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WEB EXCLUSIVE Raleigh’s own Juniper Level Botanic Garden is like something out of a fairytale. A trickling stream winds its way through native perennials, exotic plants and rare specimens, interspersed with natural wonders such as the grotto garden waterfall.
The not-for-profit garden was established by plantsman Tony Avent, an NC State alum, in 1988, on 2.2 acres of abandoned tobacco fields with the mission to “promote and preserve botanic diversity by bridging the gap between botany and horticulture,” according to the website.
Since 1994, Avent has traveled to more than 12 countries and taken more than 80 botanical expeditions, both domestic and international, in order to study and preserve thousands of species of plants. The current collection of more than 30,000 plants spread across 28 acres of land makes the Juniper Level Botanic Garden one of the largest and most diverse in the world.
Onsite, you’ll find greenhouses, fountains, creeks, rock gardens, bogs, rain gardens and fields of shrub and tree trials. Plant Delights Nursery, located adjacent to the gardens, sells more than 1,600 different perennials for visitors to add to their own home gardens.
Juniper Level Botanic Garden and Plant Delights Nursery are open to the public for only eight weekends in the year. This weekend, they’ll hold the last open garden and nursery days for the summer until September. Visit Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Sunday, July 19 from 1 to 5 p.m.
Featured photo by Amanda Wilkins
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