Happy Birthday, J.C. Raulston Arboretum!

Bigger is not always better when it comes to public gardening. J. C. Raulston Arboretum is admittedly small: ten acres, with less than a dozen staff. I doubt that any public garden in the last 35 years has exerted HALF the ingenuity, influence or charm than this hearty band of merry gardeners. Serious gardeners across America have made the pilgrimage (in my case half a dozen times) to visit this extraordinary collection of rare trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants arranged in a series of enchanting gardens.

Why is this garden so special? The plantsmen here have followed the lead of their namesake,  J.C. Raulston himself, who was not only a great designer with plants, but probably the keenest plantsman in North America who always sought out the best cultivars, the most unique species and combined them with great flair in just the right spot. The garden is enormously dynamic, changing constantly. Most importantly, the staff here have always shared both germplasm and knowledge widely.

I took part in a symposium (“Horticultural Madness”) this past weekend celebrating the 35th anniversary of this gem of a garden. I could practically feel the benign spirit of J.C. hovering over us those magical days–his humor, his genius, his radiant warmth seem to imbue the proceedings from start to finish. Let me share a few images from this wonderful weekend of Southern hospitality and good fun.

I suspect a good third of the Arboretum has been transformed since my last visit less than a decade ago. There is a magnificent new classroom and administrative building, new entrance and many new gardens including this wonderful xeric scree garden (see picture at beginning of this blog post) full of Western treasures.

Surprise lily: Lycoris radiata

Everyone thinks of visiting the South in Spring…and it’s true that magnolias and azaleas do make for great eye candy then. May I recommend late summer and fall as well? The spectacular display of late summer native asters, grasses and the beginning hints of fall color are every bit as entrancing as spring’s brash colors, and there are bulbs galore blooming this time of year. I have a special weakness for Lycoris, and this one was growing EVERYWHERE!

Variegated Kudzu (Puereria edulis)

Kudzu is perhaps the most famous introduced plant in the South. Leave it to J.C. Raulston Arboretum to include a fabulous hanging curtain of VARIEGATED kudzu on the patio of their new building (just the sort of witty thing you would expect from J.C. himself!).

Grape Sensation Blanket Flower (Gaillardia aestivalis 'Grape Sensation')

Of course, you expect the folks there to have the latest and the greatest cultivars of everything. I was astonished to see masses of this spectacular deep purple blanket flower, which it turns out is quite rare in nature. It’s impossible to imagine visiting this place and not coming away with dozens (if not hundreds) of must-haves for your garden. Alas, I only have room to share a few of these with you now. This coming weekend, they are providing thousands of rare plants for their members in the famous fall “Giveaway” that draws hundreds of plant experts from the entire East Coast. It’s not too late to join them! Do click on that “Giveaway” link above to see a hilarious video of just one tiny part of that madness…

I have been enormously privileged to have known J.C. Raulston for nearly fifteen years, and now to have watched his legacy thrive for almost that long, maintaining his powerful vision and taking it to new heights. As much as I was enchanted with the plants, the gardens and the new buildings at the site, the powerful team of workers who put on the Symposium (and their many wonderful volunteers) really impressed me most. Teamwork and good humor, teamed with plantsmanship, is the secret of great botanic gardens. None are better than J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh. Make sure to put it on your short list to visit!