When one thinks "outdoor Carolina", a garden usually isn't a destination that comes to mind. But the Carolinas are home to the likes of
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens near Charleston,
Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, the
North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville,
Coker Arboretum at UNC Chapel Hill, and
Cape Fear Botanical Gardens in Fayetteville. To name a few.
Each provides a shady stroll under tall trees, colorful plumes of flowers, and in some places, charming bridges over placid waters. A restful escape from the city just outside its gates.
One such paradise exists in Wilmington, North Carolina, just a few miles from Wrightville Beach. We visited the sixty-seven acre
Airlie Gardens at the advent of spring, when the Bradford pears and saucer magnolias were ripe with blooms. Camellia blossoms speckled the ground, and multicolored layers of tulips bordered fields and the wide pathway that skirted a lake and led to a chapel and other points of interest. Within weeks, pink and red azaleas would explode, taking their turn at center stage.
We strolled under a Pergola that led to a fountain and stairs that walked into the lake, then we circled around and meandered over the bridge back to the ancient Airlie Oak. Quite a show for the five dollar entrance fee.
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| Copyright K Buffaloe |
Airlie Gardens is located at 300 Airlie Road in Wilmington. For information on the park, summer concert series, nature walks, kayak tours and more, go to
www.airliegardens.org.
