UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens — Attraction in Charlotte

Lovely botanical garden! It has a more woodsy park-like feel compared to the English garden designs I've experienced at other botanical gardens. This place evoked a comforting, mystical and multifaceted sensory experience for me. Because it's nestled within a campus environment, it slightly reminded me of touring the Vatican Gardens in Rome, Italy. My introduction to this garden was on the Susie Hardwood Garden side that was full of beautiful camellia flowers in bloom. As soon as I walked in, it transported me to another realm. The trails led to a great variety of flora with wonderful water features and admirable structures. I also enjoyed the ample seating to have quite reflection and connection with nature and watched bumble bees playing with each other. On the other side, The Van Landings Glen, garden gave me that fantasy forest satisfaction where the sentient trees and plants enveloped me and guided me. The only thing missing was a big bear, big foot, or Shrek to hug - so tree hugging was my next best option... Iol. I was impressed with the gardens considering it was early March but know it must be even more stunning in spring/summer with full foliage. As a herbalist and gardener, it's always a pleasure to see and connect face to face with nature in any season to give thanks for it's healing powers and nutrients. As an amateur perfumist, I enjoyed the subtle fragrances of the flowers and trees that wafted through the air as it inspired me to make new perfume concoctions and home fragrances. The most meaningful and touching aspect of the gardens had to be the Memorial Sculpture, Polly's Garden, and Bonnie Cone Memorial graveside. They exuded a beautiful sanctuary of peace, honor, and undying love. Aside from recently learning about a similar place at Memorial Park in Celebration, FL, the strong memorial aspects of the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens is the first I've come across in my travels and I'm grateful the Medium in me was called and led by spirits to visit and spend time with them. The celebration of life and death is so important and I look forward to continued support and...

My most recent visit here was this past Spring for the annual plant sale, which was very well priced, organized, stocked, and staffed. While scouring their incredible selection of plants for sale, I had the pleasure of meeting Jeff Gillman, the Director of the UNCC BG. A very bright yet humble horticulturist and author of several books on the topic, Jeff was kind enough to offer to take me on an impromptu guided tour of a portion of the nature trail to point out several actively blooming trees/bushes. According to Jeff, Spring tends to be the most vibrant season to walk the trails owing to the many spring bloomers in their collection. While I agree with Jeff's statement, the reality is that there is a constantly evolving beauty present every season along the trails of the BG. Thus I would recommend visiting anytime of the year or, better yet, multiple times of the year to get a full appreciation. In addition to the eclectic mix of foreign and native flora along the nature trail here, across the street you will find their greenhouse also boasts a fabulous collection of plants, including orchids and carnivorous plants, that require more attentive care in climate controlled housing. Entry is free to walk the trails and enter the greenhouse, where volunteer staff will greet you upon your arrival. If planning to do both, I'd estimate one could easily spend a couple hours here taking it all in at a leisurely pace. Bottom line: Take advantage of this local...

Gorgeous spot right in the university area, the trails are marked and mostly shaded which is nice. It's really not big but you could spend all day wandering the different trails. They have special events for parents to take their children to like reading stories in the garden or making crafts. This place offers lots of interesting scenery and shows off a variety of beautiful plants The gardens are located on an open college campus, parking can be challenging. They do have free parking at the greenhouse, but it's first come first serve. The gardens are well taken care of and worth the trip with the family. The asian garden was my favorite area. The Asian garden has lots of amazing trees and plants plus an Asian hut where you can take nice pictures. There are also plenty of benches to sit and enjoy the garden. It's also a great place for picnics, get-togethers and photo shoots. When we were there a photo shoot was going on. We were able to take a few pics of the shoot along with all the beautiful flowers in the garden. We loved coming here to enjoy nature, and smelling the flowers and fresh air. If you love nature and enjoy its beauty, it is definitely...