story by KATHERINE KOPP
North Carolina is especially beautiful in the spring, and the Triangle comes alive with garden tours showcasing the season at its finest, from vibrant floralscapes to creative plantings. Here’s a sneak peek at the magic awaiting nature lovers of all ages.
Oakwood Garden Tour
April 11–12
historicoakwood.org/garden-tour-tea
Explore six private gardens along a 2-mile self-guided walk through one of Raleigh’s most charming neighborhoods at the 37th annual Oakwood Garden Tour.
“This year, we have quite a variety of gardens,” says Susan Phillips, garden tour chair. “The tour features everything from a backyard container garden to a large property that has extensive gardens in the front and back yards.”
The outdoor settings contain perennials, flower beds, established boxwoods, vegetables, and trees and shrubs. There will be docents in the gardens to assist and inform visitors.
Each garden will be thoughtfully paired with a poem, and tea will be served throughout the tour, featuring specialty blends created by Raleigh’s Tin Roof Teas exclusively for Oakwood.
Details are still being finalized, but there may be a pop-up shop with local honey, art, and crafts for sale. In previous years, tour proceeds have supported Wake County schools, Raleigh parks, and community organizations.
Tickets are $25 for either Saturday or Sunday and can be purchased online. Each ticket grants full access to all six gardens. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with convenient check-in options at 401 E. Jones Street: 10–11 a.m., 11 a.m.–noon, noon–1 p.m., or 1–2 p.m.
Whether you’re seeking a morning of quiet beauty among the blooms or a leisurely afternoon sipping tea in fragrant surroundings, the Oakwood Garden Tour offers pure delight at every turn.
Experience the beauty of secluded retreats and admire every delicate bloom up close at the Oakwood Garden Tour, April 11–12.
Photo courtesy of Oakwood Garden Tour
Chapel Hill Garden Tour
April 25–26
chapelhillgardentour.org
In Orange County, the Chapel Hill Garden Club sponsors a biennial tour alternating between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. This year’s 15th tour will take place in Chapel Hill, showcasing five private retreats ready to be explored. The North Carolina Botanical Garden (NCBG), along with two affiliated gardens—the Carolina Community Garden and the American Indian Cultural Garden—on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus will also be open. Kevin Ann Huckshorn is a garden host for this year’s event.
“We are very excited to be on the tour,” she says. “We have never done this before, but we are looking forward to it.” Her property spans more than two acres, divided into sections, with different types of gardens in each.
“Our garden is about 75% native plants,” Huckshorn notes. “We have ponds, a stream, and walking paths throughout the different gardens. Our garden sections include an evergreen English garden with many boxwoods, a native pollinator garden, a community vegetable garden, and a forest garden, among others.”
Huckshorn became interested in gardening while in her 30s. “We moved here from Delaware in 2015,” she recalls, “and the property had once been used to raise tobacco. There was no wildlife and not much plant life. It took several years of mulching and adding topsoil before we could begin creating the gardens. Now we have at least 12 different species of frogs and toads on the property. It’s definitely a big change from when we purchased it!”
Advance tickets are $30 online and, starting April 1, at four locations in Orange and Chatham counties. Day-of-tour tickets are $40 and can be purchased at all five gardens, and at the NCBG. Proceeds from past tours have supported the NCBG, Habitat for Humanity, and other organizations.
Nature’s finest creations shine at the Chapel Hill Garden Tour, April 25–26. Photo courtesy of Daphne McLeod
Durham Garden Tour
May 2–3
keepdurhambeautiful.org/durhamgardentour
The third annual Durham Garden Tour showcases eight to 10 unique displays, says Tania Dautlick, executive director of Keep Durham Beautiful, an environmental nonprofit that organizes the event. While this year’s retreats are still being finalized, last year’s tour featured eight private gardens and two public gardens.
Dautlick says that Keep Durham Beautiful tries to focus on sustainability in selecting the gardens for the tour. “Features like the use of native plants, conservation measures, bird-friendly habitats, and xeriscaping—or landscaping to minimize the need for water—have all been aspects of gardens featured in the past.”
While the outdoor spaces are located throughout Durham County, Dautlick says, “We try to cluster the gardens so that parts of the tour are walkable. You may have to drive from one group of gardens to another,” she says, “but we try to plan it so at least some of the tour is walkable.”
Dautlick says visitors appreciate the DIY spirit of the gardens. “Many are designed and maintained by the homeowners. Visitors have expressed that they felt the gardens were feasible for them to attain themselves.”
Ticket information is available on the website. Kids ages 17 and younger are admitted free with a ticketed adult. Funds support Keep Durham Beautiful and other community nonprofits.
Meander through tranquil spaces where sustainability meets artistry at the Durham Garden Tour, May 2–3.
Photo courtesy of Keep Durham Beautiful
Cary Garden Tour
May 30–31
carygardentour.org
Step into 13 verdant sanctuaries in and around Cary during the inaugural Cary Garden Tour. Explore charming landscapes and winding pathways filled with color and texture, all while supporting two nonprofits: the Cary Women’s Club and MOM Wishing Widows Well. Standout vintage cars from the Tar Wheel A’s and the Raleigh Corvette Club will also be on display.
Tickets are $30 online and free for ages 17 and younger. They are valid for both days: May 30, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and May 31, 1–5 p.m. An optional lunch will be available on Saturday for $15, with 50% of the profit benefiting Friends of the Page-Walker.
This spring, immerse yourself in Cary’s living tapestries, where serenity and beauty abound.
Photo courtesy of dkapp12 from Getty Images Pro via Canva