The Greenpal Website recently featured an article titled, “The 35 Most Pristine College Campuses in America” and did you know that the #1 spot went to none other than Durham’s Duke University? After looking through thousands of college campuses, bragging rights goes to the 8,500-acre Duke University campus.
Greenpal stated that the reason Duke topped the list was (in addition to its outstanding architecture), the 55-acre Sarah P. Duke Gardens which features four magnificent horticulturally-distinct and delightful Duke gardens each with their own unique areas:
- The Blomquist Garden of Native Plants is a 6.5 acre garden with other 900 species of native NC plants
- Bird Viewing Shelter
Blomquist Gatehouse
Blomquist Pavilion
Carnivorous Plant Bog
Edwin F. Steffek Jr. Bridge & Fern Grotto
McNabb Family Bridge & Stream
Piedmont Prairie and Classroom
Steve Church Endangered Species Garden
36th Parallel Latitude Marker
Wildlife Garden
- Bird Viewing Shelter
- The Culberson Asiatic Arboretum is a highly refined garden of flowering plants from Southeast Asia and pond featuring a variety of waterfowl as well as Asian garden accents like stepping stones paths and arched bridges
- Arboretum Entrance
Arched Bridge
Chinese Garden (future)
Durham-Toyama Sister Cities Japanese Pavilion & Garden
Pine Clouds Mountain Stream (Sho Un Kei)
Garden for Peace
Moss Garden
Peonies
Waterfowl Observation Area
Zig-zag Bridge
- Arboretum Entrance
- The Doris Duke Center Gardens feature a relaxing, beautiful garden of white flowers, a peaceful water lily pond as well as a woodland garden with recirculating stream and a sustainable, organic food garden
- Angle Amphitheater & Virtue Peace Pond
Beverly and Bert Welch Woodland Garden Overlook & Stream
Burpee Learning Center
Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden
Doris Duke Center / Terrace Gift Shop
Page-Rollins White Garden / Gothic Pavilion
Spring Woodland Garden
- Angle Amphitheater & Virtue Peace Pond
- The Historic gardens offer iconic views of Italianete terraces, the century-old Roney Fountain, acclaimed artist Patrick Dougherty’s “Big Easy” sculpture, a fish pool, and pergola
- Azalea Court
Bartter Family Terrace House / Café (seasonal)
Dawn Redwood
Fisher Amphitheater
Frances P. Rollins Overlook
Hanes Iris Garden
Historic Terraces & Fish Pool
Iris Bridge
Leubuscher Rock Garden
Mary Duke Biddle Rose Garden / Roney Fountain
Memorial Garden
Pergola
President’s Bridge
Spengler Camellia Garden
Sundial & Butterfly Garden
Walker Dillard Kirby Perennial Allée
- Azalea Court
Other Recent Accolades for The Sarah P. Duke Gardens:
- “Trips to Discover” named The Sarah P. Duke Gardens one of the five beautiful North Carolina gardens you must visit in the Spring
- Consistently ranked as Durham’s #1 Attraction on TripAdvisor
- Featured in the “Spring in the South” edition of the Southern Lady Classics magazine
- #4 in a USA Today Poll of the Top 10 North Carolina Attractions
Morehead Manor Bed and Breakfast is less than 2 miles away from The Sarah P. Duke Gardens. It usually takes less than seven minutes to drive there. It is hands-down one of the prettiest gardens in the state of North Carolina!