Seed starting, saving classes upcoming in Triangle

A weekly roundup of home and garden classes, tours and more. Don’t see your event listed here? You need to enter it at triangle.com. If you would like instructions on how to enter your event, send an email to Andrea Weigl, aweigl@newsobserver.com.

Don’t see your event listed here? You need to enter it at triangle.com. If you would like instructions on how to enter your event, send an email to Andrea Weigl, aweigl@newsobserver.com.

Open to the public only eight weekends each year, Plant Delights Nursery sells unique, rare, and native perennial plants. Rain or shine. Free parking. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 26-27; 1-5 p.m. Feb. 28; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. March 4-5. Free. Plant Delights Nursery & Juniper Level Botanic Garden, 9241 Sauls Rd, Raleigh. 919-772-4794, plantdelights.com.

At this class kids will learn all about seeds and how to grow them. Kids can pick, plant, and take home their very own started seed. 9-10 a.m. Feb. 27. $5. Logan Trading Company, 707 Semart Dr, Raleigh. 919-828-5337, logantrd.com.

Permaculture is a sustainable living methodology based on ethics and principles which allow us to meet many of our needs for food, water, shelter, and energy, all within the context of our home gardens. In this course, students will learn the basics of starting a permaculture garden and emerge with the confidence to begin transforming your own home environment into a useful sustainable habitat. 6:30-8:30 p.m. March 1 and March 8. $250; $200 members (memberships can be bought for $50). JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Rd., Raleigh. 919-515-3132, jcra.ncsu.edu/.

Some of the earliest bulbs are delicate little plants that give the first taste of spring after a cold winter. 1-2:30 p.m. March 1. $5; members free. JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Rd., Raleigh. 919-515-3132, jcra.ncsu.edu/.

Insects are essential partners in the garden, and most are welcome. Others can be a menace and should be controlled. Learn the various techniques to minimize pests while maximizing insect friends. 6:30-8:30 p.m. March 2. $90; $70 members. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Anderson St. and Erwin Rd., Durham. 919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu.

Explore the outdoors at Duke Gardens with your child. Each week includes stories, songs, movement, observation and hands-on creative projects that explore the Gardens. 10:30-11:30 a.m. March 4. $10; $7 members and Duke staff/members. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Anderson St. and Erwin Rd., Durham. 919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu.

This was a first-of-its-kind conference that draws powerful speakers and thought-leaders from around the world. 2016’s conference will explore both practical and social solutions and adaptations to climate change. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. March 4. $20-$65. Central Carolina Community College Chatham County Campus, 764 West St, Pittsboro. 919-542-6495,

Meet at the Waterwise Garden (first parking lot on right) Join our bird enthusiast for an easy walk while looking and listening for our feathered friends. Discover different types of birds and their habitats. 8:30 a.m. March 5. Free. Lake Crabtree County Park, 1400 Aviation Pkwy., Morrisville. 919-460-3390, wakegov.com/parks/.

Nelsa shows you how to grow your own seasonal vegetables: big gardens, small and even container gardens. 11 a.m. March 5. $10. The Garden Hut, 1004 Old Honeycutt Rd., Fuquay-Varina. 919-552-0590.

Come learn how to make your own fairy garden, perfect for spring tabletops, centerpieces, decks, screened in porches, etc. These are sweet, miniature live gardens that bring a splash of nature into your home. We’ll have all the materials to make your own. Live demonstrations at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tea and homemade cookies will be served. 10 a.m. March 5. Ivy Cottage Collections, 2017 N.W. Cary Pkwy., Morrisville. 919-462-3434,

Spring is just around the corner! Come find the Garden Discovery Cart hanging out in the gardens with our bulbs and other plants waking up from their winter sleep. Explore some common bulbs and learn their secrets, like where they were all winter long! Get up close with the bursting buds on trees to see what’s about to happen.10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. March 5; 2-3:30 p.m. March 6. $5 per family. JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Rd., Raleigh. 919-515-3132, jcra.ncsu.edu/.

Learn about the workings of spring as we discuss the intricate biochemical cues that lead to emerging buds, flowers and new growth. This class will be led by Stefan Bloodworth, curator of the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants at Duke Gardens. Sign up separately for each session to learn about a new group of beautiful and useful plants, or take all five sections. Participant limit per session: 15. Information/registration: 919-668-1707 or gardenseducation@duke.edu. 2:30 p.m. March 10. $5-$7. Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Anderson St. and Erwin Rd., Durham. 919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu.

Seeds are humans’ most precious plant resources. We collect them, exchange them, buy and sell them, and take them for granted. What are we doing to ensure that the most useful ones will be available if crops fail, environmental catastrophes occur, or for other reasons we are unable to harvest necessary seeds? Botanists have been addressing these possibilities for some time by keeping seeds in conditions that will allow them to retain viability. These facilities, known as seed banks, provide a first line of defense against catastrophic loss of plant germ plasm represented in seeds. This talk will consider the past, present, and future of these critical facilities. 7:30-9 p.m. March 10. $5; members free. JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Rd., Raleigh. 919-515-3132, jcra.ncsu.edu/.

Learn how to assemble a reusable form, mix the ingredients, and create your own hypertufa planting trough. It has a stone-like appearance, excellent drainage, is relatively lightweight, and is a natural addition to your garden. All materials are provided. Registration required. $75. 9 a.m.-noon, March 12. Lasting Impressions, 4904 Hermitage Dr., Raleigh, 919-787-6228, lastingimpressionsleaves.com

Create a natural mold using a real leaf, and form your unique piece or sculpture. Instructions included for curing and suggestions for painting your leaf. All materials are provided. Registration required. $65. 1-3 p.m. March 12. Lasting Impressions, 4904 Hermitage Dr., Raleigh, 919-787-6228. lastingimpressionsleaves.com

Spring is here and it’s finally time to start planting! Learn the basics of planting an organic garden along with some helpful tips on caring for your garden throughout the season. 9-10 a.m. March 12. Free. Logan Trading Company, 707 Semart Dr., Raleigh. 919-828-5337, logantrd.com.

Pruning is both an art and a science. Learn a little about what you are doing, and be bold! Pruning, when done properly and at the correct time of year, can be beneficial to your garden. Let us show you the basics of what, when and how. Class is free. 10 a.m. March 12. Free. Fairview Greenhouses and Garden Center, 8224 Holly Springs Road, Raleigh. 919-851-6821, fairviewgardencenter.com.

Each weekend, the Commercial and Education buildings, the Shoppes at Dorton, and the outside grounds are host to hundreds of dealers, craftsmen, and booths. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays. Free. N.C. State Fairgrounds, 1025 Blue Ridge Road., Raleigh. 919-733-2626, ncstatefair.org.

This story was originally published February 23, 2016 at 4:06 PM with the headline "Seed starting, saving classes upcoming in Triangle."