Building a Garden that Benefits Wildlife

Bryce Lane, Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor Emeritus and Lecturer Emeritus, Department of Horticultural Science, NC State University

Mondays, May 11 through June 8, 2026 — 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm (No class on Monday, May 25)

Monday Nights | In-Person + Zoom | Recordings Provided

Many wildlife gardening classes make it sound as though all you need to do is plant a few flowers and wait for nature to arrive. In reality, creating a garden that truly supports birds, pollinators, beneficial insects, reptiles, amphibians, and other wildlife takes thoughtful planning. What do animals need to survive? Which plants help most? How do we create habitat in ways that are both beautiful and manageable?

In this 4-week course, you’ll learn practical strategies for building a garden that attracts and sustains wildlife while fitting your space, goals, and gardening style. We’ll explore how healthy gardens function as ecosystems, and how even small home landscapes can provide food, shelter, water, and breeding habitat for a wide range of beneficial creatures.

You’ll also learn how to put those ideas into practice through smart plant selection, layered garden design, and seasonal maintenance strategies that support wildlife year-round. Along the way, we’ll discuss pollinator gardening, helpful garden features, and how to work with natural systems rather than against them.

Course Topics Include:

Why wildlife gardening matters for ecosystems and communities
Creating habitat with food, water, shelter, and nesting spaces
Choosing plants that support birds, pollinators, reptiles, amphibians, and other overlooked wildlife
Maintaining a healthy, layered landscape that increases biodiversity
Balancing beauty, function, and ecological value in home gardens

Why Attend?

Practical Guidance — Learn realistic, achievable ways to make your garden more welcoming to wildlife.
Expert-Led Instruction — Learn from Bryce Lane, an award-winning educator known for making horticulture accessible, engaging, and inspiring.
Flexible Learning — Join us in person at the JC Raulston Arboretum or virtually via Zoom—whatever works best for your schedule.
Meaningful Impact — Create a landscape that is not only beautiful, but beneficial to the world around it.

This hybrid course is offered both in person at the JC Raulston Arboretum and online via Zoom, giving you the flexibility to attend from anywhere. Can’t make it to every session? No problem. All lectures will be recorded and shared with participants each week, so you won’t miss any valuable content.

Whether you’re starting fresh or improving an existing garden, this course will help you create an outdoor space alive with movement, color, and purpose. Register now and start building a garden that gives back.

About Bryce Lane

Bryce has been teaching students, home gardeners and garden professionals for over 40 years. Many may know Bryce from his UNC TV public television show called "In the Garden With Bryce Lane" which was on the air for 11 seasons and won three Emmys. Others may know him as a student from his time in the Department of Horticultural Science at NC State University.

Growing up in Western Massachusetts, Bryce discovered his passion for plants and telling others about them while working at a local garden center through high school and college. After earning his B.S. in plant science from the University of Massachusetts in 1979 and an M.S. in horticulture from The Ohio State University in 1981, he came to the Department of Horticultural Science at NC State University where he taught in the two-year and four-year programs, majors and non-majors, served as the undergraduate coordinator and even the interim director of the JC Raulston Arboretum.

He has received numerous local, regional, and national teaching awards and is frequently invited to speak at many workshops and symposia, about teaching as well as horticulture and gardening. Most importantly, he has been married for over 45 years to his high school sweetheart, has two happily married daughters, and six incredible grandchildren. He is an avid gardener who has gardened in the same spot for more than 40 years with many stories, advice and passion to share with other gardeners regardless of their experience!

Cost

$150.00 for JCRA Members, $200.00 for nonmembers.

Note to nonmembers: instead of paying $50.00 more for the program, become a member for $50.00 instead.

Registration

Advance registration is required. Register for in-person attendance (on-site) or register for online attendance (via Zoom).

Registration is considered complete when payment is received. You will receive a confirmation receipt from notify@cashnet.com when registered.

Cancellation

Program cancellations can be made up to two weeks before the program's start date. No refunds will be made after this time. A 15% cancellation fee applies.

To request a cancellation, send an email to the JCRA Education Team at jcraprograms@ncsu.edu with the participant name and program information.

Location

Online and in person at the Ruby C. McSwain Education Center, JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, NC 27606.

Directions

Get directions to the JC Raulston Arboretum.

Parking

Free parking is available at the JC Raulston Arboretum and along Beryl Road.

Questions

Contact the JCRA Education Team at jcraprograms@ncsu.edu for more information about this program.