Botanical gardens are filled with regional blooms, botanical beauties, architectural landscaping and educational opportunities. North Carolina has several botanical gardens which boast blooms such as azaleas, lilies, oleander and roses and oak trees that span hundreds of years. Visitors can enjoy visiting one of North Carolina’s coastal gardens in Wilmington, Winnabow and the Outer Banks.
Airlie Gardens is in the coastal city of Wilmington, North Carolina. Airlie Gardens has been in operation since 1901, providing the state with more than 100 years of seaside gardens. The gardens blend historic structures, sculptures, fresh water lakes, creek views, walking trails and wildlife observation with formal gardens filled with continuous blooms, year-round color, more than 100,000 azaleas, camellia cultivars and the “Airlie Oak,” a 462-year-old tree. More than 350 volunteers make up the Airlie Garden Guild, a group that tends to the gardens, assists with marketing and teaches the Airlie Gardens Environmental Education Program. Airlie Gardens also features space for special events and private parties. 2010 hours are Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. 2010 admission rates are $5 for adults and $3 for children between the ages of 6 to 12.
Airlie Gardens
300 Airlie Road
Wilmington, NC 28403
910-798-7700
airliegardens.org
Orton Plantation Gardens is located in the coastal town of Winnabow, North Carolina. Orton Plantation’s history dates back to 1725, when brothers Roger, Maurice and Nathaniel Moore settled the region around Cape Fear River. Roger took ownership of the property initially owned by Maurice and developed it into one of the famous rice plantations in Lower Cape Fear. Development of the gardens started in 1910 with cedar trees, oak trees and arborvitae trees. In 2010, the gardens celebrated their 100th anniversary with a renovation, enhancing the view of the Cape Fear River and preserving the rice fields. Visitors to the garden are treated to seasonal and monthly blooms. For example, in March, visitors can enjoy blooming Okame cherry trees, flowering quince, azalea and pansies. In July, visitors can enjoy blooming butterfly bushes, crape myrtle, ginger lilies, canna lilies, bay trees and oleander. 2010 admission prices are $9 for adults, $8 for senior citizens and $3 for children between the ages of 6 and 16.
Orton Plantation Gardens
9149 Orton Road SE
Winnabow, NC 28479
910-371-6851
ortongardens.com
The Elizabethan Gardens are located in North Carolina’s Outer Banks town of Manteo. The Garden Club of North Carolina adopted the Elizabethan Gardens as a project in 1951 and formally opened them in August of 1960. Highlights of the Elizabethan Gardens include marble statues, an oak tree that is more than 400 years old, the Shakespearean Herb Garden, the Queen’s Rose Garden, the Sunken Garden, and a gazebo that overlooks the Roanoke Sound. The Elizabethan Gardens feature wildflowers, plants, trees and shrubs and are open seven days per week, year-round. 2010 ticket prices are $8 for adults, $5 for children aged 6 to 17 and free for children 5 and younger.
The Elizabethan Gardens, Inc.
1411 National Park Drive
Manteo, NC 27954
252-473-3234
elizabethangardens.org
