Holiday open houses at several Triangle garden centers

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

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Learn how to open and prepare a bed for planting, basic soil improvement strategies, how to select plants, and planting skills. Class will work in the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden to see theory in practice. Course meets for 2 sessions. Participant limit: 15. Information/registration: 919-668-1707 or gardenseducation@duke.edu. 9 a.m.-noon. Oct. 29, Nov. 5. Fee: Gardens members $70; general public $90. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Anderson St. and Erwin Road, Durham. 919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu.

Explore Deer Chase Gardens, a private garden in Durham, open to the public for self-guided tours to benefit the Garden Conservancy. ; No reservations required; rain or shine. Featuring creative combinations of plantings in different settings, including an Asian garden with an authentic hand-built Japanese tea house, an organic orchard, a native pocosin habitat, a poolside butterfly garden, a formal sun garden, rustic handmade bridges, arched passages and water features. See www.opendaysprogram.org or call The Garden Conservancy toll-free weekdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. EST, 888-842-2442. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 29. Admission is $7 per person; children 12 & under free. Deer Chase Gardens, 221 Deer Chase Lane, Durham. 919-808-2323, deerchasegardens.com.

Horticulturist Justin Waller will lead an in-depth tour of Deer Chase Gardens with ample opportunity for guests to comment and ask questions. Justin will discuss how he and the garden owners have used existing features and contours to create water features and moss gardens as well as site garden structures and rooms. He will also talk about using plants effectively, and the use of natural building materials. Refreshments will be served. 3-4:30 p.m. Oct. 29. $15 Garden Conservancy members; $20 nonmembers. Deer Chase Gardens, 221 Deer Chase Ln., Durham. 919-808-2323, deerchasegardens.com.

Plan next year’s garden to be more resilient and sustainable. Looking at the garden through nature’s lens we will assess your soil, water, drainage, land history and existing plants. After evaluating those conditions each participant will develop a sustainability strategy for their home garden. 6:30-9 p.m. Nov. 1. Cost: $43-$60. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Anderson St. and Erwin Rd., Durham. 919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu.

Club luncheon meeting. 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 2. $18 Lunch, $2 without lunch. N.C. State University Club, 4200 Hillsborough St., Raleigh. 919-608-1223

Get up-to-date information about choosing a garden site, soil testing and amendments, planting guides, and all around care and feeding of a successful vegetable garden. Whether you are new to gardening, new to Durham gardening, or re-starting a garden, this is the information you need to succeed. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 3. Fee: Free event but registration is required at 919-668-1707. No parking fees after 5 p.m. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Anderson St. and Erwin Rd., Durham. 919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu.

Unwrap the Christmas season by celebrating the cherished tradition at Fairview. Join us for a magical evening of wine, music and hors de’oeuvres while shopping in our beautifully decorated Christmas Shop. ’Tis all the sights, sounds and colors of Christmas this holiday season for you, right here at Fairview. 6-8 p.m. Nov. 4. Free Admission. Fairview Greenhouses and Garden Center, 8224 Holly Springs Road, Raleigh. 919-851-6821, fairviewgardencenter.com.

Thousands of luminaries will guide your way through this artistic lighting display courtesy of our friends at Southern Lights of Raleigh, Inc.Kelly Francis fireflies will greet you from the live oaks at our front gate, setting the creative flavor of the exhibit ahead. Warm cider, fire pits, food trucks, and live entertainment will delight your senses as you stroll the garden enjoying a crisp November evening and the magic of a nighttime garden.Don ’t miss this chance to explore the JC Raulston Arboretum after dark! It ’s the first time in over a decade that we’ve opened our gates for an evening stroll. 6-9 p.m. Nov. 4. Member preview night (Nov. 4): $50 per ticket; Public nights: $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers, and $5 for children under 12. JC Raulston Arboretum, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh. 919-515-3132, jcra.ncsu.edu/.

Learn to create your own basket. Everyone will work on the same 8-inch diameter by 7-inch tall basket with cherry wood embellishment in the traditional Cherokee Wheel pattern. At the end of the day you will have a basket to take home and enjoy. Please dress to get messy, bring an old towel and an awl or a narrow flat blade screwdriver if you have one. Class fee includes all other supplies and equipment. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 5. Fee: Gardens member $40; general public $50. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Anderson St. and Erwin Road, Durham. 919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu.

Join us for a holiday tradition at Garden Supply Company, as we welcome the season and say “thank you” to our customers. Good friends, food, beverages, music and the beauty of the holidays, as only Garden Supply Company can provide. Please RSVP on our online calendar: gardensupplyco.com/calendar/2016/11/4/holiday-open-house. 5-9 p.m. Nov. 4. Free. Garden Supply Company, 1421 Old Apex Road, Cary. 919-460-7747, gardensupplyco.com.

Food, Fun, Family, Free! Grand Opening of our Christmas Shop! We are so excited to unveil new themes, many USA products and offer door prizes. Bring canned or non-perishable items to donate to the Fuquay-Varina Food Pantry. We are a drop-off site for food donations through the holidays. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 5. Free. The Garden Hut, 1004 Old Honeycutt Road, Fuquay-Varina. 919-552-0590

Duke Gardens will feature a rainbow of color this fall during the Festival of Fabulous Mums. Enjoy an exhibition of show mums grown by members of the Central Carolina Chrysanthemum Society in a dazzling floral display at the Doris Duke Center. This four-day event will include cultural and historical information, arts and crafts, gardening tips, and tours of the William Louis Culberson Asiatic Arboretum, where you will find more mums on display in a beautiful garden setting. Presented in partnership with the Central Carolina Chrysanthemum Society and Duke Gardens. Free drop-in exhibit for all ages. Parking fees apply. Nov. 6-9. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Anderson St. and Erwin Road, Durham. 919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu.

Join us for an evening of wine and shopping in the quiet of the store “after hours.” Our staff will be on hand to help you with decorating ideas and great suggestions of gifts for your entire family. Please RSVP using our online calendar to let us know if you can come. 5-7 p.m. Nov. 10. Free. Garden Supply Company, 1421 Old Apex Road, Cary. 919-460-7747, gardensupplyco.com.

This fun, free event is open to the public and kids of all ages. Check out N.C. State’s cool tools (like our electric cars and mowers), our big trucks and our technology . Learn more about composting and building renovations, sustainable gardens, and job/volunteer opportunities. Enjoy a big wheel safety town, prizes and t-shirt giveaways, and live music from our very own facilitators! A free N.C, State brick will also be given out to each person (while supplies last). Food Trucks will also be onsite, including Captain Poncho’s Tacos, Chirba Chirba Dumpling, Cj’s Street Food, and King’s Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks. This is a rain or shine event. No pets please. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 12. Free. N.C. State University Grounds & Building Services, 630 Motor Pool St., Raleigh. 919-515-9421,

With the increasing interest in soil care as a means of avoiding plant stress and subsequent pest problems, the demand for this class has risen each season. The interactive lecture will cover nutrient balance, soil test reports, how to incorporate organics, taking care of microbes, and an array of misconceptions regarding planting techniques. If you have soil test reports, be sure to bring them to class. 10 a.m.-noon Nov. 12. $40. Plant Delights Nursery & Juniper Level Botanic Garden, 9241 Sauls Rd, Raleigh. 919-772-4794, plantdelights.com.

This story was originally published October 27, 2016 at 8:55 AM with the headline "Holiday open houses at several Triangle garden centers."