Sara P Duke Gardens in late June

Visited Duke Gardens today, looked really nice as always. This post will share some of the scenes and plantings in the gardens. Always look forward to visiting the gardens, looks like there is a lot more ginger lilies planted than ever before hope to catch them in bloom in late summer.

 Coneflowers were in peak bloom, a real delight. Same no big butterflies visiting them though.

 Hostas and ferns, nice!

 Lots of elephant ears mixing the colored foliage. 

 Water Lilies!!

 Two angles of my favorite bench in the gardens, nice hideaway.

The white garden above and below, only white flowers in this garden! 

 Gray Hairstreak on Black-eyed Susan.

 Old fashioned flowers in the Burpee Garden.

 Juniper Hairstreak!

Plants from Penny's Bend

Penny's Bend is known for several endangered plants like the Smooth Coneflower (Echinacea laevigata) shown above and  below. This site had maybe 50 plants in bloom, I have visited another site with hundreds of these plants. I'd have to blindfold you to take you there though.

Here is a milkweed vine, I used to know the name but have forgotten it.

Now an unusual sport of the same vine.

Down the road from Penny's Bend was a landscape planting at Treyburn of Magnolia grandifolia and this bloom was around 14 inches in diameter. The fragrance was intense! I wanted to see if my G11 camera was up to the bright white against a dark background, it did fairly well if you ask me.

A few weeks ago we visited old downtown Wilmington and the older Magnolia grandiflorias were in bloom and most the aroma could be taken in a hundred feet away it was really something.

NC Local Wildflowers

Here are some local wild flowers. I hope you enjoy them and have them where you live.

Pinkster azalea, Rhododendron periclymenoides : One of my favorites these get to 6-8 foot tall, this was found at the Eno River State Park along the Eno River. Out in the NC coastal plain these grow along the roadside in amazing displays.
Eastern Redbud, Cercis canadensis : this is a small tree that lines our driveway and edges along our woods. They attract butterflies in big numbers.
Smooth Coneflower, Echinacea laevigata : In these parts this is a rare listed plant, it grows only in basic soil. I was told about a power line filled with these about 30 minites from here. Stunning to see so many in one place.
Eastern Red Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis :( I call it Carolina Columbine). This photo was taken in my garden, it pops up where it wants to grow. In the NC mountains it grows in large masses.
Wild Easter Lily, Zephyranthes atamasca : This grows wild in wet places nearby here. It always gets my full attention.
Catsby Trillium, Trillium catesbaei : Our only native trillium. This was fould about 20 minites from here in a area with about 100 of them in bloom. I've been there several time and each time I don't want to leave.