Noted Irish horticulturist to speak at Raleigh arboretum

Jimi Blake, owner of Hunting Brook Gardens, will be the guest speaker at 10 a.m. Oct. 31 at the JC Raulston Arboretum.

Blake’s talk will focus on the best new plants from European nurseries. The event is sponsored by the Piedmont chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society and the JC Raulston Arboretum.

Blake owns Hunting Brook Gardens on 20 acres in Wicklow, Ireland. Blake is known for traveling internationally to collects plants and rare seeds. To learn more about Blake, go to huntingbrook.com.

The event is $5; free for North American Rock Garden Society (Piedmont Chapter) members and Friends of the JC Raulston Arboretum members.

The talk will be held at arboretum’s Ruby C. McSwain Education Center, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh.

Info: 919-513-7005, jcra.ncsu.edu.

Day trip to Schenck Memorial Forest

The JC Raulston Arboretum is hosting a two-hour tour of the 25-acre Carl Alwin Schenck Memorial Forest on Nov. 3.

The forest, located inside Raleigh’s city limits and run by N.C. State University, is a teaching laboratory for subjects such as forestry, botany, ecology and soils. Glenn Catts, director of forest operations, will lead the tour, which starts 9 a.m. Nov. 3.

Wear comfortable walking or hiking boots and appropriate clothing for the weather. The tour will happen rain or shine. The cost is $10 for members or $15 for nonmembers.

Attendees will gather at the arboretum at 8:40 a.m. Vans will transport attendees to the forest and return them to the arboretum afterward.

Learn how to compost

N.C. State University is offering a four-hour workshop on composting on Oct. 29.

Students will learn about small- to large-scale composting and vermicomposting, the value of their products and how to use them, and how to make and use compost tea. Students also will tour N.C. State’s Compost Training Facility and see more than two dozen types of composting units and worm bins, plus a compost tea brewer.

The class is 8 a.m.-noon at the J. Edward Booth Field Learning Lab, 4000 Chi Road, Raleigh. The cost is $10. You can register online at go.ncsu.edu/vermicomposting.

For more information, contact Lisa Forehand at lisa_forehand@ncsu.edu or 919-513-0954.

A chance to win Garden Conservancy book

We’re giving away a copy of “Outstanding American Gardens: A Celebration: 25 Years of the Garden Conservancy” to one lucky reader.

You must “Like” the News & Observer Lifestyles Facebook page and leave a comment below our post about the giveaway. Please tell us which book you would like to win. The deadline to enter is noon Oct. 28. Good luck!

Details: facebook.com/newsobserverlifestyles

This story was originally published October 24, 2015 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Noted Irish horticulturist to speak at Raleigh arboretum."