Andrew Luo/ The Chronicle
Just down the road from Duke’s historic Chapel is a flurry of floral activity available free to the public in the Sarah P. Duke gardens. For just $5, one can sign up for one in a series of four classes entitled “Plants of Distinction,” taught by Jason Holmes, the curator of the Gardens, and Lindsey Fleetwood, a horticulturalist. On September 10th, Holmes led his small group through the gardens during the class on “Gorgeous Grasses,” answering many personal gardening questions, as well as giving general introductory information about grasses.
“Grasses are their own separate family,” says Holmes, who is quick to point out that many other plants, most notably mondo grass, mimic the behavior and appearance of the grasses, but belong to the lily family.
Grasses come in a wide variety of shades, shapes, and sizes, some species, like the Arundo donax, or ‘Peppermint Stick,’ which Holmes estimates to be around twelve feet tall.
Grasses also exhibit a variety of textures, from the silky Miscanthus sinensis or ‘Adagio,' to the Nasella tenuissima, or ‘Mexican Feather Grass,’ whose texture Holmes describes as “like a bristly ponytail.”
Walking around the garden in the heat had some participants asking to rest, or worse, leaving the tour. “There are very few grasses that grow in the shade.” Holmes joked.
The weather has not been kind to many of the plants in the garden either, not due to lack of rain but rather, too much of it.
"These tall plants have been knocked down and battered by all the rain we’ve been getting.” Holmes, who has been curator of the Sarah P. Duke Gardens for four years but has been gardens for almost a decade, shows favor towards plants indigenous to the area.
“If I can plant something native…I will.” Holmes gave some concession to the difficulty of raising grass in the gardens. “With grasses, there’s a lot of maintenance issues you have to look at.”
The next class will be Fall Planting in the Vegetable Garden, on Tuesday October 8th at 2:30 P.M. Tickets are $5 for students, staff, and Duke Garden Members, and $7 for Durham community members. Adds Holmes, “Fall is really the best time to see the grasses.” The Sarah P. Duke Gardens are open daily from 8 A.M. until dusk.
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