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Sunday, April 19, 2015

Nature Notes: Our World Tuesday

I took the first shot from the car as we cut through NCSU to get to the WRAL Azalea Garden.

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The morning was overcast but the storms weren't forecast until early afternoon so we took a chance on a garden walk.

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We have had a spectacular spring.

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In some ways having a relatively cold winter without many intermittent warmer days like we have some winters, helped with spring.

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One problem we can have is when flowers get going too early and are zapped by cold snaps.

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This year most of the early flowers waited until spring to start blooming and so far April has had moderate temperatures.

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We've had very few days where it has started to be hot and some nights have been chilly but it has been a while since we've had a hard freeze.

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At this point we are almost past the average last frost date for central NC and I'm optimistic that we will not have any periods cold enough to damage flowers.

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Capitol Broadcasting Company founder A.J. Fletcher created the WRAL Gardens as a service to the community. The WRAL Gardens opened to the public in 1959, three years after WRAL-TV went on the air as the first VHF station in Raleigh. The WRAL Gardens surround WRAL-TV’s studios on Western Boulevard in Raleigh , NC.*

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“I did it because I knew it would be beautiful,” said Fletcher of his beloved gardens. “It was simply my way of paying a tribute to beauty for beauty’s sake.”*

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Fletcher loved azaleas and enjoyed finding new varieties to enjoy. He decided to share that passion with the general public, personally overseeing the installation of a thousand azaleas to create the gardens.*

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The 5-acre property containing WRAL-TV’s studios, the corporate offices of Capitol Broadcasting Company and the WRAL Gardens sits on the corner of Western Blvd and Avent Ferry Road , only a few miles from downtown Raleigh. The gardens now sit adjacent to the new Centennial Parkway as well.*

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* The information about the azalea garden above was taken from the WRAL garden history site located here.

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Last year when we visited the garden many of the azaleas were past their peak bloom period.

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This year we hit it at a great time to see the blooms.

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It must be nice for the people who work at the studio to be able to take breaks in the garden.

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I know that I like having a garden close to where I work.

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Click here for nature notes and here for Our World Tuesday.

20 comments:

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Stunning gardens. I like it when people give back to their community and this fellow certainly did that. Love the azaleas, especially that flame colored one , and all the Spring flowers.

Penelope Notes said...

The tall orange azaleas are my favorite. How nice to see these flowers boarding a forested area thanks to the kindness of one man willing to share his love of beauty.

l'angevine said...

agréable

Donna@Gardens Eye View said...

What an amazing walk seeing all this beauty...I wish I could grow azaleas.

Photo Cache said...

I would love to visit here. The azalea garden is wonderful. Reminds me of the rhododendron garden at Mendocino Gardens.

Leora said...

Looks like a colorful place to visit! Must be wonderful to see all those flowers in bloom.

Whispering Thoughts said...

Must have been a great experience to see so many flowers blooming so beautifully

Anonymous said...

Such a lovely explosion of flowers!

carol l mckenna said...

What a lovely garden to walk and photograph ~ Creative and colorful shots!

Happy Week to you,
artmusedog and carol

FAB said...

Super views of a beautiful garden.

Andrea said...

Wow that is indeed a very stunning garden. I would love to stay there for many days and take the macro shots too, you are so lucky to visit that.

lotusleaf said...

Such a lovely place! I wonder how the flowers are all blooming in spite of the shade!

Indrani said...

Great captures! A joy to see such blooming flowers!

Gattina said...

What a beautiful place to walk in !
I see spring has moved into your country too !

eileeninmd said...

Hello Carver, beautiful images from your walk at the garden, the azaleas are beautiful, so many pretty colors. a gorgeous walk.. Have a happy week!

Hootin Anni said...

So much beauty, everywhere you look!!

I'd like to invite you to Hootin' Anni's to view a special post of nature's thrilling day for me.

Anonymous said...

Oh those long-leaf pines make me homesick. Hydrangeas around here suffered, but mine are ok (newer varieties). Love the Hellebore around the bird bath.

Karen said...

How delightful. What a wonderful garden.

NCSue said...

I've heard of the WRAL azalea garden - now you have me wanting to visit!
Hope you'll come link up at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/04/at-keyboard.html

Rambling Woods said...

Oh wow..I would LOVE to be able to take a walk though spring like this Carver. It snowed today here... Hope the warm weather continues for you!.... Michelle

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