Give Thanks in Style: Create a Tablescape

Sybil Sylvester of Wildflower Designs created this tablescape for a Thanksgiving lunch. Flower list, large topiary: millet grass, sunflowers, autumn chrysanthemum, eucalyptus, berried viburnum, and mango calla lilies. Flower list, smaller topiaries: fresh lavender, fountain grass, viburnum berries, and Physocarpus. Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Rebecca Hawkinsrom, from Flowermag.com.

Nurturing Sustainable Community Gardens: How To Get Rooted In Your Community Seminar, Nov. 9

NOTE: Registration for this event is full.

 

Community gardeners from across North Carolina will gather for a day of learning, sharing and networking on Saturday, Nov. 9,  at Durham Technical College.

The event – Nurturing Sustainable Community Gardens: How To Get Rooted In Your Community – will feature presentations on community gardening topics from food raising to fundraising, a community garden tour, and a lively Pecha Kucha showcase of creative garden ideas. It is sponsored by the North Carolina Community Garden Partners (NCCGP) and Nourishing North Carolina.

Nourishing NC-funded gardens can send up to two gardeners for free! Limited number of tickets available so register soon!  For more information, FAQs, and registration visit: https://nccgp.eventbrite.com/

NC Cooperative Extension and the Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch, NC Division of Public Health, facilitated the first statewide community garden strategic planning retreat in 2008 that led to the formation of NCCGP. Today, NC Cooperative Extension continues to provide strong leadership to the organization through the Board of Directors. For more information about the NC Community Garden Partners, please visit: www.nccgp.org

"Take Five" Video Highlighted at Nov. 5 Council Meeting

Durham Council members who attend the November 5 business meeting will be in for an inspirational treat with the showing of the Garden Clubs of America promotional video, "Take Five."

The video was produced for the 2013 centennial celebration of The Garden Club of America and was directed by Forest Hills Durham resident Sandra Jacobi. "Take Five" highlights five projects initiated by local garden clubs across the United States, each a member of The Garden Club of America.

 

http://vimeo.com/user7312045/review/60247871/68a4d8cf19

 

Video Summary: 

 

The video opens with a logo dance representing each of the two hundred member clubs. Take One is a story about a Los Angeles elementary school where large areas of school property were slated to be covered with tarmac but instead the local garden club created a school garden project to preserve space and develop it as vegetable, native plant, and shade gardens. Take Two is a story about a Pasadena conservation project of native plants and an adjacent building constructed entirely from local stone and recycled wood. Third, is a story about a butterfly garden in Maine where plants are grown to sustain the life cycle of different kinds of butterflies -- a way station for migrating monarch butterflies. Fourth is a story is about a 50 year preservation project of a large historic garden in Texas. Last, but not least, the fifth story features the reclamation and clean up of the polluted Reedy River in Greenville, South Carolina. The GCA centennial video then concludes with a summary of past and future projects.

November Calendar of Triangle Gardening Programs

Cherokee Village

NC Botanical Gardens

http://ncbg.unc.edu/classes-workshops/#hh_gardening

Location: 100 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill, NC.

Preserving Our Culture through Land Stewardship: The Story of the Triangle Native American Society and the Wake County Indian Education Community Garden

Nov. 9, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
 Learn about the Healthy Native North Carolinians project in which Native youth, adults, and elders are working together to preserve cultural heritage, promote health, and foster land stewardship through community gardening and educational aquaponic gardening. Jeff Currie, member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and a community member of the Triangle Native American Society, helped start the educational gardens at the NC Museum of History. Advance registration recommended. Please plan to stay and join us for a special musical performance by UNC Unheard Voices at noon.



Musical Performance by “Unheard Voices”

Nov. 9, 12-12:30 p.m.

 “Unheard Voices” was officially founded in the 1970s as an American Indian spoken word performance group. Today, in honoring their roots, they combine spoken word advocacy with traditional songs for a unique and powerful expression of cultural pride and resiliency. “Unheard Voices” is an a capella performance subgroup of the Carolina Indian Circle, a student organization at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This free, family-friendly event is open to the public. Advance registration recommended.

Edible, Utilitarian, and Religio-Medical Plants Used by the Cherokees

Nov. 9, 2-3 p.m.

An opening discussion will consider the origins of Cherokee plant lore and the extent to which the early white settlers in the Blue Ridge learned practical usage from them. A set of images depicting various plants (ramps, Indian hemp, May-apple, touch-me-not, poison ivy, etc.) will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on ginseng (as a trade commodity); river cane (blowguns, arrows, building material, mats, fences, etc.); buckeye and devil’s-shoestring (as a “fish dope”); green-headed coneflower (and other spring greens); plant dyes (basket splints and other items); and plants evoked in the “sacred formulas” (songs and chants) for religious and medicinal purposes. The lecture will be followed by a book signing by George and his wife Elizabeth. Their books include Mountain Passages, Blue Ridge Nature Journal, and Permanent Camp. Fee: $10 ($5 NCBG members).

The Occaneechi and Their Predecessors: Archaeological Discoveries Near Hillsborough, NC

Nov. 12, 12-1 p.m.

Between 1983 and 2002, Steve Davis, along with colleagues and students from UNC, excavated a late-prehistoric and two early historic Indian village sites just outside Hillsborough on the Eno River. The latest of these sites was occupied during the late 1600s and early 1700s by the Occaneechi Indians. Steve will talk about the results of those excavations and what he learned about the people who lived in these three villages. Steve is editor of the North Carolina Archaeological Society’s journal North Carolina Archaeology. Free, but advance registration recommended.

JC Raulston Arboretum
http://www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum/calendar/events.php?year=2013

Location: Ruby C. Mc Swain Education Center, JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, NC.

North American Rock Garden Society (Piedmont Chapter) Lecture/Friends of the Arboretum Lectures

Nov. 19, 10-12:30 p.m. (reception at 9:30 a.m. and optional lunch at 11:30 a.m.)
"Bulbs in the Garden" and "Inspired to Rock"
Ian Young, North American Rock Garden Society Traveling Speaker.

Plantsmen's Tour: "Lovely Laurels"
Nov. 12, 1 p.m.
Mark Weathington, Assistant Director and Curator of Collections.

Friends of the Arboretum Lecture
Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m. (reception at 7:00 p.m.)
"The Greek Torch Continues to Shine in Our Everyday Life"
Constantinos Sfikas, Licensed Professional Guide,
Professor at National Guiding School and Program Director at Hellenic Educational Travel Services.

Traditional Japanese Tea Gathering: Dancing Leaves Tea

Nov. 16, 1-2:30 p.m.
Join us for a moment of respite in the Duke Gardens teahouse, where, as a guest to Tea, you will experience the warmth of a traditional Japanese tea gathering. Enjoy the aesthetics, poetry and serenity of this rich tradition over an enticing bowl of whisked green tea and a Japanese confection. Guests will meet at the Doris Duke Center to be escorted to the teahouse for these intimate gatherings. Children age 6 and older are welcome at Saturday teas with an accompanying adult. Participant limit: 10. $40; $30 Gardens members & Duke students/staff. Information/registration: 919-668-1707.

Fall Wreath Workshop
Nov. 23, 9 a.m.

Erin Weston, Weston Farms

Sarah P. Duke Gardens

http://gardens.duke.edu/events. Please call 919-668-1707 to register.
Location: 420 Anderson St., Durham, NC.

Autumn in the Arboretum

Nov. 8, 10-noon
A feast for the senses greets you in the Asiatic Arboretum, with fragrant fall blooming witch-hazel, a blaze of red, orange, yellow and gold foliage and fruit, and the smoky scents of autumn. Join curator Paul Jones and horticulturist Michelle Rawlins as they share the hidden gems of the autumn season. Meet at the Doris Duke Center. Participant limit: 15. Pre-registration required. $7; $5 Gardens members & Duke students/staff. Parking fees apply. Information/registration: 919-668-1707

Seasonal Floral Design at the Gardens: Thanksgiving Table Design

Nov. 9, 10-12:30 p.m.
Come work with floral designer Theo Roddy and create your own flower arrangement in each class. No cookie-cutter designs here! You will sharpen your design skills, learn of resources to purchase flowers, use flowers from your own garden and create a seasonal floral design. Students supply flowers (fresh or silk), a container and tools. A supply list and more information will be provided prior to each class. All other materials will be supplied in class.
Location: Sarah P. Duke Gardens greenhouse classroom. Participant limit: 20 (minimum 6). $50; $40 Gardens members and Duke students/staff. Discount available if registering for all four classes. Information/registration: 919-668-1707.

Plants of Distinction: Berries and Seeds for the Birds

Nov. 12, 2:30-4 p.m.
Learn about spectacular plants that offer both beauty and functionality with Stefan Bloodworth, curator of Blomquist Garden of Native Plants. Please note that this is the third of four programs. Meet at the Doris Duke Center. $7; $5 Gardens members & Duke students/staff. Participant limit: 15. Information/registration: 919-668-1707. Horticulture Certificate elective course.

Garden Guild Holiday Craft Sale

Nov. 16, 10-2:30 p.m.
Decorate your home for the holidays and find fabulous gifts for friends, including ornaments, gourd bird houses, jewelry, stationery, knitted goods and nature-focused gifts. All proceeds support Duke Gardens. All items made by the volunteer Garden Guild. Free admission. Parking free until 1 p.m.

Durham Garden Forum

"Outsmarting Critters," Nov. 3.

Meetings are held at Sarah P. Duke Gardens frequently on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8 p.m. Membership is $25 for the year (which runs April – March) or each lecture is $10. No preregistration is required. Contact information is durham.gardenforum@gmail.com.

Outsmarting the Critters

Nov. 3, 2-4 p.m.
Learn to deter and manage pests with integrated pest management strategies presented by Master Gardeners of Durham County. Durham Co. Extension Agent Michelle Wallace will lead the talk.

NC Extension Gardener Seminars:

Complete program information at www.durham.ces.ncsu.edu. Registration required. Programs are free.

Worms in My Garden-Vermicomposting

Nov 10, 3-4 p.m.
South Regional Library, 919.560.7409

Cultivating a Garden of Acidic Lovers
Nov. 17, 3-4 p.m.
North Regional Library, 919.560.0231