Events
Annual Daylily Club Plant Sale
The Raleigh Hemerocallis (Daylily) Club annual plant sale will have hundreds of daylily plants and dozens of colors to choose from. 9 a.m. Sept. 11. Free. State Farmers Market, 1201 Agriculture St., Raleigh. 828-8434. www.ahsregion15.org/clubs/raleigh. Annual Sculpture in the Garden
Every fall the N.C. Botanical Garden sprouts unique creations by North Carolina artists. One-of-a kind sculptures amid the native wildflowers and shrubs delight garden visitors for two months. 7 p.m. Sept. 11-16. Free. 101 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill. 962-0552. ncbg.unc.edu. Butterflies! for ages 3 and up
Susan Jarman talks about the life cycle of the butterfly, plants they like and more. 10 a.m. Sept. 11. Free. Call 552-0590 to register. Garden Hut, 1004 Old Honeycutt Road, Fuquay-Varina. www.NelsasGardenHut.com. If you plant it, will it grow?
It's fall planting time. Learn what trees, shrubs, perennials and herbs work best here as well as how to grow them. Carol Stein leads a regular gardeners forum to help you have a beautiful landscape. 11 a.m. Sept. 11. Free. Call 552-0590 to register. Garden Hut, 1004 Old Honeycutt Road, Fuquay-Varina. 552-0590. www.NelsasGardenHut.com. Nature Ranger Cart
Look for the colorful cart near the foot of the Terrace Gardens: It's full of simple and fun activities for children. Play flower bingo or make pressed flower bookmarks, paper butterflies, pond life pictures and bark, insect or leaf rubbings. 10 a.m. on Fridays through Oct. 15. Free. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, 426 Anderson St., Durham. 668-1707. www.sarahpdukegardens.org. Muscadine Grape Harvest
Pick your own grapes, $1.25 per pound. $3 wine tasting. Noon today, Sunday and Sept. 9-12. Benjamin Vineyards & Winery, 6516 Whitney Road, Graham. 336-376-1080. www.benjaminvineyards.com. Chrysanthemum Tea"
As a guest to tea, you will experience the patterns and poetry of Chado, or the Japanese way of tea, while enjoying an enticing bowl of whisked tea and a seasonal treat. 10:45 a.m. Friday. $25. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, 426 Anderson St., Durham. 668-1707. www.sarahpdukegardens.org. Triangle Orchid Society
The Triangle Orchid Society conducts its monthly meetings at the Doris Duke Center. Free. The public is invited. September topic: classic cattleyas. 7 p.m. Sept. 13. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, 426 Anderson St., Durham. 668-1707. www.triangleorchidsociety.org.
Classes
The Ecology of Change
The communities of plants and animals that share our land are products of millions of years of development and refinement. The plants tell you the story of their environment simply by their presence. 6 p.m. Thursday. $150; $120 for Gardens Friends. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, 426 Anderson St., Durham. 668-5309. www.sarahpdukegardens.com. Discovering a Sense of Place
When you walk near your home, do you notice the trees, creeks, boulders and creatures living near you? The South Durham Green Neighbors group, a Northwest Earth Institute partner, is offering Discovering A Sense of Place, an 8-week discussion course to give Piedmont residents an opportunity to explore and protect the natural world right outside our doorsteps. 7 p.m. Sept. 16. $25 workbook. Woodcroft Professional Center, 5501 Fortunes Ridge Drive, Durham. www.nwei.org. Intro to Ikebana
Ikebana is the ancient Japanese art of arranging flowers to emphasize form, harmony and balance. Artist Muriel Roberts will teach basic ikebana principles and help students create arrangements to take home each week. 1 p.m. Friday. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, 426 Anderson St., Durham. 668-1707. www.sarahpdukegardens.org. Landscape Plants
Each season this class will cover a different group of approximately 40 plants suitable for North Carolina gardens. Bobby Mottern, Duke Gardens' director of horticulture, will teach identification skills and design use and help you understand the culture of each plant. 10 a.m. Sept. 15. $105. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, 426 Anderson St., Durham. 668-1707. sarahpdukegardens.org. Perennial Selection and Design
Create a beautiful garden with maximum effect using the design strategies and plant selections you will learn in a three-day class with Lauri Lawson of Chapel Hill's Niche Gardens and Jan Little, Duke Gardens' director of education and public programs. 7 p.m. Thursday. $75; $60 Gardens Friends. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, 426 Anderson St., Durham. 668-5309. www.sarahpdukegardens.org. Winter Gardens in a Container
Plant a container that will brighten your garden, patio or front entrance throughout the cold days of winter. With winter-hardy evergreens and herbaceous plants, Duke Gardens horticulturist Michelle Stay will help you create a lively arrangement of texture, shapes and color that will provide a pleasant brightness through the winter season. ... 10 a.m. Sep. 11. $60. Sarah P Duke Gardens, 426 Anderson St., Durham. 668-1707. www.sarahpdukegardens.org.
Tours
Botanical Garden Education Center
A behind-the-scenes tour provides a look at the unique features that make the Botanical Garden's new Education Center one of the most efficient buildings in North Carolina. 1:30 p.m. Sept. 11. Free. N.C. Botanical Garden, 101 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill. 962-0522. ncbg.unc.edu. Fuquay-Varina Gardens
Meander among lush eclectic plantings in a collector's garden; enjoy the traditional charms of a Southern cottage garden. Something for everyone at 11 spectacular gardens on this year's tour. 10 a.m. Sept. 11, 1 p.m. Sept. 12. $12 in advance; $15 day of tour. Garden Hut, 1004 Old Honeycutt Road, Fuquay-Varina. 744-4274. www.fuquayvarinagardenclub.org. JC Raulston Arboretum
Free guided tours through the arboretum. Learn about the arboretum's history, plants, and more. Tours are available to the public 2 p.m. Sundays through October. Free. 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh. 513-3132. bit.ly/raulstontour Historic Gardens Color Walk
There is an astounding range of plants displayed across our gardens, including perennial plants, annual flowers and foliage, and tropical plants. Join our expert staff to review the plant combinations and learn what is in bloom and which plants you might want to introduce into your own garden. 9 a.m. Sept. 9. $5; free for Gardens Friends. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, 426 Anderson St., Durham. 668-5309. bit.ly/dukecolorwalk Fall Open Nursery and Garden
At Plant Delights Nursery, open house visitors can stroll through the gardens of one of the country's top plant collections, ask questions of the expert staff, sample muscadine grapes, meet some of the country's top cartoonists, and if they still have energy, power-shop for amazing perennials. 8 a.m. Sept. 10-12 and Sept. 17-18 and Oct. 17. Free. 9241 Sauls Road, Raleigh. 772-4794. www.plantdelights.com.
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