Join us for a range of engaging programs that will deepen your connection to plants, expand your gardening skills and introduce you to new ways of learning.
This program season, big changes are underway with construction for the transformative Garden Gateway project. A range of engaging education programs will continue but will feel slightly different during this period of exciting growth. Registration is open now, and a few more programs will be added throughout the season. You’ll find plant-inspired programs to engage your mind and body that take place onsite, offsite and virtually.
Please note that during construction, the Doris Duke Center and main visitor parking lots will be closed. General visitor parking will only be available on weekends. Special parking will be available for most onsite programs and detailed directions will be included in program reminder emails sent the week before each program.
If you have already registered for a program in 2026 and would like to register for more, you will need your confirmation code included in previous registration emails. For assistance and to cancel your registration in accordance with our refund, cancellation and privacy policies, please email GardensEducation@duke.edu or call 919-668-1707.
Upcoming Adult Education Programs
Interested in Japanese Tea Gatherings? Click here for more information.
Winter Tree Trek
Winter Tree Trek
Join tree expert Matt Archibald, ISA board-certified master arborist at Leaf & Limb for a walk to wonder at the beauty of trees in winter. Learn fascinating facts about various species, emphasizing th...
Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Seed Starting
Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Seed Starting
Growing a garden from seed can be exciting. This presentation will help you build a successful indoor seed starting setup that can be used for edible or ornamental plants and share tips on how to get ...
Birding for Beginners
Birding for Beginners
Bundle up and build your bird observation skills on a slow stroll through Duke Gardens with Bella Insignares, education staff at Duke Gardens, as you gather a list of different birds that use the Gard...
The Earthen Door: Recreating Emily Dickinson’s Herbarium
The Earthen Door: Recreating Emily Dickinson’s Herbarium
“This Earthen Door” re-imagines Emily Dickinson's herbarium—a 66-page book of pressed plants she made as a teenager—using plant pigments grown by the artists in their gardens. A renowned Ameri...
Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Design Thinking
Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Design Thinking
This course will introduce the student to the steps involved in the landscape design process. Guided by a registered Landscape Architect, participants will explore topics ranging from Deep Observation...
Salamander Studies in Duke Forest
Salamander Studies in Duke Forest
While gardens sleep, winter is the busiest time for North Carolina’s salamanders. Join Dr. Ron Grunwald, Duke Department of Biology, to look for these “cool” amphibians in Duke Forest, where you...
Salamander Studies in Duke Forest
Salamander Studies in Duke Forest
While gardens sleep, winter is the busiest time for North Carolina’s salamanders. Join Dr. Ron Grunwald, Duke Department of Biology, to look for these “cool” amphibians in Duke Forest, where you...
Japanese Tea Gathering: First Breath of Spring
Japanese Tea Gathering: First Breath of Spring
Join tea master 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 Japanes...
Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Garden Design with Native Plants
Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Garden Design with Native Plants
Learn about why native plants are an important part of the urban environment. We will cover some basic concepts on how to make your home garden a habitat for birds and bees and other creatures. This ...
Japanese Tea Gathering: First Breath of Spring
Japanese Tea Gathering: First Breath of Spring
Join tea master 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 Japanes...
Japanese Tea Gathering: First Breath of Spring
Japanese Tea Gathering: First Breath of Spring
Join tea master 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 Japanes...
Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Vegetable Gardening Symposium
Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Vegetable Gardening Symposium
For this special half-day symposium, we’ll feature three speakers with a little something for everyone, from beginner to experienced veggie growers. This program is part of the Hattie Meadows Garden...
Plug and Play: A Guide to Planting Perennial Plugs (virtual)
Plug and Play: A Guide to Planting Perennial Plugs (virtual)
Most gardeners are familiar with planting container-grown perennials, but using plugs requires a shift in mindset and technique. These young starter plants, grown in trays instead of pots, offer disti...
Mosses of Duke Forest
Mosses of Duke Forest
Spend an afternoon in Duke Forest with Blanka Aguero, bryophyte data manager at the Duke University Herbarium, learning about the common mosses of North Carolina woods. Learn about the biology of moss...
Midday Meander
Midday Meander
Join Kavanah Anderson, director of learning and community engagement at Duke Gardens, for a conversational stroll in the garden that deepens your relationship with plants. Swap plant stories, dig int...
Spring Botanizing at Penny’s Bend
Spring Botanizing at Penny’s Bend
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, Duke...
Walk on the Wild Side
Walk on the Wild Side
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 differe...
Botany by Plant Family: The Key to See
Botany by Plant Family: The Key to See
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 th...
Winter Tree Trek
Winter Tree Trek
Join tree expert Matt Archibald, ISA board-certified master arborist at Leaf & Limb for a walk to wonder at the beauty of trees in winter. Learn fascinating facts about various species, emphasizing their ecological importance and their role in our environment.
Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Seed Starting
Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Seed Starting
Growing a garden from seed can be exciting. This presentation will help you build a successful indoor seed starting setup that can be used for edible or ornamental plants and share tips on how to get your homegrown seedlings ready to go outside. This program is part of ...
Birding for Beginners
Birding for Beginners
Bundle up and build your bird observation skills on a slow stroll through Duke Gardens with Bella Insignares, education staff at 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 ar...
The Earthen Door: Recreating Emily Dickinson’s Herbarium
The Earthen Door: Recreating Emily Dickinson’s Herbarium
“This Earthen Door” re-imagines Emily Dickinson's herbarium—a 66-page book of pressed plants she made as a teenager—using plant pigments grown by the artists in their gardens. A renowned American poet, Dickinson was better known as a gardener and avid botany stu...
Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Design Thinking
Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Design Thinking
This course will introduce the student to the steps involved in the landscape design process. Guided by a registered Landscape Architect, participants will explore topics ranging from Deep Observation, Problem Identification and Developing Design Intent, to examining th...
Winter Tree Trek
Winter Tree Trek
Join tree expert Matt Archibald, ISA board-certified master arborist at Leaf & Limb for a walk to wonder at the beauty of trees in winter. Learn fascinating facts about various species, emphasizing their ecological importance and their role in our environment.
Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Seed Starting
Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Seed Starting
Growing a garden from seed can be exciting. This presentation will help you build a successful indoor seed starting setup that can be used for edible or ornamental plants and share tips on how to get your homegrown seedlings ready to go outside. This program is part of ...
Birding for Beginners
Birding for Beginners
Bundle up and build your bird observation skills on a slow stroll through Duke Gardens with Bella Insignares, education staff at 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 ar...
The Earthen Door: Recreating Emily Dickinson’s Herbarium
The Earthen Door: Recreating Emily Dickinson’s Herbarium
“This Earthen Door” re-imagines Emily Dickinson's herbarium—a 66-page book of pressed plants she made as a teenager—using plant pigments grown by the artists in their gardens. A renowned American poet, Dickinson was better known as a gardener and avid botany stu...
Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Design Thinking
Hattie Meadows Gardening School: Design Thinking
This course will introduce the student to the steps involved in the landscape design process. Guided by a registered Landscape Architect, participants will explore topics ranging from Deep Observation, Problem Identification and Developing Design Intent, to examining th...
Adult Education Calendar
Please click the blue rectangles on the calendar below to learn more about upcoming events.
Japanese Tea Gatherings Duke Gardens is delighted to host Japanese tea gatherings in the Durham-Toyama Sister Cities Pavilion & Garden a few times per year, depending on the availability of the Japanese Tea Practitioners of Durham, who are the hostesses of the teas. The dates are decided as the year progresses, and registration is available on our website. The tea gatherings have a very small capacity (usually 6-8 participants) and nearly always sell out quickly. Please check our Adult Education webpage to see when teas have been added. You can also subscribe to our free monthly e-newsletter using this form to learn more about what’s happening in the gardens.
Learn More About the Durham-Toyama Sister Cities Pavilion & Garden at Duke Gardens ›
Video Highlights
Enjoy these how-to highlights from our YouTube channel, where you will find more video resources to continue your Gardens learning journey at any time, in any location.
Video Highlights
Enjoy these how-to highlights from our YouTube channel, where you will find more video resources to continue your Gardens learning journey at any time, in any location.
Visit our resource library for more learning opportunities, from nature meditations to collaborative science and so much more.
Learn More ›
Questions about adult education?
Please contact us at 919-668-1707 or GardensEducation@duke.edu.