How to make your garden look effortless and exciting with bulbs

A weekly roundup of home and garden classes, tours and more.

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The best gardens feel somehow effortless and exciting. They have a wow impact that you want in your own garden. Bobby Mottern will introduce you to three different types of plants and discuss strategies for combining plants for maximum impact in your garden.Instructor: Bobby Mottern, landscape architect and Duke Gardens’ horticulture director. 10:30 a.m.-noon. Sept. 27. Fee per section: Gardens members $15; general public $19. Per session fee for multiple sessions: Gardens members $13; general public $17. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Anderson St. and Erwin Road, Durham. 919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu.

Fairy Garden Class

Create your own tiny oasis. Bring your own creative container or buy one on site and we’ll help you plant it after class. 11 a.m.-noon. Sept. 24. Free, registration required. The Garden Hut, 1004 Old Honeycutt Road, Fuquay-Varina. 919-552-0590.

Learn about plants you can grow including perennials, annuals, and shrubs to use for making beautiful fall bouquets and arrangements. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Sept. 24. Free. Homewood Nursery & Garden Center, 10809 Honeycutt Road, Raleigh. 919-847-0117, homewoodnursery.com.

Tomatoes, eggplants and squashes are the tastes of the season. Katie Coleman will teach you a variety of ways to use these and other vegetables to make fresh salsa and other delectable spreads. Learn the technique and then enjoy sampling the full variety. 6-8 p.m. Sept. 26. Fee per session: Gardens members $28; general public $35. Fee to register for multiple sessions: Gardens members $25; general public $32 per session. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Anderson St. and Erwin Road, Durham. 919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu.

Discover the amazing world of mushrooms and learn about these organisms that are neither plant nor animal. Learn how to identify some of the more common types of fungi in the area and discover the important role they play in the ecosystem. Participants will go on a mushroom hunt. Preregistration is required. Parents must also register along with their child.10 a.m.-noon. Sept. 26. Free. Lake Crabtree County Park, 1400 Aviation Pkwy., Morrisville. 919-460-3390, wakegov.com/parks/lakecrabtree/Pages/default.aspx.

Learn to extend the blooming season and keep your perennial plants dense and perky! This class will focus on perennial border design, plant placement and maintenance strategies so you get the most from your flower garden. 6:30-9 p.m. Sept. 27, Oct. 4. Gardens members $48; general public $60. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Anderson St. and Erwin Road, Durham. 919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu.

Break out of the container and learn how to create a hardy miniature garden right in your yard! Ideas for designs, plants and decorations. Mini plants and accessories available. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Oct. 1. Free. Homewood Nursery & Garden Center, 10809 Honeycutt Road, Raleigh. 919-847-0117, homewoodnursery.com.

The 51st Annual Parade of Homes, N.C.’s largest open house presented by the Home Builders Association of Raleigh—Wake County (HBA), will run on Oct. 1-2, 7-9, and 14-16 from noon-5 p.m. This annual tour is the best way to view the latest homes and the newest communities throughout the Triangle. More than 250 homes will welcome visitors. Many homes are decorated and showcase great ideas and the hottest design trends. The tour is free, self-guided and open to the public. Visit triangleparadeofhomes.com to find information on all the homes on tour, as well as links to the new mobile app, the new, smart index Parade of Homes book and helpful parade touring tips. noon-5 p.m. Oct. 1-2, 7-9, and 14-16. Free. Home Builders Association, 5580 Centerview Dr., Raleigh. 919-233-2033, wakeremodelers.com.

The epic event of public horticulture where thousands of choice and rare plants are freely given away to arboretume members. Please bring your membership card. Individual members are entitled to one admission per membership. Family members and above are entitled to two admissions per membership. Check in begins at 7:30 a.m. Please come early. 9-9:15 a.m. Oct. 1. Members free; nonmembers invited to join membership program. JC Raulston Arboretum, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh. 919-515-3132, jcra.ncsu.edu/.

At one time all paper was handmade, with lovely additions to suit the paper maker or user. Gibby Waitzkin, papermaker and sculptor, will work with you to explore the art of papermaking, including screen pouring, pulling sheets, composition, embedding botanicals, pulp painting and final preservation. 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Oct. 1. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 2. Fee: Gardens members $160; general public $199. Includes all supplies, equipment and botanicals. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Anderson St. and Erwin Road, Durham. 919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu.

Join volunteers around the globe and help clean the world’s waterways. Teams will pick up trash along the shore of Lake Crabtree and its connecting creeks. Gloves, bags and other supplies are provided by the park. We’ll raffle off prizes and learn why it’s important to educate others about litter. Individuals and groups are welcome. Make a difference in your community! Preregistration is required. Call 919-460-3355 for more information. 9 a.m.-noon. Oct. 1. Free. Lake Crabtree County Park, 1400 Aviation Pkwy., Morrisville. 919-460-3390, wakegov.com/parks/lakecrabtree/Pages/default.aspx.

Join us for a tour through the Arboretum to learn about some of the the JCRA Director’s favorite plants. Tour begins at the Wilder Visitor Center. 1 p.m. Oct. 4. $5; Free for members, for nonmembers. JC Raulston Arboretum, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh. 919-515-3132, jcra.ncsu.edu.

Learn about spectacular plants that offer both beauty and functionality. Sign up separately for each session to learn a new group of beautiful and useful plants, or take all four sections. Instructor: Jason Holmes, curator of the Doris Duke Center Gardens. 2:30-4 p.m. Oct. 5. Fee per section: Gardens members $7; general public $10. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Anderson St. and Erwin Road, Durham. 919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu.

Expand your palette of plants with information from this class. Each season this class covers another group of approximately 60 plants suitable for North Carolina gardens. You will learn identification skills and design use, and understand the culture of each plant. The fall program focuses on plants that shine in autumn and late-blooming perennial flowers. Winter introduces plant silhouettes and evergreens. Each student receives a digital portfolio of plant photos. Class time is primarily spent outdoors .Instructor: Jan.Little, director of education and public programs, Duke Gardens. Course meets for four Wednesdays. 4-6 p.m. Oct. 12 - Nov. 2. Fee per session: Gardens members $90; general public $110. Duke University — Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Anderson St. and Erwin Road, Durham. 919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu.

This story was originally published September 21, 2016 at 4:58 PM with the headline "How to make your garden look effortless and exciting with bulbs."