Home & garden

Duke Gardens offers memberships starting at $50 ($15 for Duke students). Benefits include a newsletter, invitations to special events such as plant sales and preview sales, discounts on education programs and reciprocal-admissions benefits to gardens throughout the United States. For more information: www.hr.duke.edu/dukegardens/membership.htm

Depending on membership level, benefits of a Raulston Arboretum membership include a newsletter, free lectures and admission to the FOA Annual Plant Distribution. Memberships at the $250 level and higher also include Connoisseur Plants -- rare new plants or hard-to-find favorites. Memberships start at $40 ($10 for college students). Information: www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum.

At the N.C. Botanical Garden, gift memberships start at $35 ($10 for seniors). Benefits include the bimonthly newsletter, a free plant, free packets of native plant seeds and invitations to special Garden-sponsored events. Information: ncbg.unc.edu.

Also, consider gift certificates to your favorite local garden center or landscaper.

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Whether you're a Tar Heel born or you've adopted the state as your home, a gift that reflects the state and its people might be just what you're looking for. Check out the N.C. Museum of History's gift shop for items such as holiday ornaments depicting state buildings and gift baskets full of food products made in North Carolina. Other items include jewelry and stationery. Information: Museum of History, 5 E. Edenton St., Raleigh. www.ncmuseumofhistoryshop.com.

A company called The Dish offers a china collection that features hand-drawn illustrations of Raleigh landmarks. The collection consists of a platter, salad plate, coffee mug, wine glass, ornament, tea towel, apron and pillow. You can buy the whole set or separate items. Prices range from $16.50 to $65. Buy at Printer's Alley (5910 Duraleigh Road, Raleigh. 781-1777), Swoozies (at Triangle Town Center and Cameron Village), and The Museum of History gift shop.