Find a public garden

It’s a good time to get inspired by one or two of the many public gardens blooming in North Carolina. North Carolina Cooperative Extension has posted an interactive map showing all kinds of public gardens: historical, Extension demonstration, arboretum, botanical, natural, rose and others. Search for “public gardens” at the site gardening.ces.ncsu.edu. Meantime here is a small sampling of some.

Airlie Gardens, Wilmington

Historic waterfront plantation estate’s 67 acres.
(910) 798-7700
airliegardens.org

Cape Fear Botanical Garden, Fayetteville

77-acre garden located on the Cape Fear and Cross Creek rivers.
(910) 486-0221
capefearbg.org

Daniel Boone Native Gardens, Boone

Hundreds of plant varieties, rock garden, pond on three acres.
(828) 264-6390
danielboonenativegardens.org

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Belmont

450 acres along the banks of Lake Wylie just west of Charlotte.
(704) 825-4490
dsbg.org

Elizabethan Gardens, Roanoke Island

A formal garden that includes a sunken garden and rose garden.
(252) 473-3234
elizabethangardens.org

Flora Macdonald Gardens, Red Springs

On the Academy campus, 12 acres.
(910) 843-4995
floramacdonald.org

JC Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh

White garden, bedding plant trails, Japanese garden on N.C. State campus.
(919) 515-3132
jcra.ncsu.edu

Juniper Level Botanic, Raleigh

Specialty nursery and botanic gardens near Garner with more than 6,000 different plants.
(919) 772-4794
plantdelights.com

North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill

More than 1,000 acres, including display gardens and natural areas.
(919) 962-0522
ncbg.unc.edu

Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, Kernersville

7-acre site features 10 gardens.
(336) 996-7888
pjcbg.org

Reynolda Gardens, Winston-Salem

Formal gardens once part of the R.J. Reynolds estate, with greenhouse and conservatory.
(336) 758-5593
reynoldagardens.org

Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Durham

55 acres at Duke University include terraces, native plants garden, Asiatic arboretum.
(919) 684-3698
gardens.duke.edu

The North Carolina Arboretum, Blue Ridge Parkway

434 acres near Asheville include art installations, cultivated gardens, bonsai collection.
(828) 665-2492
ncarboretum.org

UNC-Charlotte Botanical Gardens, Charlotte

Orchids, desert plants, carnivorous and tropical plants.
(704) 687-0720
gardens.uncc.edu