Paul Ciener Botanical Gardens

Happy Friday all!  What a quick week this has been.  This past Sunday afternoon, we paid a visit to Paul Ciener Botanical Gardens in Kernersville, North Carolina.  This small town is about a 20-minute drive from where we live, so not a lot of our outrageously expensive gas was wasted on this drive.  This was our first time to visit these gardens; they're small, but very pretty.           We passed under this arch to get to the main flower beds,   

   The first thing I spotted was the bird's nest.   

      

   The reason I included this picture below is because I wanted to show you how the limbs and branches of these trees are growing horizontally.  It almost looks as if they have been espaliered, except that there is no wall or trellis to support them.  At any rate, it does look like the limbs have been trained to grow vertically, and so they are touching the limbs of the trees on either side.  It really makes for a pretty effect.

I loved these daffodil and tulip beds.  The tulips are growing up between the daffodils, and they should make a pretty showing when they're all up and blooming.  These gardens are located right on main street, so they have a nice brick and wrought iron fence to separate the gardens from the busy street.     

   
I love the boxwood borders and the shape of these beds; it gives them something of an old-world feel.  Here you see the traditional daffodils, as well as a miniature variety of daffodils, some tulips, and grape hyacinths.  Such a charming combination.     

Here you can see the full shape of the flower bed.  If you notice the fence in the background, on the other side of it were big clumps of Lenten roses in bloom.  I didn't notice them until we were leaving, so I wasn't able to get any pictures of them.   

   
This bed has more tulips in bloom -- love these cheerful daffodils with the orange centers!   

   

I'm pretty sure that this is a blooming crabapple tree above.  We had one in front of our house in Greensboro many years ago, and it was this same shape and shade of pink.  They're lovely, old-fashioned trees, but they're so messy in the fall.  I remember our sidewalk being covered with sticky crabapples in the fall and late summer.  :) 

   

This tree had not leafed out yet, and it had several cute, quirky "owls" on the branches.  

   

People do come up with the most creative ideas.

   

This was a very pretty topiary, seen through the branches of the crabapple tree.

   

Here's the front of the topiary; I just love the spiral shape and the heart on top.

   

These very small tulips were blooming below the topiary.  I've never seen any like this before.  

   

Also in bloom in the same area was this pretty redbud tree.  These are blooming in yards, gardens, and along our highways at the moment.  They are a perennial favorite in our region; we recently planted one in our front yard.

   

A beautiful mound of creeping phlox grows next to a small rock garden.

   

This is a pretty allée leading to the information center.  The building contains a garden gift shop, a kitchen, and spacious ballroom, which serve as a venue for corporate luncheons, receptions, and wedding rehearsals.  It was closed on Sunday, so we didn't go inside.

   

You can see a church steeple in the background of this picture.  The methodist church is right across the street, and the bells were ringing while we were walking around the gardens.

   

I don't know what kind of tree (or shrub) this is, but it was pretty.

   

I assume this is a hydrangea bush.

   

The dogwood tree was also in bloom.  

   

There were two, nice water features.

   

If you're in the area and you're interested in visiting the gardens, here is a link for the website.  The gardens are open daily from dawn to dusk; admission is free, but donations are welcome.    

   

Thanks so much for visiting today.  I've decided I'd like to visit all the public gardens in North Carolina someday.  So far, we've seen Biltmore Gardens, Reynolda Gardens, and Paul Ciener Botanical Gardens.  I've got a way to go before I see them all.  😁  Some of the others on my list are Duke University Gardens, Flowering Bridge at Lake Lure, and the Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo at the Outer Banks.    

   

Do you have a favorite public garden near you?  I'd love to hear which ones you like to visit or hope to visit.  As always, I appreciate your visit so much and hope you found something to interest you here today.  Have a great weekend!!