Learn to create strong and beautiful cord from fibers growing in your backyard with Angela Eastman of Flag Mountain Studio. We will cover processing the bast fibers or whole leaves of many plants (such as daffodil, iris, daylily, crocosmia and the inner barks of many vines such as kudzu, wisteria and more) to create cordage, an ancient craft practiced around the world.
Please join us for a pop-up exhibit and artist talk with The Witness about their evolving art practice that centers around themes of identity, belonging, grief and sorrow. The Witness will share how applying images to fresh leaves and paper has allowed them to process the immense reactions and sorrow that emerged from witnessing the suffering and erasure in Gaza. They will share how their nature-based art has changed in response to the seasons and a need for stronger creative expression. This talk offers an intimate view into their art practice and the stories around it.
Join horticulture staff and experienced volunteers on a walk around the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants to learn about connections between people, plants and place. Each month will feature a different seasonal topic related to gardening with native plants.
Join Chizuko Sueyoshi and members of the Japanese Tea Practitioners of Durham for a moment of respite in the Duke Gardens teahouse, where you will experience the centering calm of a traditional Japanese tea gathering. Enjoy the aesthetics, poetry and serenity of this rich tradition over an enticing bowl of whisked green tea and a Japanese confection. Guests will meet onsite at Duke Gardens, to be escorted on a 10-minute walk to the teahouse. Seating is on the ground unless a chair is requested during registration by emailing GardensEducation@duke.edu. Capacity of eight; for ages 12 and up.
Presented by Adé Oni, founder of dìèdìè textile micromill and studio. The earth gives us everything we need to survive and adorn our lives. Let's get to know the material culture and ancient relationships between food, fibers, and dyes. This is an interactive session for people who love and want to learn about land-based creativity rooted in Black and Indigenous ecologies. Make sure to bring a textile item that you love. This program is part of the Hattie Meadows Gardening School, a free community learning project to spread knowledge and love of gardening. Classes will take place at the Stanford L. Warren Library from January through June 2026. This program is presented in partnership with Stanford L. Warren Library, Sarah P. Duke Gardens and Durham County Cooperative Extension and made possible by the Durham Library Foundation.
Join us for a moment of respite in the Duke Gardens teahouse, where you will experience the centering calm of a Japanese tea gathering in the Urasenke tradition with tea master Chizuko Sueyoshi and members of the Japanese Tea Practitioners of Durham. Enjoy the aesthetics, poetry and serenity of this rich tradition over an enticing bowl of whisked green tea and a Japanese confection. Guests will be escorted on a 15-minute walk to the teahouse, where seating is on the ground unless a chair is requested during registration by emailing GardensEducation@duke.edu. For ages 12 and up.
Join us for a moment of respite in the Duke Gardens teahouse, where you will experience the centering calm of a Japanese tea gathering in the Urasenke tradition with tea master Chizuko Sueyoshi and members of the Japanese Tea Practitioners of Durham. Enjoy the aesthetics, poetry and serenity of this rich tradition over an enticing bowl of whisked green tea and a Japanese confection. Guests will be escorted on a 15-minute walk to the teahouse, where seating is on the ground unless a chair is requested during registration by emailing GardensEducation@duke.edu. For ages 12 and up.
Walk the Gardens with Blanka Aguero, bryophyte data manager at the Duke University Herbarium, to look for mosses and liverworts, discussing what they tell you about the site. Visit and learn about recent expansions to the moss garden that have increased the variety of mosses you’ll encounter here. You will learn identifying characteristics of these small plants by observing similarities and differences with a magnifying lens.
This interactive program led by Scott LaGreca, Paul J. Kramer Plant Collections Manager at Duke Gardens, will combine the scientific and artistic aspects of plant specimen preservation. Participants will learn the process of creating herbarium specimens, from plant collection and pressing to proper mounting techniques, including exploration of historical practices. Through hands-on activities, attendees will gain an appreciation for both the scientific and aesthetic value of preserved plant specimens in museum collections, and everyone will leave with a prepared plant specimen from the Duke Gardens plant collection.
Develop your relationship with some well-known plants by creating an herbal face mist with Sufia Ikbal-Doucet (they/them), herbalist & sovereignty doula. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll uncover the refreshing power of plants like rose, aloe, chamomile and mint. Learn about their healing properties, tap into deep presence and intuition to deepen your relationship and create a personalized blend to refresh your skin and spirit. All materials will be provided for each participant to create an herbal face mist to take home.