Certificate in Botanical Art & Illustration
The Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration provides comprehensive courses to people who wish to improve their skills in drawing and painting plants in an accurate and technically detailed manner. Studies leading to the certificate will enhance the experience of both the professional and the dedicated amateur artist. The program is designed to give students a well-balanced curriculum combining basic scientific background, visual arts theory, and practical experience using various media.

Wreath Making with Native Plants: A Virtual Demonstration
Join Wendy Wenck as she leads you through a wreath-making demonstration using native plants. Learn which native plant species to plant for future wreath-making projects. Wendy retired from NCBG in 2022, after serving many years as the curator of the Herb Garden and Totten Center landscapes. Upon payment, you will receive a link to view the demonstration along with a specially curated plant list.

2/3/2023
1:30 PM to 2/17/2023 3:00 PM

Bird-Friendly Landscape Series
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Birds can be an indicator of the health and biodiversity of the landscapes around us. Our landscape design and management practices can make a big difference in whether birds decide to ignore or explore our built environments. Join landscape architect Preston Montague for a presentation series designed to help you provide more resources for birds through design and management practices. Presentations are developed in collaboration with New Hope Audubon who provides fantastic resources to the public for the improvement of resources for birds. This 3-part course provides CEUs for landscape architects.

2/5/2023
1:30 PM to 4:30 PM

Crafting Botanicals with Paper: Carolina Lily
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
This workshop will feature North Carolina’s state wildflower, Lilium michauxii Carolina Lily, as a hands-on introduction to making paper botanicals. In the process of making several Carolina Lily blooms, participants will learn how specific components (e.g., the reproductive system, the leaves, etc.) can be rendered in paper to make a realistic replica of this beloved flower. Materials and tools will be provided.

2/8/2023
2:00 PM to 2/15/2023 4:00 PM

Colored Pencil Fundamentals - Virtual
This course will focus on colored pencil fundamentals and is designed for artists new to colored pencil and those wishing to refresh their skills. It will cover the basic principles and techniques that form the foundation of colored pencil art including pencil strokes, pencil pressure, layering, blending and burnishing. During the two-day program, students will complete a project featuring a plant native to the Southeast. Instructor will provide group instruction and individual feedback of student progress.

2/12/2023
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Hybrid Darwin Day Lecture: The hybrid in your genome: how recent advances in behavior and genetics are changing our view of Darwinian evolution
Where do new species come from? Darwin proposed that the diversity of life could be explained when population divisions become magnified into new species over time. This “tree of life” thinking became our foundational metaphor for the natural world. Hybridization –– mating between species –– undercuts “tree thinking.” Until recently, this phenomenon was regarded as an evolutionary dead end and ignored. However, new data from diverse fields point to an inescapable conclusion: hybridization is common and can significantly impact living things (including our species!). So, we will celebrate Darwin’s birthday by asking whether Darwin’s tree still adequately represents life’s diversity or if a new metaphor is needed.

2/16/2023
4:00 PM to 4:30 PM

Story Time with Chapel Hill Public Library
Free. Drop-in program; no registration required. Celebrate winter with a story time at the Garden with the Chapel Hill Public Library! If the weather is nice, we'll meet outside in the Children's Wonder Garden. We'll move indoors to the children's classroom if chilly! Look for signs to direct you.

2/25/2023
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Build-a-Birdhouse - Family Workshop
For ages 6 & up with participating adult Join New Hope Audubon Society to learn all about eastern bluebirds and build a birdhouse for this cavity-nesting songbird. You'll also learn how to monitor and take care of your nestbox. All supplies included. Fee: $15 ($13.50 Members) per child; no fee for participating adult

3/8/2023
9:30 AM to 3/29/2023 12:30 PM

Botany for the Artist - Virtual
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Traditional botanical illustration was relied on to record and share the identification of plants through accurate representation. Botany for the Artist is a practical course which hopes to encourage the inquisitive artist to understand, interpret and improve their botanical knowledge by reinforcing terminology, observing and notating plant structure and practicing identification with the taxonomic keys. The four lessons—Habitat, Flower Parts, Leaf Comparison, and Fruit Structure—will culminate with the students drawing a graphite work representing a specimen identified at the NCBG.

3/10/2023
2:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Hike: Dutchman's Breeches at Willie Duke's Bluff
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Milo Pyne and Scott Ward will lead you to the natural area known as Willie Duke’s Bluff. You will have the opportunity to observe an outstanding display of Dutchman’s breeches and other rare and unusual spring native wildflowers including some of our local ephemeral favorites, including bloodroot and dimpled trout lily. This hike is somewhat difficult, depending on your abilities, and includes one steep climb. During the hike you will be off trail during times, and if there have been recent rains, parts of the trail might be muddy, so please wear sturdy shoes/boots and long pants. This traverse usually requires approximately three hours. Meeting spot provided upon registration.

3/11/2023
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Second Saturday NCBG Tour
From March to November, join our skilled volunteer Garden Guides on the second Saturday of the month for a guided tour of the North Carolina Botanical Garden. Each month offers a glimpse into what’s happening in our unique native plant gardens – from spring wildflowers to fall color – and what makes the NCBG one of the premier conservation gardens in the US. Tours are one (1) hour and space is limited! Please register each member of your party separately.

3/12/2023
1:30 PM to 3/26/2023 4:30 PM

Plant Ecology
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Plant Ecology is a conceptual course designed for a broad audience interested in the interactions of plants within their environments. Ecological relationships at the organism, population, community, and ecosystem levels are examined, using examples from the rich and diverse North Carolina flora. Students will learn about nutrient and energy cycling within ecosystems, as well as about current threats and trends for the conservation of ecosystems. No prerequisites.

3/18/2023
1:15 PM to 4/15/2023 4:45 PM

Mixed Media: Botanicals in Watercolor, Colored Pencil, and Pen & Ink
This class is designed to increase your skills and confidence in the use of the various art media taught at the Garden. The instructor demonstrates techniques to combine watercolor, ink and colored pencils to create vibrant botanical paintings. Students receive one-on-one instruction to evolve their own unique drawing and painting. Prerequisites: Pen & Ink, Beginning Colored Pencil, Intermediate Watercolor

3/24/2023
1:30 PM to 3:30 PM

Among Trees: A Mindfulness Workshop
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Although much of the North Carolina Piedmont’s forest habitat has been altered, or eliminated, for housing, commerce, and highways, we remain, in a sense, forest dwellers. This workshop is an opportunity to deepen our awareness of trees and forest ecosystems at a time when the Piedmont forest is waking up from winter. This workshop will take place in a North Carolina Botanical Garden natural area (place TBA). After an introduction to the forest ecosystem, we’ll use techniques derived from forest bathing, mindfulness practice, and prompt writing to explore and share our kinship with the forest.

4/1/2023
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Penny's Bend: A Half Day Field Trip
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve is an 84-acre site that protects numerous rare plant species. It is surrounded on three sides by the Eno River in eastern Durham County, North Carolina. This half day field trip will include a visit to distinct plant communities including a remnant Piedmont prairie, rich mesic and alluvial forests, and dry shortleaf pine-dominated bluffs. Rare species found on the Preserve include the smooth purple coneflower (Echinacea laevigata), eastern prairie blue wild indigo (Baptisia minor var. aberrans), hoary puccoon (Lithospermum canescens), and Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria). Much of this hike is on primitive trails over uneven terrain, with one short, steep climb up from the river. Wear sturdy hiking footwear and bring insect repellent, water, and a walking stick, if you ever use one.

4/6/2023
10:00 AM to 4/27/2023 12:30 PM

Sketching Landscapes in the Garden
Have you ever wanted to loosely capture what you see in a sketch while out on a hike or sitting in your own backyard? In this class, the North Carolina Botanical Garden will become our classroom as we experience the healing benefits of sketching while out in nature. You can lower your stress levels and promote mental calmness as we sketch the landscape before us. This class is about loosely capturing the essence of the natural world, so don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of drawing experience as we won’t be focusing on all the little details. This class is for all skill levels.

4/15/2023
1:15 PM to 5/13/2023 4:45 PM

Botanical Sketchbook: Virtual
Take your sketchbook outdoors and reconnect with plants in their natural environment. In this course, students are encouraged to shed old habits and try new techniques as they travel through the variety of gardens and habitats in their home areas. Through a combination of guided exercises and free experimentation, students discover new ways of seeing plants, new problem-solving skills, and a refreshing way of thinking about layout and color. Several media are used, from ballpoint pen to watercolor to pencil. No prerequisite.

4/22/2023
9:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Native Southeastern Medicinal Plants
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Explore the beauty of native southeastern medicinal plants through field identification. Using the expansive resources of the NCBG display gardens and the Piedmont Nature Trails behind the Garden, students take in the abundant medicine that our local flora has to offer. Topics include field identification, ethical gathering and harvesting, history and lore of each plant, therapeutic and medicinal uses as well as preparations. No prerequisites.

5/10/2023
1:15 PM to 5/31/2023 4:45 PM

Intermediate Expressive Watercolor: Virtual
This class introduces students to fluid watercolor techniques such as wet-on-wet. Students will learn to work with more water in the beginning and middle of the painting process and then rely on the skills learned in Beginning Watercolor to refine and add detail towards the end of the process. Students will create textures for backgrounds, work on color mixing using a limited palette, and learn to use glazing and masking fluid. Techniques for correcting mistakes in watercolor will also be covered. Upon completion of this course, students will have knowledge/skill of the following: • Working with various amounts of water and watercolor paint; • Working wet-on-wet; • Working with masking fluid; • Making a variety of watercolor textures such as salt, plastic wrap, etc.; • Glazing; • Working with a limited palette; and • Color mixing

6/3/2023
1:30 PM to 6/24/2023 4:00 PM

Advanced Drawing: Botanical Plates - Hybrid
In this course, students work towards refining drawing skills in creating a plant portrait. Specifics to this class include rendering a tonal botanical plate, working with live plants, studying plant anatomy, as well as mapping and cross-contour drawing for accuracy. Prerequisites: Intermediate Drawing, Composition.

6/12/2023
9:00 AM to 6/16/2023 12:00 PM

CAMP FLYTRAP: Garden Safari (ages 4-5)
Curious young children will love this camp, designed to provide playful, hands-on experiences with the natural world in a small group setting. Young campers will meet meat-eating plants, catch and release pond critters, learn about animal defenses, and discover how the sun powers all life in the garden. A new theme will be introduced each day through nature walks, crafts, stories, puppet shows, and group play. AGES: 4-5 years-old PARTICIPANT MAX: 10 FEE: $180 ($162 Household & above Members) NOTE: You can only register your child for one week of this camp theme.

6/26/2023
9:00 AM to 6/30/2023 3:00 PM

CAMP FLYTRAP: Habitat Explorers (ages 6-7)
The garden, forest, and ponds are teeming with life in summer! From tadpoles to Venus fly traps, come discover the awesome diversity of plants and animals that call North Carolina home. Campers will investigate the life cycles, adaptations, and habitats of our native neighbors and learn how everything is connected in our wonderful “backyard”. AGES: 6-7 years-old PARTICIPANT MAX: 14 FEE: $350 ($315 Household & above Members) NOTE: You can only register your child for one week of this camp theme.

7/17/2023
9:00 AM to 7/21/2023 3:00 PM

CAMP FLYTRAP: Habitat Explorers (ages 6-7)
The garden, forest, and ponds are teeming with life in summer! From tadpoles to Venus fly traps, come discover the awesome diversity of plants and animals that call North Carolina home. Campers will investigate the life cycles, adaptations, and habitats of our native neighbors and learn how everything is connected in our wonderful “backyard”. AGES: 6-7 years-old PARTICIPANT MAX: 14 FEE: $350 ($315 Household & above Members) NOTE: You can only register your child for one week of this camp theme.

8/7/2023
8:00 AM to 5/13/2023 5:00 PM

Hybrid Certificate in Therapeutic Horticulture
The Hybrid Certificate in Therapeutic Horticulture (HCTH) provides 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. This nine-month 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.