attend in person.
Plan your visit to include a stop in the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden for this special opportunity to meet the keepers of the bees, chickens and incredible edible plants in this garden area beloved by learners of all ages. Look for horticulture staff or volunteers in Duke Gardens shirts and feel free to ask what they are doing. Drop-in activity for all ages. Adult chaperone required for minors.
Learn to hand-stitch a garden-inspired quilt block in this two-hour class with Julia Gartrell, artist and creator of the Radical Repair Workshop, that will prepare you for a cozy winter season. Using pre-cut fabric, students can design their own block with the selection of colors provided. Pick from four fun blocks: a tulip, a primrose, a ladybug or a mushroom. No sewing experience needed, but a basic understanding of hand stitching will be helpful. Supplies will be provided.
Spend an afternoon learning about woody plants with ethnobiologist marc williams. This in-person intensive class begins with a presentation about major tree and shrub families. Then head outside on a plant walk to learn how to identify woody trees and shrubs by their leaves, bark, flowers, fruit and growing conditions, and learn to spot characteristic clues to determine the plant families to which they belong. Discussion will include common and obscure uses for woody plants that can support overall human health, well-being and sustenance, along with relationships between woody plants and fungi.
In this accessible workshop, participants use sculpture and plant wisdom as pathways to self-discovery. Led by sculptor and certified mindfulness instructor Meg Stein (CFP, MFA), this workshop invites participants to engage in hands-on clay sculpting while practicing embodied meditation, fostering deeper self-connection and artistic expression. The meditation will incorporate information and metaphorical wisdom from a native plant in Duke Gardens. All skill levels are welcome. Participants are invited to attend just as they are; there is no need to know anything about mindfulness or sculpture (or plants!) in order to benefit from the exercises in this workshop.
Join Paul Jones, founding curator of the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum, for a walking tour of some of the most iconic stone features found in the arboretum. You’ll hear the stories behind the stone, including traditional stone lanterns, pathways, waterfalls and lichen-covered boulders that blend seamlessly into the landscape. Hear why specific boulders were chosen and how they were placed, and learn more about the design intent. You'll discover how a single carefully positioned rock can anchor an entire landscape, and how the interplay of stone, water and plants creates a sense of harmony that feels both timeless and deeply intentional.