Get outside and explore

Friday, May 12, 2023, marked National Public Gardens day! Filled with different assortments of flora and fauna, public gardens often serve as beautiful centerpieces to communities and cities worldwide. They’re a reminder of the beauty that nature holds, a great place for picnics, bird watching, walking, running, biking, strolling with our canine companions, outdoor yoga, gathering with friends for a “walk and talk” or taking kids out for a play date.

Haywood is home to a number of public gardens serving as both greenspace for recreation and historic preservation.

Highlights include:

  • Arboretum & Dahlia Garden at Haywood Community College: In addition to being a college campus, the property is also a designated arboretum with maintained trails for public use. Visit their website for specifics.
  • Corneille Bryan Native Garden at Lake Junaluska: When Lake Junaluska was established in 1913, the founders set aside several areas designated as parks. One such area was a small shaded ravine of approximately one acre where a small stream flowed through, sometimes falling over a natural rock formation. Read more about the vision of Mrs. Corneille Bryan, a member of the Tuscola Garden Club, and the evolution of the native garden in her memory at the link above. Since its inception, the Garden has grown to more than five hundred native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants.
  • Giving Garden at the Canton Branch Library: Located behind the Canton Branch Library, the Giving Garden features raised beds, vertical gardening, composting systems, a wildflower pollinator garden as well as a certified Monarch Waystation. More info at the link above.

Visit our 2023-24 agritourism guide for a list of more public gardens.

Laura Ingalls Wilder once wrote, “Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat. In our mad rush for progress and modern improvements let’s be sure we take along with us all the old-fashioned things worth while.” Whether it’s National Public Gardens Day or any old day, one of Haywood’s many green spaces beckons you to explore their many wonders. So grab a printed copy of our agritourism guide then get outside and explore!

Cover photo, courtesy of Tina Masciarelli. All rights reserved.