Native sedges are garnering attention for their versatility and ecological impact in the landscape. These herbaceous perennials—primarily in the genus Carex—shine as alternatives to mulch, turfgrass, and aggressive groundcovers, especially in shady conditions. They provide food, shelter, and nesting material for wildlife. Learn about the roles they play and the benefits they offer. You’ll come away knowing which species are well-adapted to our region and will help you build beautiful, ecologically sound landscapes.
Spend your lunch hour getting to know some of the best go-to plants for building ecologically sound landscapes. In the Native Plant Solutions series, we take a deep dive into a handful of specific native plants, focusing on a landscape situation or plant adaptation that makes them particularly helpful. This session addresses the challenge of what to plant on slopes. Most of us garden on sites that aren’t flat. We deal with hills, ditches, banks, ridges, and all the ups and downs that come with them. It’s physically more difficult to work on them, and they’re particularly vulnerable to erosion when rainfall going downhill gathers speed and volume. What plants work best on slopes? In this session, we’ll discuss objectives for managing slopes and connect them to plant attributes that fulfill those objectives. The plants you choose are part of a larger community on which native fauna and flora rely. Learn how to approach slopes as an opportunity to improve function and add ecological benefits without sacrificing aesthetics.
Join ComMotion for a virtual exploration of spring in Duke Gardens designed to get your body moving. Music will guide our attention to the sights, sounds, and smells of nature. We will perform simple movements for all abilities inspired by the Gardens, stretching our bodies and relaxing our minds.
Spend your lunch hour getting to know some of the best go-to plants for building ecologically sound landscapes. In the Native Plant Solutions series, we take a deep dive into a handful of specific native plants, focusing on a landscape situation or plant adaptation that makes them particularly helpful. This session explores a group of plants whose survival strategies give them an edge when there’s open space. Uncovered ground in a landscape is an invitation for something to grow there. Often, what grows is a plant we don’t want (i.e., a weed). Gaps show up in new plantings before the plants have matured and in established plantings when they are disturbed. In this session, we’ll focus on dynamic fillers—desirable species that can be used to close those gaps, fill any new ones that arise, and provide seasonal color. Learn how to use these plants to reduce the need for weeding and mulching, and to create beautiful, resilient, lower-maintenance plantings.
Join Dr. Neeti Bathala for an engaging lecture on the vital role of pollinators in sustaining ecosystems and food production. Discover native plants and flowers that attract and nourish a variety of pollinator species and gain practical insights into designing year-round blooming gardens—even in small spaces or containers. Participants will also learn how to take actionable steps for conservation and participate in citizen science by reporting pollinator observations.
Join us for a timely webinar about Ukrainian botanical gardens and their critical role during the ongoing war with Russia. Since the Russian invasion in early 2022, Ukraine’s botanical gardens have been serving as centers of respite, recovery, environmental education, and nature healing. Leaders from several Ukrainian gardens will describe their current focus on Therapeutic Horticulture, utilizing US expertise provided primarily by North Carolina Botanical Garden to assist the traumatized population of their country, including veterans and displaced families. Ukrainian botanical garden leaders will provide vivid images of their gardens and their work and will discuss the crucial support from US partners. The webinar will conclude with a question-and-answer session and will explain how you can assist these efforts.
