“It’s such a gift to Duke employees and to the greater Durham area that we have Duke Gardens. It’s a gift that originally the Duke family gave us, and everyone’s donations and gifts have sustained it.”
Lesley Stanford
Pediatric Nutritionist, Duke Children’s Hospital and Health Center
Growing with the Flow: Managing Stormwater in a Changing Climate
By Katherine Hale
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Leveraging Nature to Create Art and Belonging
By Liani Yirka
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Learning from Teaching: Equity Through Stories Intern Branches Out with Many Roles
A Living Laboratory: Academic Partnerships Lead to Immersive Learning Experiences
By Katherine Hale
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Endowment Support Creates a Lasting Legacy
By Christina Johnson
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A Prescription for Happiness: Duke Gardens Becomes a Second Home for a Duke Hospital Resident & Family
By Sunny Gu
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Our “Spirit in the Land” collaboration with the Nasher Museum of Art welcomed the public to explore the museum and then join in a wide range of activities at Duke Gardens.
The Nasher exhibit featured 30 artists from diverse backgrounds demonstrating through their artwork how nature informs our sense of self and shapes our individual and collective identities.
At the Gardens, local artists and community groups led creative, hands-on activities that engaged the senses, offering ways to build relationships with the plants and landscapes around us. These included Beverly Scarlett (pictured) sharing stories of the local Black and Indigenous Maroon community, DIY cyanotypes with plants, soil painting, zine-making and more.
More than 80 people gathered for a climate social organized with the School for Living Futures, to build community as an essential component of climate resilience. This was among several events we have offered to increase climate literacy, share knowledge and resources to contend with the impacts of climate change, and find positive steps we can take to manage “eco-anxiety.”
Our new plein air series included several well-attended art classes outdoors.
The classes were led by Durham-based artist and gardener James Keul.
A new, free series called Midday Meander: A Strolling Conversation has been a big hit. We invite participants to swap plant stories, dig into horticultural history and practice multisensory observation on a playful amble through the Gardens that delights and disrupts their understanding of what a garden can be.
Among our university partnerships, we worked with Duke Arts to co-host a free public workshop called The Art of Noticing: Field Notes in Nature.
Our Duke in the Gardens program continues to grow, as Duke students and faculty discover the multitude of ways that this living laboratory can support their studies in a variety of disciplines, from botany to engineering, medicine and art. Student organizations also frequently partner with program coordinator Kati Henderson for enlightening outdoor explorations.
Duke staff and retirees enjoyed a Mindful Movement program co-hosted by Duke Gardens and Duke Wellness. Instructor Anna Batsakes demonstrated low intensity movements, breathing techniques and relaxation practices that can improve our wellness at any age.
The long-running Music in the Gardens summer series produced by Duke Arts in partnership with Duke Gardens and That Station drew enthusiastic crowds with a wide-ranging roster and free admission for all. Duke Continuing Studies and The Forest at Duke also support the series.
We launched a new partnership to offer discounted trolley tours to people staying at Caring House, which serves patients at the Duke Cancer Institute and their families. Duke’s transportation department joined in, offering free shuttle service to the Gardens for participants.
Duke Gardens members had multiple opportunities to explore the Gardens with special programs, including a multi-month series on propagating from seed, led by Blomquist Garden curator Annabel Renwick and horticulturist Maegan Luckett.
Spanish speaking visitors were pleased to discover our new
Spanish language storytime, a free weekly series in the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden. Children and families also enjoyed a new birding series for children, as well as Tot & Me Botany, and more.
Spanish language storytime, a free weekly series in the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden. Children and families also enjoyed a new birding series for children, as well as Tot & Me Botany, and more.
Spanish speakers will have a dedicated Gardens map soon. We’re translating a number of our signs and other resources in order to better serve our non-English-speaking audiences.
You may have noticed a more cohesive look to our new interpretive signs, including this one in the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants. These new signs incorporate branding guidelines developed by the university. We have so much important information to share, and we’re excited to enhance visitors’ understanding of the Gardens and nature.
Duke students on our visitor services ambassador team get valuable customer service experience while sharing their knowledge about Duke Gardens and Duke University with our 600,000 visitors each year. Libby White, a graduate student at the Nicholas School of the Environment, says she loves helping people from around the world get the most out of their Duke Gardens visit.
ESPN filmed another “3-Day Weekend” special on a frigid spring day. Among those featured was Duke Gardens work-study student Cole Walker, who was one of our info desk ambassadors before graduating last May.
Duke Gardens also played a role in a documentary about Black feminist poet Alexis Pauline Gumbs, produced by Yale University. Gumbs is a fan of Duke Gardens and asked to be filmed here.
Our spring and fall plant sales drew happy crowds and brisk sales, with a $31,000 net for fall, and a record-breaking $20,000 for the members-only sale. Many gardeners excitedly await these sales, conferring with our horticulturists to figure out which plants will fare best in their gardens. We love seeing happy shoppers like these with their new plants. Thank you for your support!
Student & Community Engagement
This new wood bench in the Ruth Mary Meyer Japanese Garden was given by Jeanette Stokes and offers a gratifying view of Pine Clouds Mountain Stream and beyond.
Support from the McCann family funded a new stone bench, boulders and stone landing in the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants. It overlooks the Steffek Bridge, boardwalk and fern ravine. It’s a great spot for bird-watching, too, as you can see.
In the Memorial Garden, this bench was given in loving memory of Dr. Claude (Cary) Gravatt Jr. G’66 by his wife, Ann Gravatt G‘64, and their family and friends. In the springtime, azaleas frame the pathway, providing a colorful backdrop for remembrance of loved ones.
This peaceful bench with a pondside view in the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum was given by Alan and Rhonda Reece in loving memory of their son, Peng Fong Mok.
This stunning new seating area in the Blomquist Garden was created in loving memory of Michael R. McMorrow, by his wife, Carol, and daughter, Jennifer. It offers a lovely view of the new fern ravine and boardwalk.
They hope it brings peace to those who visit, reflecting a favorite quote from a Winnie the Pooh Disney film: “If ever there's a tomorrow when we're not together, there's something you must remember. ... You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. ... But the most important thing is, even if we are apart, I'll always be with you.”
Here’s a serene new bench in the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden, surrounded by an herb garden that offers an aromatherapy treat to all who sit there. It was given by family and friends in loving memory of Elizabeth “Lisa” Zimmerman Lavine, from the Duke Class of 1984.
Underneath the live oak, near the Iris Bridge, you’ll now find a lovely pair of Adirondack chairs. This is a particularly shady and relaxing spot to enjoy a chat with a friend.
If you’d like to hear about more opportunities to support projects throughout Duke Gardens including beautiful seating areas such as this one, please contact our development office at 919-698-2918.
Duke Gardens’ oak collection is now a Nationally Accredited Collection certified by the Plant Collections Network of the American Public Gardens Association. Stay tuned for a Garden Talk feature with more information about this exciting achievement.
The redesigned President’s Bridge features artistic ironwork and new stone walls, along with a view of the Blomquist fern ravine and stream that creates a nice welcome to visitors entering from Flowers Drive.
The redesigned entry to the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants includes a new map and orientation signage, so visitors will have a deeper understanding of the garden’s mission and the many features they can explore.
The Maple Gate at the entrance to the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum nearest to the Discovery Garden became unstable, so we rebuilt it. We incorporated the original roof and added a new fence and stone landing.
Visitors to the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden can learn about cob, one of the oldest and most widely implemented building systems in human history. Cob is fireproof, seismically sound, mold and rot-resistant, and comparable in strength to concrete.
A sudden and intense storm in August downed or damaged more than 30 trees throughout the Gardens. We closed for 10 days in order to safely remove the damaged and hazardous trees. The hard-hit Blomquist Garden remained closed for almost another week.
Solar panels and a new roof atop our planting area in the nursery allow our staff and volunteers to work more effectively in challenging weather, and also to save energy.
Our mulching operation has expanded substantially. Using plant waste from throughout campus, we produce about 300 cubic yards of mulch annually for use campus-wide.
We’re reducing our carbon footprint by switching our machinery from gas to electric. This electric lawnmower was our largest investment yet, and it’s also a first for Duke campus. Thanks to your generous support, we’re making great strides with the #DukeClimateCommitment.
Growth in the Gardens
Fiscal Year
2022 – 2023
Honor Society
Fiscal Year
2022 – 2023
