Gardening by the month by Marie Gardner

Go Green!
Plan Day Trips to These Choice Gardens
 
 
You are most likely aware of the local gardens to visit. The wonderful Bryan Park and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden are on Richmond’s North side. East of town are the great plantations between Richmond and Williamsburg, as well as Williamsburg Botanical Garden. West of town are of course Monticello and Montpelier, homes of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison respectively.
 
But what if you would like to take an all-day trip somewhere: do you know where to go? There are many fantastic gardens to visit within a day’s drive. Here are four suggestions, in order of my personal preference.
 
North Carolina Botanical Garden
Chapel Hill, N.C.
 
Although the farthest away (about three hours from Richmond) these gardens are spectacular and serene, and well worth the trip! The guiding mission of the gardens is “to inspire understanding, appreciation, and conservation of plants in gardens and natural areas and to advance a sustainable relationship between people and nature.”
 
The gardens came to be in the early 20th century when Dr. William Chambers Coker began planting trees and shrubs on the central campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This part is now Coker Arboretum. 
 
The gardens were added to and developed over time. The entire garden complex is now about 700 acres large, with an additional 210 acres of nature preserves.
 
Today the garden comprises 14 collections and display gardens containing 2,100 species. They have the traditional botanical garden, showing evolutionary relationships between flowering plant groups, and the most breathtaking collection of Southeastern fern species.
 
They have habitat gardens that represent the ecosystems in the eastern part of North Carolina, specifically the coastal plain and sand hills, as well as a mountain habitat garden, which has plants and trees characteristic of the mountainous areas of the southern Appalachian Mountains.
 
You’ll also see native water gardens. Among other native aquatic plants, they have an acclaimed carnivorous plant collection, including butterworts, pitcher plants, sundews and Venus Flytraps.  
 
Additional gardens include the Horticultural Therapy Demonstration Garden, a Native Plant Border consisting of native perennials, shrubs and small trees, and the Mercer Reeves Hubbard Herb Garden, arranged into a culinary garden, economic garden, medicinal garden, Native American garden and a poison garden.
 
Finally, don’t miss the Mason Farm Biological Reserve, a 367-acre natural area, and the University of North Carolina Herbarium (earliest collections from 1835), which has 750,000 natural history specimens documenting the identity and distribution of plants in North Carolina and the Southeast.
 
Although the North Carolina Botanical Garden is open daily without charge, it pays to become a member—they provide native plant seed packets, as available, to members.
www.ncbg.unc.edu or (919) 962-0522.
 

Adkins Arboretum
Ridgely, Md.
 
Everyone should take a trip to the Eastern Shore at some point. It is such a unique area. Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve established in 1972 to promote the appreciation and conservation of the region’s native plants. The arboretum’s mission is to emphasize the display and study of the Delmarva Peninsula’s indigenous plant communities.
 
The Arboretum has over 600 species of native shrubs, trees, wildflowers and grasses, and offers programs year-round in ecology, horticulture and natural history. It includes four miles of paths through forests, along streams and through meadows and native plant gardens.
 
Admission is free to members and $3 for non-members ($1 for children ages 6-18). www.adkinsarboretum.org or (410) 634-2847.
 
Norfolk Botanical Garden
Norfolk, Va.
 
This is a great garden to visit if you want to take a break from the beach on a day trip to the shore. The mission of Norfolk Botanical Garden is to “…enrich life by promoting the enjoyment of plants and the environment through beautiful gardens and educational programs.”
 
They have 10 signature gardens, including the Bicentennial Rose garden, the Bristow Butterfly garden, a Virginia Native Plant garden and a Children’s Adventure garden. Additionally, they have 28 theme gardens, including an Enchanted Forest, a Fern Glade, a Hummingbird garden and a Japanese garden.
 
Admission is free to members and $7 for non-members ($6 for seniors and $5 for children ages 3-18). www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org/ or (757) 441-5830.
 
 
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
Vienna, Va.
 
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens is a 95-acre complex of large ornamental display gardens and unique native plant collections. This is a good garden to visit if you are heading up to the D.C. area. It has trails, lakes, more than 20 varieties of cherry trees, irises, peonies, shade garden and native wildflowers.
 
There is also an indoor tropical garden in the atrium and interpretive displays in a restored 18th-century cabin. Meadowlark Botanical Gardens often presents gardening and horticulture workshops, tours, field trips and concerts.
 
Admission is $5 ($2.50 for ages 7-17 and 55+), or you can purchase an annual pass.
www.nvrpa.org/parks/meadowlark or (703) 255-3631.
 

So get out and about for a day trip, and enjoy the beauty and inspiration that these unique but relatively nearby gardens have to offer.

Marie Gardner has an M.S. in biology and a Ph.D. in education and is a Virginia Master Gardener. Email suggestions for future columns to MGardner@vcu.edu. Please include "garden column suggestion" in the subject line.

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