Sandhills Horticultural Society Events
Fall Lectures and Workshops
All classes and workshops are held in the Burlingame Room at the Ball Garden Visitors Center, Sandhills Horticultural Gardens, unless otherwise noted. Registration for each event is listed below.
Perennial Power - MONTHLY TOUR
Thursday, September 18th
10:00am
This tour will focus on the many perennials that thrive in the Sandhills region and ways they can be used in garden settings and home landscaping. Special emphasis will be placed on the life cycles of perennials, the easy care that they offer gardeners, and those species that excel at attracting pollinators.
This event is FREE
Limit 15 people.
Pre-Show Garden Tour, collaboration w/ BPAC
Monday, September 22nd
5:30pm - 6:15pm
Stretch your legs before the show and take a tour through our Fall Gardens. This first tour of the season is happening on the Autumn Equinox and the show at BPAC is comedian Erin Foley.
DONATION suggested
Sandhills Scarecrow Stroll
October 2nd - October 31st
During Daily Garden Hours
Celebrate the fall season by strolling through the Sandhills Horticultural Gardens’ creative scarecrow collection. We've teamed up with some local garden clubs to bring you our inaugural "Scarecrow Stroll", which will consist of 10 scarecrows throughout the Gardens, each with a theme and name chosen by its creators. The staff and students will each be making one as well, of course. Come on through to see the scarecrows amidst the beautiful seasonal changes and vote for your favorite! Make sure to pick up the specially made map and brochure for this event to find the scarecrows throughout the gardens and vote through the QR code. You can vote at the link in the red button as well, once the event is live.
This event is FREE
VOTE HERE
Harvest Exchange & Canning Presentation*
Friday, October 3rd
9:30am - 11:00am
(*date changed from 9/19)
Gather ‘round and be grateful for your harvest. We will be sharing the abundance of the season from our very own backyards. Bring any extra vegetables or fruit you have from your home garden to share or trade with others that may have too much of one item but may need something else. Anything that doesn’t get swapped or shared at the event will be donated to a local foodbank that accepts fresh produce.
We are also excited to be collaborating with our Culinary Department for a special canning presentation. Chef Martin Brunner will be sharing Food Safety for preserving a garden harvest. How many of us have had a great harvest and now wonder how we can preserve our veggies to last us into the winter? Learn some do’s and don'ts in food preservation from jams to vegetables.
The harvest share will start at 9:30am and the presentation will begin around 10:00am.
Members: FREE
Non-members: $15
Pre-Show Garden Tour, collaboration w/ BPAC
Saturday, October 4th
3:30pm - 4:15pm
Stretch your legs before the show and take a tour through our Fall Gardens. The show at BPAC is comedian Reggie Rice.
DONATION suggested
Fall in Love with Autumn - MONTHLY TOUR
Thursday, October 9th
10:00am
Join us for a scouting stroll through the gardens looking for plants that are preparing for next spring throughout our various landscapes. Our docents will also be highlighting the not to be missed Fall beauties that grace the gardens this time of year.
This event is FREE
Limit 15 people.
Pre-Show Garden Tour, collaboration w/ BPAC
Thursday, October 16th
5:30pm - 6:15pm
Stretch your legs before the show and take a tour through our Fall Gardens. The show at BPAC is film and television actor and comedian Paul Reiser.
DONATION suggested
Aristocrats of the Southern Garden: Knowing the Hydrangeas
Tuesday, October 21st
10:00am
Hydrangeas are a source of beauty and provide a backbone to Southern gardens with their graceful architecture and attractive blooms. But which one do you prune in the winter and which one after it blooms?!? Several species are common in cultivation, but they can be easily confused and lead to management delays. We're going to enjoy the beauty of hydrangeas in this talk, as well as give you a quick guide of when to prune the common species and how to keep your hydrangeas looking lush.
Members: FREE
Non-members: $15
Pre-Show Garden Tour, collaboration w/ BPAC
Saturday, November 1st
12:30pm - 1:15pm
Stretch your legs before the show and take a tour through our Fall Gardens. This Taylor Swift Tribute will the be last pre-show tour of the Fall season, as Daylight Savings Time starts the next day!
DONATION suggested
Tea in the Sandhills: How to Grow, Harvest and Brew
Friday, November 7th
1:00pm
Join us for a unique presentation by John Bowman all about tea! This presentation will identify the many different teas there are today, noting that all teas (green, white, oolong, yellow, black and pu-erh) come from the same tea bush – Camellia sinensis. Because of our climate, well drained and acid soils, this evergreen shrub is ideally suited to growing here in the Sandhills. A distinction will be made between tea and herbal infusions, and some examples of how tea is harvested and processed will be shown. Finally we will examine techniques for brewing the very best tasting tea with an accompanying tea brewing guide to take home.
Members: FREE
Non-members: $15
"g-ART-ens", Art in the Gardens - MONTHLY TOUR
Thursday, November 13th
10:00am
With the garden as the canvas, stroll along the paths to learn about the works of art that were purchased, donated or given to honor someone. “Ciao Bella” and “The Dog Ate my Homework” are a few we will see on this tour. Each unique piece has an artist, history or a story that the docents will share with you.
This event is FREE
Limit 15 people.
Woodpeckers: Master Musicians of the Pineywoods
Thursday, November 20th
1:00pm
Join Gabriela Garrrison, the Eastern Piedmont Habitat Conservation Coordinator for the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, as she teaches us about the various species of woodpeckers that occur in the Sandhills. These curious birds are known for their distinctive pecking and drumming sounds. She will discuss their biology and foraging behaviors, as well as the vital role they play in nature. She will also delve into the unique characteristics that make the longleaf pine ecosystem so special and round it out with an overview of the rare and elusive red-cockaded woodpecker, a small bird with a big personality.
This event is FREE for everyone
Upcoming Events for Fall and Winter 2025
11/21 - LSG & Culinary "Pies & Plants Sale"
11/30 - Santa in the Gardens
12/3 - Pinecone Wreaths - Seasonal Craft Workshop
12/4 - LSG Holiday Plant Sale, SCC Employees & SHG Members Only
12/5 - LSG Holiday Plant Sale, for the public
12/11 - Winter Birds & Berries, Monthly Tour
Check back often to stay up to date on these additional events, registration links will be posted here when available