Certificate Program Annual Celebration

Sunday, September 8, 2-3:30 p.m.
Help us celebrate the 2019 graduates of the Native Plant Studies and the Botanical Art & Illustration certificate programs! We will provide background information and updates of the certificate programs, and then we will turn the focus to celebrating our graduates! Students and instructors of both programs will talk about their journeys and experiences -- a great opportunity for prospective students to get a feel for these programs. A reception will follow, honoring our graduates. Native Plant Studies graduates will share posters of their work, and we will celebrate the opening of the Botanical Art & Illustration student exhibit in the DeBerry Gallery. Register now >

Sculpture in the Garden

SCULPTURE IN THE GARDEN

Sunday, September 15 - Sunday, December 8
This autumn marks the 31st annual exhibit of Sculpture in the Garden. Over 40 works by local artists in steel, ceramic, glass, and more will interact with the curated landscapes of the Garden. The show is free and open to the public during normal Garden hours. Come see it more than once as the landscape around the sculptures changes with the seasons! 
 

SCULPTURE IN THE GARDEN PREVIEW PARTY

Saturday, September 14, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
You'll have first viewing and the opportunity to meet the artists, make early purchases, and enjoy refreshments as we announce the Best in Show and Honorable Mention winners. $30 per person. Purchase tickets >

Fall Plant Sale

Members' Night: Friday, September 27, 4-7:30 p.m.
Public Sale: Saturday, September 28, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Our Fall Plant Sale exemplifies conservation gardening at its best. All of the species of southeastern native plants offered for sale have been grown in our own nursery operation. Garden Members enjoy a special plant sale preview party on Friday evening with a discount on plant purchases, live music, and refreshments.

Forest Theatre 100th Anniversary Celebration

Sunday, October 6, 2-4 p.m.
Enjoy performances paying tribute to the legacy of the theatre and participate in the conversation about the theatre’s future. Performers include Playmakers Repertory Company, Paperhand Puppet Intervention, and more!

The Frederick Henry Koch Memorial Forest Theatre was spearheaded by its namesake in collaboration with William C. Coker, botany professor and chair of the grounds and buildings committee. Koch was at the forefront of the community and outdoor theater movements. In 1943, the theater was named in his honor. The Garden began managing the Forest Theatre in 2004, and made some enhancements in 2012, but there are many more improvements necessary to allow Koch’s vision to flourish, including addressing drainage issues, repairing the lighting towers and other structures, and improving lighting and sound infrastructure.

As we look to the next 100 years of Forest Theatre, the Garden is working with campus and community partners including PlayMakers Repertory Company, University of North Carolina’s Department of Dramatic Art, Arts Everywhere, Carolina Performing Arts, and the town of Chapel Hill to sustain Koch’s dream of outdoor performances.

You can help! For information about supporting this project, contact Stephen Keith, interim director of development, at Stephen.Keith@unc.edu or 919-962-9458.

In the DeBerry Gallery + Pegg Exhibit Hall

July-August

UPSIDE DOWN: ACCIDENTAL COSMOS

Photographs by Michael Galinsky

 

September-October

CELEBRATING NATURE

Works by the 2019 graduates of our Certificate in Botanical Art & Illustration Program

Graduation ceremony and exhibit reception: Sunday, September 8, 2-4:30 p.m.

 

Free Garden Tours

SEPTEMBER SERENITY

Saturday, September 7, 10-11 a.m. 
All walking is discovery. On foot, we take time to see things whole. ~ Hal Borland

Join a Garden Guide for a quiet, relaxing stroll in the Garden to explore the many natural beauties of late summer. Free, but please preregister. Space is limited! Register now >

COKER ARBORETUM TOURS

Saturday, August 17, 11 a.m. 

Did you know we offer a free tour of Coker Arboretum on the third Saturday of every month from March to November? Tours begin at 11 a.m. and last 1-2 hours. Meet in the gathering circle on the south side of the Arboretum, next to the arbor along Cameron Avenue. Come learn about the unique history and composition of this wonderful garden in the heart of the UNC campus. Registration is encouraged but not required. Register now >

Let's Have Lunch Together!

LUNCHBOX TALK: HERE THERE BE DRAGONS

Thursday, August 8; 12-1 p.m. •  Free; registration required

LUNCHBOX TALK: BITES & SITES: NATIVE PLANTS & SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE PRACTICES

Thursday, August 29; 12-1 p.m. •  Free; registration required

Fitch Lecture: A New Garden Ethic

with Benjamin Vogt,
Author and Owner, Monarch Gardens
Sunday, November 3; 2:30-3:30 p.m. •
Free, preregistration required
In a time of mass extinction and climate change, how and for whom we garden matters more than ever. 

Our built landscapes reflect social ethics and values that guide our response to reviving wildness in and outside the urban environment. How can we recognize and develop compassion for other species? What role do native plants have in opening us to the perspectives of others? What happens to our society when we advocate for the equality and freedom of a silent majority? Through ecology, psychology, landscape design, horticulture, philosophy, and social science, we’ll explore the rich complexity of rethinking pretty and what a garden means in the anthropocene. Register now >

This lecture topic is familiar to many of the Garden's members and friends. Please encourage those unfamiliar with this cause to attend by forwarding this announcement or bringing them with you! Thank you!

Bloodroot Blood Drive

We are hoping to host a blood drive in February or March 2020. We need to provide data to the American Red Cross to show there is significant interest from the community in participating in a blood drive here at the Garden.
 
If you are interested in participating in the blood drive, please fill out the form linked below. The date and time have not been determined, but it will be on a weekday during the afternoon. By completing this form, you are not committing to participate, but we do hope you can participate if possible! Please complete by Friday, August 16. Thank you!  Express your interest >

Upcoming Classes
 

THE CAMERA IN YOUR POCKET: GARDEN VIDEOGRAPHY FOR THE NOVICE

Saturday, August 10; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. •  $72 ($65 Members)

Today’s mobile devices are much more than communication tools. Most of us now carry a video camera with us at all times, and we have the ability to record, edit, and share short video clips in a matter of minutes! In this fun and hands-on workshop, you’ll join Emmy award-winning videographer Simone Keith as she teaches you simple and effective ways to use your smartphone or tablet to create and share professional-looking video content from your garden and nature. Register now >
 

INATURALISTS IN ACTION

Saturday, August 24; 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. •  $18 ($16 Members)

Join us for this hands-on introduction to recording plant and wildlife observations with the iNaturalist mobile app and website (inaturalist.org). We’ll meet in the classroom for a brief overview of the application and a discussion of photographing flora and fauna for identification. We’ll then carpool to nearby Mason Farm Biological Reserve to make observations, and we’ll return to the classroom at the end to take a closer look at some of them. Register now >

DRAWING FOR PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY CAN'T DRAW

Saturday, August 24; 1-4:30 p.m. •  $42 ($38 Members)

Drawing is a skill anyone can learn! In this workshop, students progress from a blank sheet of paper to a beautifully finished drawing. Come try, and discover that yes, you can draw!  Register now >
 

AN INTRODUCTION TO BIRDS AND BIRDING

Tuesdays, September 3, 10, 17, and 24; 6-8 p.m. •  $55 ($50 Members)

Join instructors from the New Hope Audubon Society for an introductory course in bird identification, classification, physiology, behavior, and more. This course is aimed at bird watchers of all skill levels. Whether you're not sure if that bird at your feeder is a chickadee or a nuthatch or whether you know how to tell ruby-crowned from golden-crowned kinglets, this class will have something for you. Register now >
 

GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE

Saturdays, September 7 and 14; 10 a.m.-12 p.m. •  $48 ($43 Members)

Are you interested in attracting more pollinators and wildlife into your garden? Gardening for wildlife can establish sustainable landscapes that promote life of all kinds. Learn how to include essential habitat elements like food, water, cover, and places to raise young while also creating beautiful, colorful gardens that appeal to various aesthetic preferences. Register now >

See all upcoming classes here >