Tag Archives: Sarah P. Duke Gardens

A Festival of Fabulous Mums

Chrysanthemum Show At Duke Gardens

A bright spot from last week was a trip with friends to Duke Gardens in Durham, NC for a flower show entitled A Festival of Fabulous Mums.

This was the first year for the 4-day festival, which was presented jointly by Central Carolina Chrysanthemum Society and Duke Gardens. Open to the public with no admission charge, the event included cultural and historical information, growing tips and supporting activities (arts and crafts, games for children).

Chrysanthemum Show At Duke Gardens

Chrysanthemums have been featured (or at least mentioned) on several blogs recently and from reading the posts and the comments it is clear, although some folks love them, these flowers seem to leave many people cold.

Easily available in at garden centers, big box stores and florists. perhaps they are viewed as ubiquitous or common, and of course, they are often used in funeral sprays.

That people carry such strong opinions about them made me more interested in seeing the show. As one might expect, however, these are not the potted mums one finds in the grocery store.

Chrysanthemum Show At Duke Gardens

Enthusiastic members from the Chrysanthemum Society were on hand to offer gardening tips and answer questions.

Chrysanthemum Show At Duke Gardens

The flowers were expertly presented. We attended on the last day of the festival so blooms were not all at their best, but most showed quite well. The range of sizes, shapes and colors were striking.

Chrysanthemum Show At Duke Gardens

This mauve flower had it all.

Chrysanthemum Show At Duke Gardens

A poster was on display in the room illustrating the flower show classes (categories).

Chrysanthemum Show At Duke Gardens

The entries were not judged. Instead visitors were given a ticket at the door and encouraged to vote for their favorite by placing the ticket in the little boxes in front of each display.

Chrysanthemum Show At Duke Gardens

Should I admit most fascinating were the flamboyant spoon, quill, brush and spidery chrysanthemums? I should have paid more attention to the plant varieties and flower classes— my camera became a distraction from this opportunity to learn more about the flowers themselves.

Chrysanthemum Show At Duke Gardens

Society members also led tours of the William Louis Culberson Asiatic Arboretum, where more mums were on display in a serene garden setting. Passing on the guided tour we made our own way toward the Asiatic garden. We found the chrysanthemum garden display fairly sparse, the autumn blooming camellias were easily more stimulating.

Asiatic Arboretum, Duke Gardens

Their spicy sweetness drifted through the air, inviting us to pause and enjoy.

Asiatic Arboretum, Duke Gardens

I had not seen this part of the garden since its extensive renovation, but am already devising a return trip to explore it further.

Asiatic Arboretum, Duke Gardens

Finally, making a rare blog appearance…

I wish you a happy weekend.

Wordless Wednesday—Gomphrena globosa

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Sun-drenched mass planting of white Gomphrena globosa (globe amaranth) in the White Garden at Duke Gardens yesterday.

White Garden At Duke Gardens

My husband took the photograph of the bee.

White Gomphrena globosa (globe amaranth).

White Garden At Duke Gardens

Dahlia and Gomphrena, White Garden At Duke Gardens

Wordless Wednesday— Amaranthus

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Amaranthus caudatus (love-lies-bleeding) in front of the Visitors Center at Duke Gardens on Sunday.

Amaranthus caudatus (love-lies-bleeding)

Late Summer At Duke Gardens

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Colocasia (elephant ear), Duke Gardens

We visited Duke Gardens late Sunday morning. The light was bright for taking pictures, but I did anyway. The terrace gardens were packed with interesting plants, some flowering, some not, and the Colocasia (elephant ear) were especially wonderful.

Colocasia (elephant ear), Duke Gardens

These Caladium were lovely as well.

Caladium at Duke Gardens

There were lots of zinnias interplanted with foliage plants for contrast, a fancy Echinacea ‘Southern Belle’ and a beautiful purple Clematis(?) for which I could not find a label.

Zinnia

Echinacea ‘Southern Belle’

Duke Gardens

Off to one side a hedge of Aucuba had lovely patterns in the leaves.

Aucuba – Duke Gardens

(I think I have an answer to this question now. See below) Does anyone know what this plant is on the left? I like the cool pods and can imagine using them in an arrangement.

Terrace Plantings – Duke Gardens

Interesting pod at Duke Garden

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Update: The pod source is Datura metel ‘ Double Purple’ – Devil’s Trumpet. Christina’s comment made me take a second look at a photo of the planting placard from that border. This one was in bloom in a different border (so may not be ‘Double Purple’), but matches the plant in question.

Datura metel ‘ Double Purple’ – Devil’s Trumpet, Duke Gardens

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Passing through the rose garden as we were leaving I was taken with the color and fragrance of this rose. Each flower had subtle color variations, some more subdued than others.

Rosa ‘WEKcobeju’ Cinco De Mayo TM Floribunda, 2007

Oh, and we finally found the bird shelter. Before entering the terraced garden we had made a point to search for it and to stop there awhile. Cardinals, nuthatches and chickadees flitted in and out while we sat high in the trees. We also saw a pair of woodpeckers and possibly a brown thrasher.

Duke Garden- View From Bird Shelter

The garden covers many acres and we saw just a small fraction this day. It is always a delightful place to spend some time.

Gardens, Birds and Friends

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Great Blue Heron, Sarah P. Duke Gardens

My husband and I had the good fortune to host a quick visit from Christina and her husband this week and it was such a great experience.

The weather was more than a bit challenging, as we are in the middle of a serious heat wave. Maximum temperature records are flying out the window, including here in the Piedmont area where we live. The average temperature at this time of year is 85°F (29.4°C); however, yesterday was a sunny, hot, humid 100°F (37.7°C) day.

Our guests were real troopers as we tried to catch some of the garden highlights in this area. We started humbly with a look around pbmGarden. The meditation circle, Christina said, is what first drew her to my blog, so it was a treat to see her and her husband navigating the labyrinth.

Meditation Circle

Next up we toured Duke Gardens in Durham and though we did not cover all 55 acres, we managed to see quite a lot of the specialized gardens. Christina’s husband was quite interested in seeing North American birds and were able to spot American robin, red-bellied woodpecker, Eastern bluebird, brown thrasher, crow and blue jay, among others. An Eastern towhee was audible but never stepped out where we could spot it.

While cooling off at water’s edge we encountered a variety of ducks, watched a family of Canada geese and admired a stately Great Blue Heron. All the birds seemed eager to pose.

Great Blue Heron

Muscovy Duck and Canada Geese

Across the water in the distance we could see a focal point of the Asiatic Arboretum, a red Japanese-style arched bridge, which we later crossed.

The Red Bridge, Sarah P. Duke Gardens

The White Garden showcased beautiful hydrangeas.

White Garden, Sarah P. Duke Gardens

As time ran short we had to scrap plans for Niche Gardens, a retail nursery for native and unusual plants. But before it closed for the day we managed a brief stop at nearby North Carolina Botanical Garden, where we saw a sampling of milkweeds, ferns (including southern maidenhair), carnivorous plants and trumpet vines. We admired the enormous leaves of Magnolia macrophylla (Big-leaf Magnolia), a staff member explained to us about vining spinach that grows all summer and Christina was able to get a close-up look at a bee-covered Vitex angus-castus tree. Our bird list for the day grew to include American goldfinch and mourning dove.

There were a thousand more places I wanted to share and a thousand more things to say, but all too soon it was time to say good-bye. Thanks Christina for stopping in.

Wordless Wednesday—’Barmstedt Gold’

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Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Barmstedt Gold’ Witchhazel [Garden Origin] Duke Gardens March 8, 2015

Spied this Witchhazel during a Sunday afternoon stroll at Duke Gardens.

A Winter Walk

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An early afternoon walk today at Duke Gardens was invigorating. The air was chilly in the shade but in the open sun the day felt fine.

A long row of Edgeworthia Chrysantha (Chinese Paper Bush) made a striking winter accent at the base of the terraced gardens.

Edgeworthia Chrysantha (Chinese Paper Bush)

Specimens in pots near the visitor’s center held more Edgeworthia, one of which sported a couple of flowers just beginning to open.

Edgeworthia Chrysantha (Chinese Paper Bush)

The state’s warm spell from earlier in the week teased a few buds into bloom on a Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ (Autumn Higan Cherry), offering a spirit-lifting glimpse at the promise of spring.

Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ Autumn Higan Cherry

Morning At Duke Gardens

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Moss Garden, Asiatic Arboretum at Duke Gardens

This morning we took advantage of the weekend’s unseasonably cool temperatures to walk through portions of nearby Duke Gardens, beginning with the Asiatic Arboretum. Along with lovely plants this part of the garden is filled with carefully placed stones, lanterns and water features. A new moss garden was one of the peaceful highlights. It will be interesting to see how this matures over time.

Moss Garden

Moss Garden Stones With Winter Daphne

A most heavenly fragrance led us to admire an enormous cluster of flowering Hedychium coronarium (Ginger lily).

Ginger Lilies

This large, yellow-hued flower belongs to a Dwarf yunnan banana.

Dwarf yunnan banana (Musella lasiocarpa)

A popular attraction in the Asiatic Garden is a garden pond filled with waterfowl and accented at one end with a red Japanese style arched bridge. As we wended our way from one end of the pond to the other I found the many forms of stone especially appealing. I would love to add a huge boulder to my own garden.

(Click image for larger gallery view.)

Japanese Style Arched Bridge

Garden Pond at Asiatic Arboretum

Viburnum? Full Of Red Berries

Stone Path

Stone Lantern

Stone Boulders Form Seating

Blue Heron and Ducks

Garden Pond with Red Bridge

After leaving the Asiatic Garden we passed the butterfly garden where Hibiscus and native Joe-Pye Weed were among the many plants, but only a butterfly or two were there to enjoy them.

Eutrochium (Joe-Pye Weed) in Butterfly Garden

Eutrochium (Joe-Pye Weed)

Eventually we made it to the Terrace Garden where abundant grasses were playing an important role. The pink plumes of grass swayed gently in the breeze, not really coming into focus for the camera, nor even in person. Unfortunately I could not find identifying labels for this set of plants.

Terrace Garden

Grass Plumes In Breeze

Terrace Garden

At half past noon as we were on our way home the thermometer had risen only to 77°F. It was a lovely August morning.

Flora at Duke Gardens

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Visiting Duke Gardens last weekend I was struck by the complexity of foliage, but anyone who knows me would not be surprised that I was also enjoying the flowers.

The rose garden was punctuated with beautiful Oriental Lilies.

Oriental Lily

Next a cheerful group of summery yellow composites was enhanced by bring planted with Pineapple Lily at the beginning of the Perennial Allée.

Eucomis comosa ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ (Pineapple Lily)

Once inside the Terrace Gardens the view was vivid, yet serene. The dark foliage and red blooms of the Canna nicely offset the cool, sedate greens vying with multicolored flowers.

View at Duke Gardens

Taking the steps and rising above the canna I found the Rudbeckia hirta ‘Indian Summer’ to be quite winsome.

Rudbeckia hirta ‘Indian Summer’ – Black-Eyed Susan

Richly hued annuals accented the Terrace Gardens where each level is organized with thoughtful and exciting plant combinations. The Rudbeckia hirta ‘Cherokee Sunset’ were especially vibrant, so I studied what other materials were used in this area.

Rudbeckia hirta ‘Cherokee Sunset’

In addition to Rudbeckia hirta ‘Cherokee Sunset’ the garden beds on this level featured:
Solenostemon scutellariodes ‘Pineapple’ – Pineapple Coleus
Solenostemon scutellariodes ‘Dipt in Wine’ – Dipt in Wine Coleus
Gomphrena ‘Qis Red’ – Globe Amaranth
Lantana Bandito Orange Sunrise – Lantana
Mecardonia ‘Magic Carpet Yellow’ – Baby Jump-Up
Manihot esculenta ‘Variegata’ – Variegated tapioca was also listed on the plant marker for this grouping but I could not recognize it.

Solenostemon scutellariodes ‘Dipt in Wine’ – Dipt in Wine Coleus, Rudbeckia hirta ‘Cherokee Sunset’

I like the effect achieved by mixing the Rudbeckia with the red Globe Amaranth and the dark wine coleus. The colors relate to the higher level as well.

Solenostemon scutellariodes ‘Dipt in Wine’ – Dipt in Wine Coleus, Gomphrena ‘Qis Red’ – Globe Amaranth, Rudbeckia hirta ‘Cherokee Sunset’

Rudbeckia hirta ‘Cherokee Sunset’

The bright citrus yellow of Pineapple Coleus is a strong and attractive choice in this collection. I do not plant many annuals but would enjoy this color in my garden. I have a much larger Lantana with similar coloring that could use a good companion.

‘Pineapple’ – Pineapple Coleus, Lantana Bandito Orange Sunrise – Lantana

Garden Bloggers Foliage Day – July 2013

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July Foliage In Terrace Gardens-Duke Gardens

I am joining Christina at Creating my own garden of the Hesperides for Garden Bloggers Foliage Day (GBFD), today. This article is photo-intensive so I have arranged the images in sets that should be easy to scan for a quick overview. To get a better look at the plant details you may want to click on each gallery.

My foliage looks quite similar to the way it did last month so I walked through nearby Duke Gardens this morning with the idea to look for inspiring uses of foliage.

Although there was quite a lot in bloom today at Duke Gardens, I was surprised to see how strongly the textures and colors of leaves, stalks and pods distinguish this setting.

In this garden many plants are labelled, but not all. Rather than try to identify each component I concentrated on the way individual elements had been blended to create distinctive combinations.

We entered the garden through the recently renovated rose garden where materials other than roses filled many planters.

July Foliage In Rose Gardens-Duke Gardens

We continued down the Perennial Allée.

July Foliage Along Perennial Allée-Duke Gardens

We stopped to admire Azalea Court before veering toward the Wisteria Pergola.

July Foliage At Azalea Court-Duke Gardens

Planter Near Wisteria Pergola-Duke Gardens

Entering the Terrace Gardens vistas open up. The borders are filled with thoughtful and creative selections.

July Foliage In Terrace Gardens-Duke Gardens

At the bottom of the Terrace Gardens is the fish pool filled with colorful Koi.

July Foliage-Terrace Fish Pool At Duke Gardens

Thanks to Christina for hosting. Be sure to visit her to see her featured foliage and find links to other foliage highlights of other GBFD bloggers.

Celebrating Spring

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Duke Gardens

To celebrate the first day of Spring yesterday, we went headed to nearby Durham. First we viewed a photography exhibit at the Nasher Museum of Art on the Duke campus and enjoyed lunch at the museum cafe. Next we went to see early spring flowers in the Italianate-styled terraces of the Sarah P. Duke Gardens.

The beds here are planted with annuals and bulbs. Last year when we visited these gardens the tulips were just past their prime and this year we were early. Still there were many pleasures to behold whether looking close-up at the plants or taking in the long views.

Duke Gardens

The day was partly cloudy and I felt a bit cool, that is until we met a woman from Indiana who told us she had left home the previous day in 9°F. weather. She and her daughter were wondering the name of these eye-catching blooms. I had admired this plant earlier and was able to identify it as Anemone (Anemone coronaria ‘Lord Lieutenant’).

Anemone coronaria ‘Lord Lieutenant’

Anemone ‘Rosea’ (Windflower) was also striking.

Anemone ‘Rosea’ (Windflower)-Duke Gardens

At the bottom of the terraces is the fish pond, a favorite spot of small children and and grown-ups alike. To the right of the pond was a wonderful Witch-hazel.

Duke Gardens

Koi Pond-Duke Gardens

Witch-hazel-Duke Gardens

Working our way back up the terraces, one planting I particularly admired was this mix of daffodils and orange tulips.

Tulips and Daffoidls-Duke Gardens

Daffodil-Duke Gardens

Tulip-Duke Gardens

There were many Erysimum (Wallflowers) interspersed with tulips in the beds. Since most tulips were not open we will have to return to see the full effect. One combination of Erysimum with a salmon-pink Hyacinth was lovely.

Erysimum ‘Jenny Brook’ (Wallflower)-Duke Gardens

Wallflower and Hyacinth-Duke Gardens

Hyacinth-Duke Gardens

Sweet William is an old-fashioned flower that I just love.

Sweet William and Tulip-Duke Gardens

These were pretty flowers but I must have been distracted before locating the plant label. Anyone know what they are? [Update: Thanks to both Cathy and Malc for the quick ID of these. This is Bellis perennis, a perennial lawn daisy.]

Duke Gardens

I imagine it might be April before the Wisteria Pergoda at the top of the terraces blooms. Another reason to visit this garden again.

Wisteria-covered Pergola-Duke Gardens

Our spring celebration continued last night at North Carolina Botanical Garden Director Peter White’s presentation of the natural history of Robert Frost’s poetry. Robert Frost visited Chapel Hill for many years to give readings in celebration of spring and walked the woods here. His knowledge of plants is evident in his poetry as White illustrated during his talk.

A Late-Morning February Walk

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After a few more cold and wet days the sun returned today and we enjoyed an ever so brief walk at Duke Gardens this morning. This garden is interesting at every visit, but it was reserved and understated today. The terrace gardens are immaculately groomed and primed to burst into color soon, with all the beds full of the green leaves of emerging bulbs.

Bright red berries of Ilex verticillata (Winterberry holly) stood out at the Perennial Allée entrance.

Perennial Allée, Duke Gardens

Winterberry Holly, Perennial Allée, Duke Gardens

The allee is planted with cherry trees and sedge [Carex ‘Amazon Mist’ (New Zealand hair sedge), I think. Need to verify during next visit.]

Winterberry Holly, Perennial Allée, Duke Gardens

On our way out we stopped and watched a couple of mallards enjoying the water.

Mallard Ducks, Duke Gardens

Mallard Duck, Duke Gardens

Foliage Studies

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A couple of weeks ago I enjoyed a leisurely morning walk at Duke Gardens.

That day there were many beautiful flowers in bloom, both annuals and perennials, but flowers are only part of what makes that garden so interesting and memorable. There I found stunning foliage combinations that seemed worth remembering in detail. As a follow-up to yesterday’s Garden Bloggers Foliage Day, I selected a group of images from my visit to Duke Gardens that day that highlights some attractive foliage in that garden.

Others scenes from that Duke Garden walk were posted in Morning Walk At Duke Gardens and Color And Texture — Inspirations.

Color And Texture — Inspirations

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For years I ripped out inspiring magazine images of plants and landscape designs. These I tucked into manilla folders, referring to them often for guidance or just for a reminder of what is possible when it comes to that gentle tug between nature and humans known as gardening.

Digital folders are easier to manage, tag and search these days so I am posting a manilla folder of images for later reference.

This gallery is a collection about texture and color in the summer, ideas garnered from a walk at Duke Gardens yesterday.

: Arctotis venusta – Blue Eyed Daisy

Morning Walk At Duke Gardens

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A fifteen-mile drive from our house this morning placed us in the transformed world of Duke University’s Sarah P. Duke Gardens. This 55-acre public garden features four main sections, including the H.L. Blomquist Garden of Native Plants and an education center with specialized gardens (Doris Duke Center and Gardens).

We headed toward the oldest part, the Historic Gardens section with Italianate terraces, choosing a starting path that touches on the 1.5 acre W.L. Culberson Asiatic Arboretum.

W.L. Culberson Asiatic Arboretum

Several other sets of visitors headed purposefully off to the right to feed the ducks and admire the Ayamebashi (Iris Bridge).

Ayamebashi (Iris Bridge)

As we looked straight ahead at the path, this red bridge was on our right. We turned our attention to the left to see another dramatic view. In the center is the Berini Bridge. Following the path until we could turn back to the left brought us close by the Berini Bridge and eventually put us directly under the large magenta crape myrtle.