Gardenopolis Cleveland visits the Botanical Gardens at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte
by Elsa Johnson
What do gardeners/garden designers/environmentalists do when we visit relatives in other climes?
Weather permitting, we get out and hike, or seek out public gardens. Or both. Over the holidays this December, after chalking up one day to non-stop cooking, and another to non-stop eating (g r o a n), we managed to stay pretty active three out of five days. There are good hiking sites just a little west of Charlotte, in a connected series of parks in South and North Carolina comprised of King’s Mountain (S.C.), The Pinnacle, and Crowder’s Mountain (both in N.C). On an unnaturally balmy (even for South Carolina – 70 degrees) December 26th we dedicated our overeating penance to the climb up the Pinnacle, a metamorphic outcrop.
It seemed that half of Charlotte had the same idea. Not counting the small girl having a total meltdown on the way down after tripping on a tree root, it was delightful — and steep, and sweaty — for we found ourselves in the company of a friendly global community of every color and place of origin, which was delicious, and we felt right at home. Of course, we are getting older, and I am still recovering from my knee replacement and needed to stop and rest every couple hundred feet in the steepest places near the top, while the younger hikers politely breezed past. The next day, a bit sore, we stayed closer to Clover, and walked in the very flat city park, with its interesting naturally exposed bedrock.
On our final day, rather than revisiting Stowe Botanical Gardens, which we have been to many times, we drove to the Botanical Gardens at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. This is comprised of a greenhouse, which was not open, and two distinct gardens set within a hilly glen with a small stream flowing through.
The less interesting of these, at this time of year, was the entirely natural (in its aesthetic) Ralph Van Landingham Glen, located entirely within a gated exclosure. The Glen, we are told, contains a major collection of rhododendron and azalea shrubs, as well as 900 species of native trees, wildflowers, vines, and ferns, but, although pleasant, there was nothing in bloom – everything was dormant — so there wasn’t much to see.
The more interesting garden at this time of the year was the more “designed” (mostly in an architecturally Oriental theme) three acre Susie B Harwood Garden. There was a waterfall feature and a stream running through the valley, an Asian style gazebo, various other designed water channels, and a moon gate where we took each other’s pictures to send out as New Year greetings. Many foliage plants looked tropical and very green and thriving, though it is technically winter. The camellias were in bloom, and there were late season figs on a fig tree – imagine that!
Our last stop was Freedom Park, just south of downtown Charlotte, on the edge of an affluent neighborhood. Whoever was not hiking the Pinnacle and Crowder’s Mountain seemed to be there. Once again – a very cosmopolitan and global population. We were looking for demonstration community gardens I had read about, run by local Master Gardeners. Alas, we never found the gardens, but during our search we encountered some lovely examples of flowering humanity.
Here’s to 2020!
