10/26/2021
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Lovesome Okra: An Ethnobotanical Perspective - Past, Present, and Future - Virtual
Plants have played a significant role in the evolution of life on Earth and have in many ways served as multifaceted agents in all societies since prehistoric times. Ethnobotany is the study of flora concerning how they are utilized by the many facets of people. This includes culture, foodstuff, and technology. Whether it is a component of food, ceremony, medical, or applied science, plants have been and continue to be a part of human evolution. In this course, we will highlight a specific plant, okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) from a past, present, and future ethnobotanical perspective. Beginning with the past and ending in the future we will dive into the world of okra to discover how this organism has affected: health, nutrition, holistic wellness, technology, and its interaction with other organisms including the environment. There will be special emphasis on the potential okra has to offer as a component in manufacturing and medicine.

10/28/2021
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM

The Wonderful World of Weeds: Virtual
One man's weed is another man's wildflower! What are some of the weeds that have snuck their way into our lives? And how can we best evict them when they’re unwanted? This course will focus on natives, native edibles and resources available. This is a great class for beginners and experience gardeners alike!

11/2/2021
1:15 PM to 11/23/2021 4:45 PM

(CANCELLED) Pen and Ink
Registration Closed
In this class, students learn to draw with pen and ink using standard techniques and conventions. Students work with both “old-fashioned” dip pens and modern technical pens to create accurate botanical drawings. Prerequisite: Intermediate Drawing.

11/4/2021
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

Virtual Lunchbox Talk: More Than A Garden: What the Garden Writings of D’Arcy McNickle Tell Us About Indigenous Encounters with Settler Colonialism
D’Arcy McNickle (1904-1977) is one of the twentieth century’s most important American Indian writers, intellectuals, and political actors. In addition to authoring several classic works of fiction and history, he played a vital role in reforming federal Indian policy and cultivating a generation of young activists from the 1930s to the early 1970s. While much has been written about his novels, the diary he kept during these years has been almost completely overlooked. At first glance, it doesn’t tell the stories scholars expect to hear about his life—a life typically cast as “a search for identity between Indian and white worlds.” This talk takes a closer look at his garden writing—one of the things that has caused the diary to be dismissed—and finds in it a crucial window into not only his experiential world but also one Indigenous person’s means of grappling with settler colonialism. In these ways, we will see that McNickle’s garden writing is about “more than a garden.”

11/5/2021
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Rain Gardens in Your Landscape: Virtual
Stormwater runoff can bring sediment and pollutants to our local streams and waterways. A rain garden is a useful tool for homeowners to help treat and reduce stormwater before it becomes harmful runoff, while also creating a beautiful native plant garden filled with wildflowers. Reducing stormwater runoff helps reduce erosion and pollution in our creeks and rivers. Rain gardens can also help to recharge groundwater resources. This class will provide you with an overview of the function of a rain garden, how to install a rain garden on your own property, and how to keep your rain garden healthy and working properly for years to come.

11/10/2021
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Fall Silent Walk
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Join us for a leisurely, quiet guided walk on our Piedmont Nature Trails. Our trained Garden Guides will give suggestions on how to focus on the world around you using your senses of sight, touch, hearing, and smell as you silently hike along the trails. The walk will wrap up with a chance to share your experiences with each other.

11/13/2021
1:00 PM to 3:30 PM

Winter Holiday Cards and Tags: Watercolor and Mixed Media
Join nurse-artist and botanical illustrator Beverly Dyer for this expressive painting workshop where we will make beautiful hand-painted holiday cards and tags. Art Prescription workshops are designed to encourage creativity with a dose of art to promote wellness and give the immune system a boost. Have fun, reduce holiday stress, and let the muse play! Each participant will leave with 5 holiday cards + envelopes and 5 tags for gifts or place settings. Cards + envelopes provided; bring your favorite watercolor paint and brushes, a medium-size round brush, and a palette. All levels welcome!

11/20/2021
9:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Introduction to Mushrooms
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
This course is intended for a broad audience as an introduction to mushrooms, including their identification, ecology and cultivation. Session includes classroom discussion on the basic taxonomy of fleshy fungi and a foray to a nearby forest. Price includes supply fee, which covers materials for mushroom cultivation bags that participants will be able to take home. No prerequisites.

12/4/2021
9:30 AM to 2:30 PM

Graduation Preparation for the Certificate in Botanical Art & Illustration
Students will receive guidance on Independent Projects, graduation procedures and requirements, as well as organizing the exhibit, photographing and framing their paintings, and an introduction to marketing their work. Non-credit course.

3/15/2022
9:30 AM to 5/17/2022 12:30 PM

Visualizing the Landscape; A Photographic Exploration into the Trails of the NCBG
Participants will join a masters level educator and professional photographer to explore the many trails of the North Carolina Botanical Garden. Through a series of exercises and personalized assignments, students will examine technical, aesthetic, and emotional elements that contribute to creating strong imagery beyond the basics. While experimenting with design attributes including light, color, tonality, and texture, participants consider lens choices, angle of approach, and compositional arrangement. They will contemplate their own relationship to the land including environmental concerns, symbolic representation, or use of metaphor to represent a broader message. At the end of each workshop session, participants will receive a custom quality 8x10 matted print of their work to exhibit in the instructor’s 2022 show at the NCBG DeBerry Gallery, Garden Journeys: A Portrait Artist Explores the Landscape with Those Who Nurture It.