“Stop and smell the roses,” is often attributed to golfer Walter Hagen in the 1956 book “The Walter Hagen Story” but he didn’t mention roses. The quote: “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”
I’m so happy that I found an activity that Maddie & I both love & it’s FREE! I recently discovered that there are free arboretums in & around a lot of cities & so far, we’ve visited 3 of them.
I LOVED this special place! 💕
“The New Hanover County Extension Service Arboretum in Wilmington, North Carolina is a 7-acre arboretum established on the grounds of the New Hanover County Cooperative Extension Service. It is open daily without charge. The arboretum was formally opened in 1989 and is still under development.”
I was & always will be a proud 4-Her. 🍀
The story of Peter Pan has always been a favorite of mine, probably because it was the first time I’d ever seen my name in a book! I was really lucky to see Cathy Rigby’s retirement & final performance as Peter Pan in Boston in 2013!
According to the story, “Wendy was injured soon after her arrival in Never-land, so Peter Pan and the lost boys built a small house around her where she had fallen. Thus we are given the phrase “Wendy House”. J M Barrie himself designed the first Wendy House for the first production of the play in 1904.”
The newest addition to the garden is the Military Memorial garden providing a serene contemplative sitting area with a stone paver labyrinth and soothing, bubbling fountain handmade from NC potter, Ben Owen III of SeaGrove. The garden honors the five branches of the military: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. This new space, the Contemplation Garden, is dedicated to Bronze Star Army veteran and past County Extension Agent Durwood Baggett. During his Army service he fought in the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944-45. As Extension Agent, he was instrumental in forming the county’s Master Gardener program and the Plant Clinic hot line.
“The Sarah P. Duke Gardens consist of approximately 55 acres of landscaped and wooded areas at Duke University located in Durham, North Carolina. There are 5 miles of allées, walks, and pathways throughout the gardens.”
7/10/2021
The Gardens welcome dogs before 10am & after 5pm. I decided to stop on our way out of the area, so we arrived just after 5pm. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time or energy to see everything, but I’m glad I chose to go. It was well worth the trip!
July 15, 2021
Our third garden visit was to The Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum in Knoxville, Tennessee. This was another late day stop on the way to our next campground. It was too hot & humid to linger here, so sadly, l skipped a lot of this garden. It was another beautiful place to walk & a worthwhile, quick break in the trip to stretch our legs.
(It was probably a squirrel… 😁)
Hugs from Kentucky! I only have intermittent reception today. This update was ready to post & I have internet access! 🤗
Wendy & Maddie 💕
Where's Wendy? Livin' in the Edge! 
I love that you found beautiful gardens and that they were Extension programs. Of course I share your love of Wendy Houses for the same reason you do! That one is exceptionally beautiful. (Our name was an invention! It didn’t exist before Peter Pan.)
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Hi Wendy! I’m now on a mission to find more beautiful gardens to visit! Only the Arboretum in Wilmington, North Carolina was an Extension Service garden. It was beautifully designed & maintained & I was proud to have a 4-H connection to it. 🍀
Mr. Joe, my kindergarten teacher, always called me Wendy from Peter Pan, rarely just Wendy. Fast forward, I was walking near my flower shoppe in the late 80’s & I heard “Hey Wendy! Where’s Peter?” Mr. Joe saw me & recognized me ALL THOSE YEARS LATER!!! 😳 We had a brief chat & he told me that I was the first Wendy he knew & he’d always loved the name. He remembered me being so proud of my name. 💝
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