Gain an intoxicating perspective on the leaves, bark, seeds, roots, flowers and fruit imbibed around the world when Amy Stewart, bestselling author of “The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World’s Great Drinks,” keynotes the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens’ 50th Anniversary Symposium on Saturday, Oct. 8.

Attendees also will learn easy-to-remember garden design strategies for working with such elements as form, texture and color during a talk by Steve Aitken, editor of Fine Gardening magazine.

This symposium will feature a look back at the gardens’ history as well as a peek at what is coming next. Lunch and a tour of the Botanical Gardens are included.

Talks by Gardens Director Emeritus Larry Mellichamp, assistant director Paula Gross, and current director Jeffrey Gillman will round out the day.

Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. on the third floor of the Student Union for this daylong event. Complimentary parking will be available in the Student Union Parking Deck. Participants will tour the gardens from 3 to 4 p.m. Walking shoes are encouraged.

The symposium is open to the public; pre-registration is required. Register online or call 704-687-0721. Registration will close Monday, Oct. 3.

Tryon Palace MumFest Oct. 7-9

Tryon Palace gardens will be open for free during MumFest weekend, Friday through Sunday, Oct. 7-9 in historic downtown New Bern.

Hundreds of mums and a variety of fall blooming plants will be on display throughout the 16 acres of gardens of Tryon Palace.

The Fall Heritage Plant Sale will also be held Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7-8, on the Daves House Lawn just inside the Palace main gate.

This annual plant sale offers a selection of plants grown locally and in the Palace’s nursery yard, as well as a wide variety of perennials, herbs, annuals, honey from Tryon Palace’s own bee hive and more.

Both the Tryon Palace Craft and Garden Shop and the Museum Store will be open Friday and Saturday with a storewide 10 percent off sale (does not include consignment and sale items).

Gardens will be free and open to the public Friday, Oct. 7, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 8, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 9, from noon to 6 p.m.

Every year, the Tryon Palace Fall Garden Lovers Weekend coincides with MumFest, a weekend-long event sponsored by the city of New Bern and produced by Swiss Bear Downtown Development Corp.

The combination of family fun, entertainment, attractions, exhibitors and savory foods in the beautifully restored setting of downtown New Bern and its waterfront, is enjoyed by more than 90,000 festival-goers every fall.

For more information call 252-639-3500 or visit www.tryonpalace.org.