In the DeBerry Gallery

THROUGH DECEMBER 17

Grounded and Growing: Tales of our lives through wild pigments
Works by The Durham Palette

Artists' Talk: Friday, December 8; 7 p.m. Register >
Slow Art Tour: Sunday, December 10; 2 p.m. Register >

This growing collective of artists uses pigments made from local soils, plants, and fungi as a way of connecting with ancestral art practices and deepening their understanding of how ongoing cultural events, including marronage, gentrification, and climate change, have materialized into the Earth’s ecology and can be harvested as color.
 

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024

Patterns of Radiance
Botanically-inspired work by Laurie Basham, Vidabeth Bensen, Cathy Boytos, and Dain Kim

A cure for the winter blues: Cheerful pastel still lifes, patterned prints of leaves and flowers, colored pencil illustrations, and bright acrylics come together in this exhibit of work by four North Carolina artists.

Exhibit Reception: Sunday, February 25; 2-4 p.m.

Learn more about the DeBerry Gallery >

Saving Our Savannas: Stories of the Longleaf Pine

Join us for Saving Our Savannas: Stories of the Longleaf Pine, a six-month series of programs and events honoring the natural, cultural, and historical significance of longleaf pine communities.

The series begins in January with a kickoff lecture by Bill Owen, vice president of the Longleaf Alliance. Each month focuses on a different theme, from fire adaptation to Indigenous connections to longleaf pines of the future. Events are open to all and include lectures, art classes, tours, and more!

Special Lectures:

SAVING OUR SAVANNAS KICKOFF LECTURE (HYBRID):
FIRE AND LIFE: LONGLEAF PINE NATURAL AREAS AND THEIR CONSERVATION

ANNUAL EVELYN MCNEILL SIMS NATIVE PLANT LECTURE: FINDING OUR FUTURE IN LONGLEAF DIVERSITY

CRAFTING BOTANICALS WITH PAPER: PITCHER PLANTS

COLORED PENCIL TECHNIQUES FOR PLANTS OF THE SAVANNAS - VIRTUAL

EXPLORING THE LONGLEAF PINECONE THROUGH DRAWING

POLLINATORS IN LONGLEAF COMMUNITIES

A SANDHILLS LONGLEAF LANDSCAPE - HISTORY & ECOLOGY OF THE WALTHOUR-MOSS FOUNDATION

AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE FIRE FOREST

WILD HERBS OF THE LONGLEAF PINE FOREST AND CAROLINAS

 
This is just a short sampling of events, but you can view the full lineup of events (with even more to come!) by visiting ncbg.unc.edu/longleaf.

Sculpture in the Garden: People's Choice Awards

Visitors cast 1,059 votes for this year's Sculpture in the Garden People's Choice Awards — a new record! Here are your winners:

🥇1st Place: Flowering Archway by Holly Felice
🥈 2nd Place: Earth Guardians by Theresa Arico
🥉 3rd Place: Octopus by Mac McCusker

The People's Choice Awards are made possible by the generosity of longtime supporters and Sculpture in the Garden event hosts Vikram Rao and Susan Henning: thank you, Susan and Vikram!

The 35th annual Sculpture in the Garden came to a close on Sunday, December 3. Thank you to all who visited: we'll see you next year!

Learn more about Sculpture in the Garden >

Holiday Hours

Planning to visit the Garden over the holidays? If so, please note:

• The Garden will be closed for the holiday break, December 23 - January 1. 
• Coker Arboretum, Battle Park, and the Piedmont Nature Trails will remain open as usual, dawn to dusk every day.

In the Garden Shop:

Nature's Best Hope (Young Readers Edition) is a great book for families to read together. Adapted by Sarah L. Thomson from Doug Tallamy's latest work, this book explains why you should see wildlife in your yard, and how to encourage bees, butterflies, frogs and turtles to move in using native plants. Find this book and many more gift ideas in our Garden Shop!

Please note: The Daily Plant Sale is closed and will re-open in March. 

Hybrid Therapeutic Horticulture

The Hybrid Certificate in Therapeutic Horticulture (HCTH) is a nine-month program combining comprehensive online and in-person instruction to professionals and students in allied health, education, and design fields who wish to incorporate therapeutic horticulture into their practice.

The program allows maximum flexibility for those who need convenient, self-paced, evening, and weekend learning opportunities. Students will build foundational knowledge and explore how Therapeutic Horticulture supports human health & wellness, including physical, cognitive, emotional, spiritual, vocational, and social needs. Instructors in the program include AHTA registered horticultural therapists, accomplished therapeutic horticulture professionals, allied health professionals, and other accomplished experts in their respective fields.

Learn more about the Hybrid Therapeutic Horticulture program > 

Scholarships are available. Applications are due February 29. Apply here >

Save the Date: The African American Legacy in Gardening and Horticulture Symposium

Hayti Heritage Center
804 Old Fayetteville Street, Durham NC 27701
March 30, 2024, 10 a.m.
Free and Open to the Public

The African American Legacy in Gardening and Horticulture Symposium will explore the unsung historical legacy of African American plantsmen, horticulturalists, 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 symposium brings together a cadre of horticulturalists, historians, beautification advocates and plantsmen to celebrate the contributions made by these gardening pioneers and modern-day practitioners, while further educating and enlightening the public and future generations of plant lovers. The Garden is collaborating with many regional organizations to offer this symposium.

Share the joy of a gift membership

Help others discover the North Carolina Botanical Garden. Share the joy with a gift of membership for the plant enthusiast in your life.

A gift membership in the North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation is the perfect holiday gift: sustainable, educational, and renewable.

Most member benefits include a subscription to Conservation Gardener, a 10 percent discount on educational programming and Garden Shop in-person purchases, invitations to member-only events (like the member’s plant sale), and more. See this link for details on all membership levels and benefits. 

Membership funds allow the Garden to accomplish many goals in conservation, education, research, outreach and native plant horticulture.

A holiday gift membership certificate can be mailed directly to the recipient or to the giver. To set up a gift membership, contact the membership coordinator at 919-962-0642 or use this link to print our gift membership form to mail. Please contact us by December 18 to allow time for processing before the holidays.

Welcome, New Directors 

At the November 17 Fall Board Meeting, the Foundation voted unanimously to add four new outstanding directors to the Board. Ted Teague, Thomas Thornburg, Josie Walker, and Julie Furr Youngman will begin their three-year terms in January 2024. Each brings important expertise and a commitment to furthering the missions of both the Foundation and the Garden.

In addition, new officers were elected for the next two years. Carol Tresolini will serve as president, Mike Andrews as vice president, Judith Rizzo as secretary, and Niels Lameijer as treasurer. Anne Harris will continue on the board as immediate past president. 

The following directors completed their terms and are leaving the board: Jenny Routh, Nathan Byrd, Greg Fitch, Catharine Burns, James Joslin, Ladell Robbins, and Jim Pick. Thank you for your service and contributions to the Foundation!

Conservation Gardening 101

Conservation Gardening 101: Landscaping with Native Plants returns this spring! This six-class series led by NCBG horticulture staff will meet at the North Carolina Botanical Garden and Coker Arboretum on Fridays, March 8, 22, April 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2024. Registration information and links will be shared in the January e-newsletter—stay tuned!

Join us for these Lunchbox Talks and Special Presentations:

ARTISTS' TALK: GROUNDED AND GROWING: TALES OF OUR LIVES THROUGH WILD PIGMENTS

Friday, December 8; 7-8 p.m. •  Free, preregistration required  More information >

SLOW ART TOUR WITH GAIL BELVETT

Sunday, December 10; 2-3 p.m. •  Free, preregistration required More information >
 

VIRTUAL LUNCHBOX TALK: A GUIDED FOREST BATHING EXPERIENCE

Thursday, December 14; 12-1 p.m. •  Free, preregistration required  More information >

HYBRID LUNCHBOX TALK: A VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP OF LONGLEAF PINE COMMUNITIES OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES (SOS) 

Thursday, January 18; 12-1 p.m. •  Free, preregistration required  More information >
 

HYBRID LUNCHBOX TALK: THE RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER: A FIRE SPECIALIST IN PERIL (SOS)

Thursday, February 8; 12-1 p.m. •  Free, preregistration required  More information >

(SOS) = part of the Saving our Savannas: Stories of the Longleaf Pine exhibition
 

See a list of all education program offerings >

Camp Flytrap

Stay tuned for more details on CAMP FLYTRAP 2024! Session dates will be released December 15! Early registration for Household level members and above opens January 30. Public registration opens February 1. More information >
 
Big News! We’re expanding our camp offerings during the school year to include day camps on teacher workdays and spring break camp.

SCHOOL'S OUT CAMP: WINTER WONDERS
Friday, February 9; 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., ages 6-8, $75 ($68 Household & Above Members) More information >
 
SCHOOL'S OUT CAMP: AWESOME AMPHIBIANS 
Tuesday, March 5; 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., ages 6-8, $75 ($68 Household & Above Members) More information >
 
SPRING BREAK CAMP 
April 1–5; 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., ages 6-8, $75 ($68 Household & Above Members) More information >
 
SCHOOL'S OUT CAMP: PLANT SUPERPOWERS! 
Friday, Apr 19; 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., ages 6-8, $75 ($68 Household & Above Members) More information >

Early Childhood

BLUETS: PRESCHOOLERS EXPLORING NATURE - WINTER SERIES 
Wednesdays, Jan 31 - Mar 6 (6 sessions); 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., ages 4-5, $144 ($130 Household & Above Members) More information >
 
LITTLE SPROUTS: SALAMANDER, WAKE UP! 
Friday, Feb 23; 10 – 11:15 a.m., ages 3-5 with participating adult, $10 ($9 Household & Above Members) per child; no fee for accompanying adult More information >

Family Workshops

BUILD-A-BIRDHOUSE FAMILY WORKSHOP 
Sunday, Feb 25; 2-3 p.m., ages 6 & up with participating adult, $15 ($13.50 Household & Above Members) per child; no fee for participating adult More information >
 
VERNAL POOLS FAMILY WORKSHOP 
Saturday, Mar 2; 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., ages 6 & up with participating adult, $12 ($10.80 Household & Above Members) per child; no fee for participating adult More information >

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

Thank you, Corporate Partners