Visit to the North Carolina Arboretum

what a fabulous garden, so many different interesting plants, i particularly noticed the pitcher plants, arent they lovely things!! i have just got one.

thank you for putting these pictures on lauram; lovely to see so many unusual plants and ideas.

That looks a really interesting and beautiful place Laura.

Just read your other blog too, so sorry to hear about your cats :(

What an amazing arboretum, Laura ...
and an added bonus of the wonderful scenery backdrop :o)

Beautiful Lauram...especially pic no. 12...:>)

thanks everyone.
Sticki, I've wanted a pitcher plant for a while now but are they difficult?
TT - the beautiful scenery is everywhere there, even driving down the highway. Even the Target parking lot has a wonderful view of the mountains. My friend wants me to move there - I still haven't found work here and Asheville has more job opportunities - and of course it's a gorgeous place to be. Still, it's a big step, I would have to rent out my house (hopefully to someone who would care for the garden), bring all the cats and dogs and turtles....plus I have said for years that I would never move anywhere for a man. Been there, done that, big mistake. I'll just have to see how everything goes.

Im hoping its not difficult lauram, i went to a very interesting talk about them, i also got a sundew plant; there is an area in north america that i think is the only place left in the world where they are growing in the wild.

the man who spoke [who was so enthusiastic you couldnt help liking the plants or him!!] said to put them in a light window sill, keep them in water ~ just a bit less than an inch deep but it must be rainwater.

he has the national collection of pitcher plants ~ possibly 5 greenhouses in his garden!!! i will try to find his web site for you.

I've thought about getting a sundew also. I'd like to try the pitcher plant but does it really have to be in rainwater?? that might be difficult!

What better way to spend some time. The bonsais were fascinating to see, and I really liked those square beds. I don't know what was in them. It looked like herbs.

thats what he said, im sure he said they were most likely to die if they dont have rainwater, it is really not a problem here!! do you have very little rain water?

here is his web site

http://www.mikeking64.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ssar/homepage.htm

he was really very friendly and helpful, i expect he would be only too pleased to help with any query you may have.

Hywel: the square beds are in the quilt garden. I can't recall what plants were in them, but they plant different species in different arrangements every year to resemble traditional North Carolina quilt designs.
I liked the bonsai as well. On the arboretum's website there are some photos of the bonsai in the autumn and they are beautiful!!

Sticki: we don't have much rain most summers, although we're doing better this year than last. I'll have to do some reading on pitcher plants & take a look at that website. I've wanted one ever since I saw the Atlanta Botanical Garden's collection. I have a book on them someplace around here. If I'm remembering correctly I decided not to get them because I thought I'd kill them!

Mine didn't cost very much so I thought I would risk it, how long can you store rain water for? I know the man who has this collection had a lot of rain barrels!

He has been to America a few times to see them in the wild.

But more than just an arboretum. They normally just have tree after tree after tree but this has so much more. A really lovely place.

I'd have to get a rain barrel, Sticki, and keep loading it up with mosquito dunks to keep the bugs away! But I suppose that would work!

Inverglen, that's what I was expecting....just trees. So I was very pleasantly surprised to see such beautifully planted gardens. I loved the native Azalea repository, even though the azaleas weren't in bloom. It's 7 acres and has a network of trails running through it, great for wandering. I'm sure it's a real sight in the springtime!

im sure a rain barrel must be the answer, i saw photos of them all lined up ~ they have lids on though

A traditional quilt ! How interesting :o)

I took a photo of the sign they had - but it didn't turn out so well. I will sharpen it up and post it for you. It was interesting.

Lovely place to visit,thanks for showing.

Such great pictures. I feel I have a trip there. I, too, love the squares. It is the kind of thing I love to see, but never could be so precise. Thanks for doing the show for us.