Know Before You Go...

Our buildings are currently closed to visitors, and all Garden Shop sales are through our online store. Our outdoor spaces remain open.

A big thank you to those who have visited the Garden since the gates opened mid-August. You've been amazing at keeping your distance and wearing masks when needed. Thank you!!! As a reminder, we are taking extensive precautions to make sure the Garden is a safe place to visit, and we need your help to keep it safe for everybody. Before you visit, please check yourself for COVID-19 symptoms, bring a face covering, and keep your distance. Read more >

As we look forward, we'd like to ask for your help. The Garden is free to visit, but it's not free to run. If you're able, putting even $5 in the donation box by our information kiosk when you're here helps us keep going. You can also give online. Thank you!!

Bloodroot Blood Drive

Friday, February 26, 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Join us for our Bloodroot Blood Drive! Snacks will be provided, and we will have a wildflower slideshow for you to enjoy while you donate! If you plan to participate, please schedule an appointment online, as spots are limited. We hope to see you there!

Support Student Interns

Each year, the Garden hires several student interns to meet our conservation, native plant horticulture, and educational outreach mission. These student interns provide many services to the Garden and for the community, but they also receive much training and encouragement to boost their educational goals and future careers.

Dedicated Garden supporters Cindy and Tom Cook have graciously issued a challenge to further build the North Carolina Botanical Garden Student Intern Endowment fund to support the annual hiring of student interns. Cindy and Tom Cook will match up to $10K of gifts to the fund made by January 31, 2021. 

Help the Garden and help future leaders by making a gift to this fund. Contact Stephen Keith, Director of Development, at 919-962-9458, with any questions.

Annual Evelyn McNeill Sims Lecture will be Virtual

EVELYN MCNEILL SIMS LECTURE:
COLORING THE CONSERVATION CONVERSATION

Sunday, April 11, 2021 •  Free; preregistration required
J. Drew Lanham will discuss what it means to embrace the full breadth of his African-American heritage and his deep kinship to nature and adoration of birds. The convergence of ornithologist, college professor, poet, author, and conservation activist blend to bring our awareness of the natural world and our moral responsibility for it forward in new ways. Candid by nature — and because of it — Lanham will examine how conservation must be a rigorous science and evocative art, inviting diversity and race to play active roles in celebrating our natural world. Register now >

In the Garden Shop 

FOLDING GUIDES

This week we’ve added our popular pocket folding guides to our online store! Check out your favorites and restock now! From botanical t-shirts to gardening books to native wildflower seeds to crafts by local artists, we continue to expand our selection online each week. All proceeds from our Garden Shop return directly to the Garden, supporting our programs, operations, and staff. Shop now >

One Flower You Will Never Find in the Herbarium 

There is one flower that will never be found in an herbarium, but not because of its rarity, habitat or toxicity. Carol Ann McCormick, UNC Herbarium curator, first encountered frost flowers a decade ago along her driveway in southeastern Alamance County. On a cold December morning, she was peeved to see Styrofoam packing peanuts scattered along a rocky east-facing bank uphill from Big Branch Creek. When she returned home later that day, she was relieved to see the litter had been cleaned up. However, when she drove out the next icy morning, the white curls had returned! Read more >

Walkway Under Construction

This winter and spring, we'll be making some improvements to the walkway from our parking lot to the Allen Education Center. The walkway and area under the Howes Bridge will be paved, stone seating will be installed, and more. Preparation and construction will begin this month, and construction should be completed in May. 

From the Herbarium: A New Fungus Among-Us

New plants, animals and fungi are not only found in far-away exotic locations. The Carolina campus might be a surprising place to find a fungus never before documented from North Carolina, but recently a Carolina biology major did just that. Read more >

D'Arcy McNickle Interpretive Garden at CCG

The Carolina Community Garden is currently hosting an exhibit based on the diaries of D'Arcy McNickle, a citizen of the Confederated Salish-Kootnai Tribes of the Flathead Nation in Montana. D'Arcy was one of the twentieth century's most influential American Indian writers, intellectuals, and activists. The exhibit was created by a UNC-Chapel Hill Undergraduate Research Consultant Team. Stop by the CCG on Wilson Street in Chapel Hill or read more on the exhibit's website >

Program and Classroom Safety

The Garden continues to offer education programs in a variety of formats. Our Lunchbox Talks are virtual, as well as other short classes including some botanical art classes. Other classes are in-person outside or hybrid, meaning they occur both online and in-person outside with extensive precautions. We are not using our classroom spaces in January, but we plan to begin using them again when appropriate under extensive precautions. If you have questions about safety before taking a class, please ask! Contact us at ncbg@unc.edu.

Let's Do Lunch, Virtually!
 

SKIPPERS IN THE DUNES: HABITAT CONSERVATION TO SUPPORT AN ENDEMIC BUTTERFLY

Thursday, January 28; 12-1 p.m. •  Free, $5 suggested fee; registration required

The North Carolina coast has its own species of butterfly – the crystal skipper. This small brown butterfly can be found around sand dunes along the Crystal Coast from April to May, and again from July to August. The skipper is endemic to just a 50 kilometer stretch from Bear Island to Fort Macon State Park, and its total range is less than 3,300 ha. Unfortunately, the skipper is experiencing habitat fragmentation due to urban development, as much of its range overlaps with human activities, buildings, and homes. An interdisciplinary research team conducts butterfly counts, vegetation surveys, and habitat restoration projects to help support the crystal skipper population. Join us to learn more about this unique butterfly and the team of conservationists that are working to keep it going strong. Register now >
 

RARE WILDFLOWERS OF NORTH CAROLINA

Thursday, February 11; 12-1 p.m. •  Free, $5 suggested fee; registration required

Join us for a virtual tour across North Carolina to see some of our most rare, beautiful, and sometimes overlooked wildflowers. We will explore from the mountains to the coast and learn what makes a plant rare and what is being done to protect them through stories of both woe and conservation success. Register now >

From the Foundation

A virtual orientation meeting for new Board members whose terms began on January 1, 2021 will be held next week. Board members who joined the Board in January 2020 are also invited to attend. The Foundation leadership and Damon agreed that this year the orientation will focus primarily on the Foundation itself; a subsequent meeting yet to be announced will focus on the Garden, Garden directors and their departments' key responsibilities. We are excited to hit the ground running with our new Foundation Board!

Nature Box - Winter Detectives

Kids need a break from screen time? Ready to swap remote learning for some hands-on, outdoor learning? Try a Nature Box! 
 
This winter, be a detective and solve some natural history mysteries! Where do animals go when it gets cold? Are trees alive? Whose tracks are those in the mud or snow? Designed for ages 5-9, each box is full of fun, hands-on, seasonally themed activities, crafts, and experiments that get kids outdoors (and learning!). Supplies and materials included. Order online, pick up at the Garden, and complete activities on your own schedule. Quantities limited. Order a box >

Annual Report Available

2020 was an unprecedented year full of uncertainty and challenging circumstances. As the calendar year drew to a close, we reflected on our ability to adapt and continue to provide valuable resources to our visitors, volunteers, and students. We invite you to view our annual report for Fiscal Year 2020. Read the report >

Open Studio Continues Despite Pandemic

Despite the pandemic circumstances, the Botanical Art and Illustration Open Studio Coffee Hour has remained a way for local artists to critique and improve their artwork. Twice a month, artists meet over Zoom to critique their art and hold group discussions about techniques, materials, and resources. Read more >

Illustration by Judy Lutter

Upcoming Classes

WINTER FLORA (outdoors)

Saturdays, January 16, February 6 and February 27; 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
$135 ($122 Members)

This course is designed for a broad audience as well as for students who are enrolled in either of the Garden’s certificate programs. Field trips and exercises provide experience in the use of identification keys and recognition of plants in their winter condition in natural settings. Enjoy discovering that many trees and shrubs are easily recognized when not covered with leaves!  Register now >
 

SUSTAINABLE GARDEN SYSTEMS: GOING BEYOND PLANTS (virtual)

Thursday, January 21, 6:30 – 8 p.m., $18 ($16 Members)

The winter is a great time to plan and incorporate sustainable systems into your landscape and garden. In this course, we will introduce sustainable strategies participants can use in their home gardens to reduce environmental impact, utilize nature’s resources, and promote biodiversity. Participants will also learn about the North Carolina Botanical Garden’s sustainable features and LEED Platinum facilities, including the Garden’s focus on conserving water, reducing waste through composting, utilizing local and natural materials in landscapes and hardscapes, reducing energy, and more. Register now >

NATIVE GRASSES IN YOUR LANDSCAPE (virtual)

Friday, January 26, 6:30 – 8 p.m., $19 ($17 Members)

Native grasses are tough and resilient plants that can make a great addition to any home landscape. Whether you’re hoping to provide wildlife habitat, reduce maintenance, or provide a bold statement in your landscape, there’s a native grass that can meet your needs. In this course we’ll explore the importance of grasses in our landscapes, learn how to maintain and manage these species, and look at the best native grasses for a wide range of garden situations. Register now >

DRAWING AND PAINTING WITH WATERCOLOR PENCILS (virtual)

Saturday, January 30, 1 – 4:30 p.m., $53 ($48 Members)

Have you ever wondered what to do with those watercolor pencils gathering dust in your studio? They can be used to make beautiful art. Watercolor pencils are an interesting blend of drawing and painting. They are fantastic for field sketching, for making art while traveling, and for working plein air. Watercolor pencils can be used to make interesting textures and they make a good addition to watercolor painting, colored pencil, and mixed media. Join Kate for an introduction to various techniques using watercolor pencils as we all work on a project over Zoom. The class will have demonstration time as well as student work time. Kate will provide a photo and a drawing, students are free to use their own subject and drawing as well. Register now >

PAINTING BIRDS IN WATERCOLOR (virtual)

Saturday, February 13, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., $90 ($81 Members)

Following a brief overview of bird anatomy, students will learn how to use washes and dry-brush to paint a bird. No prerequisites. Register now >

A look ahead...

SHADE GARDENING WITH NATIVE PLANTS (virtual)

Friday, March 5; 2 – 3:30 p.m. Register now >
 

PREPARING GARDEN SOIL FOR NATIVE PLANTS (virtual)

Friday, March 19; 2 – 3:30 p.m. Register now >
 

See a list of all education program offerings >

Donations and memberships are more important now than ever. Please consider giving to the Garden or becoming a Member today.