Pruning can help minimize disease, direct growth and lessen future problems. Horticulture director Bobby Mottern will discuss goals, methods and timing while demonstrating proper pruning techniques on several shrubs. You will see demonstrations of structural pruning techniques, renewal pruning and hedging methods, along with tool and safety reviews.   

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 April 3, May 1 and June 5.   

Join us for a one-hour online class that invites you to explore the relationship between your body and the natural world through the lens of ecosomatics. Rooted in somatic awareness and ecological connection, ecosomatics offers a framework for deepening your embodied understanding of place, self and the environment. Through a series of short, guided prompts and exercises, we will engage the senses, tune into the rhythms of nature and cultivate a sense of presence and connection. Whether you are new to somatic practices or an experienced practitioner, this class offers an accessible and refreshing way to reconnect with the living world around you. This program will be recorded and shared with all registered participants.   

Late winter is the time to start planning your spring and summer vegetable garden. Starting your vegetables from seed gives you the opportunity to expand the varieties of plants you grow, from that unusual bean variety to the squash you can’t find in a grocery store. Learn the benefits of growing vegetables from seed as horticulturist Megan Brown guides you through the process from germination to harvest. Imagine crisp greens, juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers and other garden-grown delights in your kitchen. Learn what to start from seed now for transplanting later and what should be sown directly into the garden. Participants will plant several varieties of vegetables from seed to take home to your garden and receive other resources for garden planning. All materials provided.   

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.    

Penny’s Bend, an 84-acre preserve, has a unique geology and therefore distinct soils that support rare plant species. Join Alec Motten, professor emeritus, and Paul Manos, professor of biology at Duke University, for a relatively easy hike, under 2 miles. The spring wildflower season is challenging to predict, but we will see plenty! Plan to wear weather appropriate comfortable clothes and good walking shoes. 

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 March 27 session will focus on the themes of interdependence and transformation. Discover the profound connections between your body and the living world. Through guided movement, sensory awareness, and creative exercises, we will explore themes of interdependence and transformation as they unfold within the garden's vibrant landscape and in our own lives. This immersive experience invites you to attune to the dynamic relationships between yourself, the more-than-human world, and the elements, fostering a deeper understanding of the mutual exchanges that sustain life. Perfect for anyone seeking connection, creativity or simply a moment to move with deeper attention to the world around them.   

The 2nd African American Legacy in Gardening and Horticulture Symposium begins on Friday evening with a free film screening followed by a panel discussion. In Family Tree, Black land ownership and sustainable forestry are one and the same, and two North Carolina families take on the challenge of building intergenerational wealth while raising healthy forests. Historically, because of knowledge gaps around land stewardship, Black owners have sold their precious acreage to developers. Guided by forestry experts Sam Cook, Mavis Gragg, and Alton Perry, these families are empowered to cultivate a dream of restorative abundance. While the value of a tree is often overlooked, Tyrone and Edna Williams prepare their three sons to continue the family’s legacy by teaching them to balance economic potential with environmental protection. Newer owners, Nikki and Natalie Jefferies, learn that the seeds they plant now will have far-reaching consequences. In order to move fully into the future, the sisters and their father, Sidney, must confront deep wounds from the past to restore family unity. In her directorial debut, Jennifer MacArthur leans into the intimate and visionary process of protecting Black legacies through environmental sustainability.    

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.