Save the Date: 7th annual Dig In! event in Raleigh
Advocates for Health in Action and Marbles Kids Museum are hosting the 7th annual Dig In! event on March 12.
The event, which runs from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at Marbles Kids Museum, explores urban agriculture, community gardens and edible gardens in school and child care centers. The event is for “anyone with an interest in building and serving community, connecting people with local foods, increasing access to healthy, fresh produce; and growing local food systems,” according to the website.
This year’s keynote speaker will be the Rev. Richard Joyner of the Conetoe Life Family Center in Conetoe, N.C. Joyner was named a 2015 Top 10 CNN Hero for his work at a 25-acre community garden.
Info: advocatesforhealthinaction.org
Foraging, maple syrup classes in Durham
Durham garden writer and forager Frank Hyman is teaching two upcoming classes:
From 2-4 p.m. Jan. 30, Hyman will speak about “A Year’s Worth of Wild Edible Plants.”
The class will cover ramps, redbud flowers, beach arugula, samphire, fiddlehead ferns, sunchokes, juneberries, nettles and maple syrup as delicious native, wild edibles found in North Carolina. Program includes a slideshow, a handout (with links to local foraging groups, books, websites and tool tips), free magazines and plenty of Q&A time.
The class is at BW&A Books, 1006-A Lamond Ave., Durham. Indoor seating is limited, so students must pay in advance via Paypal at frankhyman.com. Same-day registration is possible.
From 2-4 p.m. Feb. 6, Hyman will teach “Tapping Maple Trees for Sap and Making Syrup.” Students will learn how to safely tap maple trees and how to cook down some of the sap into maple syrup for a tasting.
The class is $25. It is at Montessori Farm School, 2400 Broad St., Suite 2, Durham. Half the funds for this program go to support the Montessori Farm School. Register at frankhyman.com.
Chapel Hill architect wins Best of Houzz
Chapel Hill architect Arielle Condoret Schechter won Best Of Houzz 2016 in the customer service category.
Houzz is a leading home remodeling and design website. The Best Of Houzz awards are presented annually in three categories: design, customer service and photography. The customer service honor is based on several factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional receives during the year, according to a press release.As a result, a “Best Of Houzz 2016” badge appears on winners’ Houzz profiles to help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals.
In 2015, Schechter received a “Recommended on Houzz” honor.
To see Schechter’s Houzz page, go to houzz.com/pro/acsarchitect/arielle-c-schechter-aia. For more information on the firm, visit acsarchitect.com.
Reminder: Annual Orchid Open House in Raleigh this weekend
The Atlantic Avenue Orchid & Garden center is hosting its annual Orchid Open House is this weekend.
The two-day event happens after the garden center’s staff travels to Florida to “hand select orchids and other plants to bring back,” according to the center’s newsletter. Customers will be able to tour the center’s 5,000-square-foot greenhouse filled with orchids and tropical plants from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Jan. 30 and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Jan. 31.
Orchid grower Graham Wood from the award-winning Lehua Orchids of Hawaii will be conducting several talks on lady slipper orchids. He will be speaking at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
This is the second time Wood has been a guest speaker at the open house, said Emily Woodward, the garden center’s marketing coordinator. Last year, Woodward said in the newsletter that the turnout to hear Wood was more than store employees anticipated so not everyone could hear him speak. This year, she explained that they are expanding the lecture area and including a visual presentation and amplified sound to better accomodate the crowd.
The center is at 5217 Atlantic Ave., Raleigh.
Info: 919-878-8877, atlanticavenuegarden.com
Monthly walk at Duke Gardens
The Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University hosts a monthly seasonal walk though the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants at 11 a.m. on the first Thursday of every month. The next one is 11 a.m. Feb. 4.
The tour is limited to 15 people. It costs $8 or $6 for members. Preregistration is required. To register or for more information, call 919-668-1707 or send an email to gardenseducation@duke.edu.
The gardens are at 420 Anderson St., Durham.
Info: gardens.duke.edu/events/
Andrea Weigl: 919-829-4848, aweigl@newsobserver.com, @andreaweigl
This story was originally published January 26, 2016 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Save the Date: 7th annual Dig In! event in Raleigh."