3/17/2021
12:00 PM to 5/14/2021 5:00 PM

Nature Box - for KIDS!
Designed for ages 5-9. Need a break from screen time? Do your kids love learning about and exploring the outdoors? Try a Nature Box! Each box is full of fun, hands-on, seasonally-themed activities and projects. Search for signs of spring, explore frog life cycles, learn about flower parts, pot up a seed and watch it grow, and more. Step-by-step instructions and supplies included. Order online, pickup at the Garden (beginning April 8), and complete activities on your own schedule. Quantities limited. Fee: $35.00 (includes $2.44 sales tax); Members $31.50 (includes $2.20 sales tax) *Order 2 or more boxes and receive a 5% discount *Members receive 10% discount

4/18/2021
3:30 PM to 4:30 PM

Meditation in the Garden
Mindfulness and meditation are getting a lot of attention these days, from articles in the Harvard Business Review to studies by psychologists and neuroscientists. The basic techniques are easy to learn and practice. Join us for an introduction to meditation in a beautiful outdoor setting. We will mainly practice seated meditation with an optional short walking meditation. Whether you’re a complete beginner, or you’ve been meditating for years and enjoy practicing with a group, we’d love to see you there!

4/20/2021
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Foodscaping with Native Plants: Virtual
Thoughtful design and management of landscapes is more important than ever as concerns of climate, water quality and invasive plants increase. Brie will discuss how to create a foodscape using native plants mixed with favorite seasonal food crops. The best organic products are featured and easy, earth friendly maintenance strategies are highlighted. Learn about native edible plants and the pollinators they attract that aid in ecological restoration. Get inspired to see the potential every landscape offers by transforming them into purposeful spaces that embrace solutions to modern day landscape practices.

4/22/2021
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

Virtual Lunchbox Talk: Bigleaf Magnolia at Redlair Preserve
Redlair Preserve is best known for the charismatic bigleaf magnolia which has the largest leaves of any tree species in the nation. The Preserve also has an incredible diversity of plant species and vegetation types. Robert Peet will start by describing the Redlair Preserve and then discuss the vegetation pattern across this landscape and the challenges for management. He will then discuss the distribution of bigleaf magnolia across the Southeast and will place it in the context of other rare or geographically disjunct species of the Piedmont. Fisher Stines will then present a summary of his research at NC State University on the distribution, abundance and population structure of bigleaf magnolia across the Redlair Preserve.

4/24/2021
1:00 PM to 4:30 PM

The Anatomy of Shadows: Form and Cast in Watercolor - Zoom Short Course
Have you spent time on a sunny day studying shadows and the patterns they create? Have you looked at the soft subtle shadows as a subject turns from the light? Shadows are an important and useful tool for artists to create form as they accurately render their subjects. Shadows can be used creatively to enhance compositions. Join Kate to study and paint shadows in watercolor. The subject and drawing will be provided, students have the option of using their own subject matter. The course will consist of presentations, demonstrations, handouts, and student work time.

4/29/2021
6:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint at Home: Virtual
While the news about climate change can be overwhelming, there are things we can all do in our everyday lives to lessen our environmental impact. In this course, we will cover sustainable strategies that participants can implement at home to reduce their carbon footprint. We will focus on topics including reducing energy, preventing waste, and reconsidering consumption habits. This course will center on the highest impact choices individuals can make to reduce their carbon footprint. Participants will also learn about energy-reducing, cost-saving features at the North Carolina Botanical Garden with a virtual “behind the scenes” tour of some of the Garden’s sustainable features.

5/1/2021
1:00 PM to 5/8/2021 3:00 PM

Visualizing Trees, A Photographic Journey Through the Artist’s Lens
This course is designed for nature-lovers, image-makers, and those interested in creative expression. All cameras are appropriate from iPhone to pro level. Conceived distinctively for out-door nature photography, Barbara will lead a visualization journey into the gardens of the Coker Arboretum. Students will experiment with the technical aspects of photographing trees, including the use of specific lenses, perspective and distortion control, depth of focus, and exposure management. Students will explore the artistic characteristics of various tree species with attention to the design elements including tonality and contrast, textural attributes, compositional arrangement, ambient light and shadow values.

5/4/2021
3:00 PM to 4:15 PM

Outdoor Yoga in the Garden
Join us for 75 minutes of rejuvenating outdoor yoga. The class will be held outside in our Perennial Circle. You will be immersed in the sounds and sights of nature as Sam leads you through a series of seated, standing and lying poses in the meadow with views of native flowers, trees, and butterflies. The class is gentle and invigorating. Modifications of poses will be offered.

5/6/2021
1:15 PM to 6/17/2021 4:45 PM

Integrating Composition and Color Theory: Virtual
In this class students learn the basics of color and the techniques for properly mixing pigments to match a specific color. Concepts of the color wheel and analogous/complementary colors are explored through instruction and numerous exercises. The three attributes of color – hue, value and intensity are also covered. This class was formerly known simply as Color Theory. It serves as a prerequisite for the Advanced Watercolor classes and for Intermediate and Advanced Colored Pencil. Prerequisites: Composition, Intermediate Watercolor

5/8/2021
10:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Excursion: Bigleaf Magnolia at Redlair Preserve, Gaston County
The Redlair Preserve is a 730 acre tract that forms the core of a larger 1200+ acre conservation area along the South Fork of the Catawba River near Mount Holly, NC. The complex topography and geologic diversity of the site provide habitat for a great diversity of plant species and natural vegetation types. The most dramatic species is the rare bigleaf magnolia, the tree species with the largest leaves of any tree species in the US. We will be sure to visit a broad range of habitats and discuss their distribution across the landscape, the natural dynamics of these forests, and the management challenges they present. Although the topography is complex and there will be a bit of up and down, the hike will be of only moderate difficulty as the trails are relatively smooth and well-maintained.

5/9/2021
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Excursion: Back to the Future: Suther Prairie Nature Preserve, Cabarrus County
After being cared for by generations of the Suther family going back to the 1700s, this relatively undisturbed remnant Piedmont wet prairie on the floodplain of Dutch Buffalo Creek became a “must see” destination over the last two decades for scientists, conservationists, researchers, and reporters/writers from across the country after being included in the natural heritage inventory of Cabarrus County. Hundreds of species have been catalogued on this 9-acre preserve, and the ecotypes of dozens of species are available commercially for conservation projects, including Suther Indiangrass and Suther big (and little) bluestem.

5/11/2021
3:00 PM to 4:15 PM

Outdoor Yoga in the Garden
Join us for 75 minutes of rejuvenating outdoor yoga. The class will be held outside in our Perennial Circle. You will be immersed in the sounds and sights of nature as Sam leads you through a series of seated, standing and lying poses in the meadow with views of native flowers, trees, and butterflies. The class is gentle and invigorating. Modifications of poses will be offered.

5/13/2021
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

NCBG Display Gardens Tour
Tour the NCBG display gardens with our director of horticulture, Dan Stern. From our innovative horticultural displays of southeastern native plants and wildflowers to our sustainable gardening practices, learn about how the North Carolina Botanical Garden leads the way as the premier conservation garden in the southeastern U.S.

5/13/2021
1:30 PM to 6/3/2021 4:30 PM

Intermediate Drawing: Virtual
In this class, students continue their journey to learn the skills needed to produce a clean, accurate pencil drawing. Specifics of the course include: measuring, ellipses in perspective, and tonal gradation. Prerequisite: Beginning Drawing.

5/15/2021
9:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Vegetative Propagation of Southeastern Native Plants
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Learn the fundamentals of vegetative propagation and how to propagate plants native to the southeastern United States. We’ll focus on low-tech methods you can apply at home, and all participants will have a newly stuck cutting to take home in a rudimentary, DIY mobile greenhouse. This workshop will feature a lecture, in-class demonstrations and participation, and a tour of the NCBG nursery.

5/15/2021
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Coker Arboretum Tour
Take a tour of this gem on the UNC campus with Coker Arboretum curator Margo MacIntyre. We'll cover the unique history and composition of this wonderful garden as we explore early summer flowers.

5/16/2021
1:30 PM to 4:30 PM

Native Southeastern Medicinal Plants
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.

5/18/2021
3:00 PM to 4:15 PM

Outdoor Yoga in the Garden
Join us for 75 minutes of rejuvenating outdoor yoga. The class will be held outside in our Perennial Circle. You will be immersed in the sounds and sights of nature as Sam leads you through a series of seated, standing and lying poses in the meadow with views of native flowers, trees, and butterflies. The class is gentle and invigorating. Modifications of poses will be offered.

5/22/2021
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Spring Nature Walk
Join us for a leisurely guided walk on our Piedmont Nature Trails and learn about what’s happening in our Piedmont forest in spring. Slow down and enjoy the sights and sounds of the forest. Walks led by our trained Garden Guides.

5/27/2021
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

Virtual Lunchbox Talk: Monitoring and Management at the Green Swamp Preserve
Monitoring studies are essential for the management and preservation of select species, but also for restoration and management on a broader community scale. The Nature Conservancy has supported long-term studies on longleaf pine restoration, the endangered species Lysimachia asperulifolia, and Venus flytrap in the Green Swamp and other preserves. The studies are particularly important for determining the success of restoration efforts but also in quantifying impacts of seasonal controlled burns.

5/28/2021
1:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Spring Silent Walk
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.

6/2/2021 2:00 PM

Local Trees
This short course is perfect for those just beginning their study of trees or for recent transplants to the NC Piedmont who want to identify the common deciduous trees in their backyard gardens and neighborhoods. Students spend time outdoors, walking in the Garden or on the Piedmont Nature Trails, learning about common trees, how to identify them, and understanding why they grow where they do.

6/5/2021
10:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Excursion: Boiling Spring Lakes and Green Swamp Preserve, Brunswick County
The Green Swamp Preserve (over 16,000 acres) contains some of the country’s finest examples of longleaf pine wet savannas as well as extensive pocosins. The savannas are bounded by pocosins containing pond pine and cypress as well as numerous shrubs including titi. The open savannas have a diverse grass/herb layer with many wildflowers including orchids and insectivorous plants. The Green Swamp is the nexus of Venus flytraps. Boiling Spring Lakes Preserve (~6,000 acres) is characterized by a mix of communities including xeric sandhill longleaf pine and pocosins. The preserve has a variety of carnivorous and other plant species and it is home to the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. Upwards of 400 vascular plant species have been reported in the preserve. Fire is integral to the health of these plant communities and is the primary management activity in both preserves. Trails in both preserves are flat but may be wet depending upon the weather.

6/10/2021
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

Virtual Lunchbox Talk: Pawpaws and Other Native Tree Fruits
Interest in native tree fruits is growing as people are exploring permaculture, homesteading and a renewed attentiveness to food self-sufficiency. Native fruits have less pest problems and are well-suited to the growing conditions of their bioregion. Mary Jac Brennan will talk about pawpaws, American persimmons, chinquapins, and more in time to prepare your site for fall/winter planting.

6/14/2021
9:00 AM to 6/18/2021 12:00 PM

CAMP FLYTRAP: Garden Safari (4-5 year-olds)
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Curious young children will love this camp, designed to provide playful, hands-on experiences with the natural world in a small group setting. Campers will meet meat-eating plants, catch and release pond critters, 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. *Camp Flytrap will follow current local, state, and federal health guidelines and implement a range of safety precautions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. These include (but are not limited to): limiting the number of campers per session, requiring masks of campers and staff, daily health screening, increasing cleaning protocols, leaving windows and doors open to promote air flow, and spending most of our time outdoors (of course, that’s what we do anyway!). AGES: 4-5 years-old PARTICIPANT MAX: 6 FEE: $170 ($153 Members) NOTE: You can only register your child for one week of this camp theme.

6/22/2021
6:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Sustainable Solutions to Your Landscape Challenges: Virtual
Are the trees in your garden maturing, resulting in a change in the level of light (sun to shade) in your garden? Or does your garden have existing mature trees, creating challenges for planting without damaging the roots? If so, this class is for you.

7/12/2021
9:00 AM to 7/16/2021 3:00 PM

CAMP FLYTRAP: Habitat Explorers (6-7 year-olds)
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
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”. *Camp Flytrap will follow current local, state, and federal health guidelines and implement a range of safety precautions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. These include (but are not limited to): limiting the number of campers per session, requiring masks of campers and staff, daily health screening, increasing cleaning protocols, leaving windows and doors open to promote air flow, and spending most of our time outdoors (of course, that’s what we do anyway!). AGES: 6-7 years-old PARTICIPANT MAX: 8 FEE: $340 ($306 Members) NOTE: You can only register your child for one week of this camp theme.

8/2/2021
9:00 AM to 8/6/2021 3:00 PM

CAMP FLYTRAP: Nature Detectives (8-10 years-old)
Event is Full: Accepting Wait List Registrations
Grab your magnifier and dig in to the mysteries of the natural world! Campers will unravel nature’s secrets through hands-on field experiences and experiments, take part in citizen science projects, and see how their observations can contribute to our understanding of the world around us. *Camp Flytrap will follow current local, state, and federal health guidelines and implement a range of safety precautions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. These include (but are not limited to): limiting the number of campers per session, requiring masks of campers and staff, daily health screening, increasing cleaning protocols, leaving windows and doors open to promote air flow, and spending most of our time outdoors (of course, that’s what we do anyway!). AGES: 8-10 years-old PARTICIPANT MAX: 8 FEE: $340 ($306 Members) NOTE: You can only register your child for one week of this camp theme.