Back for a second year, The African American Legacy in Gardening and Horticulture Symposium will explore the unsung historical legacy of African American plantspeople, horticulturists, residential gardeners, and gardening clubs. These personal narratives and generational gardening practices have all too often been ignored, overlooked, or not fully appreciated within the framework of American landscape history, global ethno-botanical viewpoints, and contemporary environmental writing. This one-day symposium brings together a cadre of horticulturists, historians, beautification advocates and plantspeople to celebrate the contributions made by these gardening innovators and modern-day practitioners, while further educating and enlightening the public and future generations of plant lovers.  

Join horticulture staff and 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. Look for additional walks on May 1 and June 5.   

Walk the Gardens with Blanka Aguero, bryophyte data manager at the Duke University Herbarium, in collaboration with the Duke University Herbarium, to look for mosses and liverworts, discussing what they tell you about the site. You will learn identifying characteristics of these small plants by observing similarities and differences with a magnifying lens. Blanka will lead a separate program focused on the mosses of Duke Forest on April 29.

Explore different facets of transformation through the lens and practice of ecosomatics in a series of five workshops designed around a central theme that can also be taken as stand-alone classes. The April 10 session will focus on transformative frameworks for understanding and engaging with change. Bringing together ecosomatics and decolonial thought, this class invites participants to reflect on the profound transformations happening in our world and the ways we might show up differently in this era of climate change. Through guided movement, embodied reflection and sensory exercises, we will consider how our interdependence with the natural world can inspire new ways of being. Engage with the garden as a site of learning, connection and possibility, and leave with tools for grounding and action in these times of transformation.   

Join us 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.

A special phenomenon happens in the native woodland garden every spring—sunlight reaching through bare branches warms the soil and a group of delicate spring wildflowers burst to life.  Due to their small stature and brief visible life span, it can be easy to miss these harbingers of spring. Join curator Annabel Renwick to learn more about spring ephemerals and spot what is popping up in the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants at this time of year.      

Join us 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.

Join us 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.

With ethnobiologist Marc Williams. Learning to notice plant family patterns can greatly aid in demystifying the “green wall” of plant species around us. Nearly 350,000 species of flowering plants are known to global science, and these species have been grouped into over 400 flowering plant families. By learning the top 30 plant families growing around you, you will begin to recognize plants everywhere you go. After an indoor presentation on the major plant families common to the Southeastern U.S., reinforce your plant identification skills on a walk in the Gardens to observe family patterns in leaf, flower and fruit types. Discuss edibility, medicinality, craft, wildlife support and landscape beauty as you gain a more holistic understanding of the major plants comprising Southern U.S. flora and their potential ecological and ethnobotanical applications.

Build your bird observation skills on a slow stroll through Duke Gardens as you gather a list of different birds that use the Gardens. If you have ever found yourself wondering about the birds that are flying or singing around you, bring those questions with you to learn together as a group. Bring your own binoculars if you have them (not required) and a sense of curiosity.    

Explore different facets of transformation through the lens and practice of ecosomatics in a series of five workshops designed around a central theme that can also be taken as stand-alone classes. The April 24 session will focus on the theme of impermanence. Explore the beauty and wisdom of impermanence through guided movement, sensory practices and reflective exercises, we will attune to the ever-changing rhythms of life and consider how embracing impermanence can deepen our connection to ourselves and the environment. This class offers a space to reflect on growth, decay and renewal, and to explore how impermanence shapes the ways we navigate personal and ecological change. Join us in the garden to cultivate presence, adaptability and a sense of peace within life’s dynamic flow.  

Spend an afternoon in Duke Forest, learning about the common mosses of North Carolina woods. Learn about the biology of mosses and liverworts and gain basic moss identification skills as you explore a world beneath your feet. With Blanka Aguero, bryophyte data manager at the Duke University Herbarium, in collaboration with the Duke University Herbarium.

Join horticulture staff and 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. Look for an additional walk on June 5.

This one-day workshop will cover making a hanging basket, traditionally used for storing garlic or onions, from start to finish. It’s a great introduction to working with natural reed and creating a structural vessel by following a simple weaving pattern. Students will leave with their own basket to hang in the kitchen. Materials and tools included.  

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.

Lichens are found in nearly every habitat on Earth. Despite being often overlooked, they are extremely useful indicators of both air pollution and climate change. Embark on a lichen-centric ramble through Duke Gardens to explore the fascinating world of these curious organisms. Learn to identify different kinds of lichens and understand their ecological roles.   

Explore different facets of transformation through the lens and practice of ecosomatics in a series of five workshops designed around a central theme that can also be taken as stand-alone classes.

The May 22 session will conclude our ecosomatics series with a class exploring the Cycles of Life. Through movement, reflection and sensory practices, we’ll attune to the rhythms of beginnings and endings, and the threads that carry forward through time. Drawing inspiration from the more-than-human world, this class invites participants to consider what it means to end well, honor transitions and nurture continuity within change. Together, we’ll explore how cycles in nature and our own lives offer wisdom for living with intention and grace. Join us for this reflective and grounding experience in the beauty of Duke Gardens.

Come discover the regenerative power of mindful engagement with nature. The Japanese tradition of Shinrin-Yoku, forest bathing, is a practice of using all your senses to connect with nature. Many studies have found it to be helpful in decreasing stress, increasing immune system functioning, and improving concentration, creativity and mood. In a slow-paced two-hour session, certified Forest Therapy Guide Stephanie Campbell will offer a sequence of gentle invitations designed to help you immerse yourself in deeper connection with nature, ending with a forest-based tea.

Join tree expert Matt Archibald from Leaf & Limb for a walk to wonder at the beauty of trees and learn fascinating facts about various species, their ecological importance and their role in our environment.

Join horticulture staff and 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.