Take a stroll through these 7 breathtaking Wilmington-area gardens
Let your eyes fascinate you and your nose take in the aroma of fresh smelling flowers and succulent plants as you visit these seven gardens in the Wilmington area. These picturesque gardens are not just beautiful, but also educational.
Brunswick County Botanical Garden
The Brunswick County Botanical Garden was established in 2004 and is maintained by Brunswick County Extension Master Gardener volunteers and staff.
There are 16 different themed gardens, from roses to live oaks, a reflection garden with an Asian-inspired waterfall and small pond and more.
The gardens are located at the Brunswick County Government Complex, 25 Referendum Drive (next to Building N) in Bolivia. Parking is in the rear of Building N where access is closest to the gardens.
For more information, email bcmgvat@gmail.com or call the Cooperative Extension Office at 910-253-2610.
New Hanover County Arboretum
The seven-acre arboretum, located at 6206 Oleander Drive in Wilmington, formally opened in 1989 and is still developing for horticulture education and inspiration. New tree species are added each year to the extensive collection of native and introduced species well-suited to the local climate and soils.
The arboretum hosts several specialty gardens including herb, rose and native plant gardens, a Japanese garden and tea house, and an innovative stormwater infiltration zone.
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A large collection of camellias provides blooms from the fall through winter, followed by multiple species of hydrangea and azalea blooming through spring.
In summer, color abounds with annual bedding and assorted pollinator-attractor plants.
A large koi pond is a centerpiece of the gardens, a popular attraction for visitors. Visitors can purchase fish food for 25 cents.
The garden is wheelchair accessible, and a gift shop and plant clinic are staffed by volunteers Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
The arboretum is the site of NC Cooperative Extension – New Hanover County. The garden maintenance is supported by dozens of Extension Master Gardener volunteers.
The garden is free and open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.
The Gardens of Southeastern North Carolina
Established in 2020, The Gardens of Southeastern North Carolina feature a wide variety of annuals, perennials, tropicals, shrubs, and trees (mature Beech) including petunias, calibrachoas, lantana, verbena, coleus, evolvus, canna, gaura, acuba, hellebore, heuchera, carex, Japanese maples, roses, hibiscus and more.
Visitors can walk through the display gardens, attend fun and family-friendly events, and walk through native hardwood forests, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays at 985 Johnson Nursery Road, Willard.
For more details visit https://thegardensofsenc.com/.
Airlie Gardens
Airlie Gardens is a 67-acre historic garden that is owned by New Hanover County with additional support from the Airlie Gardens Foundation. Although the history of the garden dates back to the 1700’s the gardens we see today were the vision of Sarah and Pembroke Jones who transformed the land into the beautiful garden you find today.
Airlie is a quintessential southern garden with a large collection of azaleas, camellias and magnolias.
The gardens are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for New Hanover County residents and active or retired military and $9 for other visitors.
There are many flowers that are blooming right now from magnolias (Southern Magnolia) to lilies, dogwoods (Wilson Dogwood, aka Ghost Dogwood), hydrangeas, and wildflowers. There are some that visitors probably have never seen or even new existed, such as Aphrodite Sweetshrub Blossom, Tick Seed, Adam's Needle, Chinese Pittosporum (Cheesewood) and many more.
There is also a seasonal Butterfly House and a pollinator garden, with an annual art exhibit July-December.
Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens
In downtown Wilmington, visitors can view the gardens at the Burgwin-Wright House, which are part of the original Colonial lot that initially served as the city’s first jail and later the site of John Burgwin’s house in 1770.
The one-acre, four-tied gardens draw their influence directly from European gardens brought over to American in the Colonial era.
More than 60 varieties of plants, shrubs and trees native to the area and commonly used during the 18th century, are maintained by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of North Carolina (NSCDA-NC). The plants are funded by donations, memorials and allowances from the NSCDA-NC.
Explore the gardens for free from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Self-guided garden tour maps are available.
Harbor Way Gardens (Wrightsville Beach)
The Harbor Way Gardens is on the west end of the Wrightsville Beach Park.
It was created in the summer of 2003 by several members of the Harbor Island Garden Club. The area (located between West Salisbury Street and Causeway Drive) had been used as a dumping ground for storm debris. Club members went to the town’s Board of Aldermen with a plan to design and plant a garden for public enjoyment.
Pathways in this public park delineate specific plant materials such as roses, wildflowers and native host plants for sustaining butterflies, bees and birds.
Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden
The Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden connects the public to the Venus' flytrap, which only grows naturally within a 70-mile radius of Wilmington.
A partnership between the city of Wilmington and The NC Coastal Land Trust, the garden is open to the public year-round.
At nearly an acre, the garden area is located at 3800 Canterbury Road behind Alderman Elementary School. In the spring, the wetlands burst with carnivorous plants, from pitcher plants, to sundews, to the region’s native Venus' flytraps.
The garden was named in honor of Stanley Rehder in 2012, who passed away later that year. A Wilmington native, he was known as the “Flytrap Man” and worked tirelessly for the protection of carnivorous plants.
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This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Here are 7 gardens in the Wilmington NC area to explore
