As the weather warms up and the days get longer, spending time soaking up sunshine and fresh air is a total must do. Lucky for us — there’s quite a few gardens in our area perfect for picnics, enjoying a good book, taking a stroll + snapping pics for the ‘Gram.

Here are 5 must-see gardens in the Triangle:

The Raleigh Rose Garden
📍 301 Pogue St., Raleigh
🗓 Open all hours, all year long
💰 Free to explore/parking
🌹The grounds include 60 rose beds with varieties of hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, miniatures, and antique roses, surrounded by an arboretum of evergreen + deciduous trees.
📸 Allowed but a permit is required for commercial use

DYK: The rose garden was added to the Raleigh Little Theatre outdoor amphitheatre in 1947 with only $1600 budgeted for the first year.

Sarah P. Duke Gardens
📍 420 Anderson St., Durham
🗓 Duke Gardens is currently undergoing a phased reopening. Duke students, facility, and staff can enjoy the gardens Thurs.–⁠Sun. from 10 a.m.–⁠4 p.m.
💰 Free to explore, parking $2 per hour
🌹 This 55-acre garden is located in the heart of Duke University. There are both trolley + walking tours available, a variety of educational programs, a cafe + shop, and 5 miles of allées, walks, and pathways throughout the gardens.
📸 Non-professional photography is allowed, professional/artistic photo policies here.

NC Botanical Gardens
📍 100 Old Mason Farm Rd., Chapel Hill
🗓 Open 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Tues.–Sat. and 1–5 p.m. Sun. — COVID-19 restrictions here
💰 Free
🌹Known for its conservation programs, educational collections + diverse programs, this 700-acres garden focuses on preserving some of North Carolina’s native plants.
📸 Non-professional photography is welcomed, photo policies here

JC Raulston Arboretum
📍 4415 Beryl Rd., Raleigh
🗓 Mon.–Frid. 12–4:30 p.m. — COVID-19 restrictions here
💰 Free, donations are accepted
🌹 This 10-acre arboretum features 18 gardens with a large variety of plants and flowers following a formal design with a particular theme, while others address contemporary issues or display new techniques in landscape design.
📸 All photography is welcomed, photo policies here

WRAL Gardens
📍 2619 Western Blvd., Raleigh
🗓 Dawn to dusk, all year long
💰 Free
🌹 Spring and fall is the best time to visit this 1.5-acre garden featuring more than 8 different plant varieties. You can see real time footage of the gardens here.
📸 All photography is allowed

DYK: There are 32 different varieties of Azalea bushes in the WRAL Gardens.

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