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This garden also serves other functions:

Landscape Theme

Children's Garden

Water Garden

Landscape Location

Lawn

Recreational Play Area

Riparian

Design Feature

Mass Planting

Shade Tree

Small groups

Resistance To Challenges

Compaction

Foot Traffic

Children's Secret Garden at Wilson Botanical Gardens

Tree house

Fall

Tree house Garden age: 12 years Cyndi Lauderdale CC BY 4.0
Description

Name: Children's Secret Garden at Wilson Botanical Gardens

Open to the public? Yes

County: Wilson

Address: 1806 Goldsboro St SW, Wilson, NC 27893

Link to the public garden map

Website: https://www.wilsonbotanicalgarden.org

USDA Hardiness Zone: 8a (2023)

Extension Demonstration Garden? Yes

Approximate year the garden/landscape was established: 2003.

What to look for: The Children's Secret Garden is full of lush plants with bold foliage and delightful flowers for children of all ages. The Children's Secret Garden has several magical playful areas including raining sunflowers, garden tunnel, rain wall, music court, dino dig, banana split sundae garden with water feature, and much more. This garden has won the Madeline Collier Landscape Garden Design Award, features a Vollis Simpson Whirligig, and was selected as the number one place to visit in Wilson by the Raleigh News and Observer. 

Horticulture: 

 

Tree house

Fall

Tree house Garden age: 12 years Cyndi Lauderdale CC BY 4.0
Labyrinth

Summer

Labyrinth Garden age: 12 years Cyndi Lauderdale CC BY 4.0
Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Agastache Giant Hyssop Hummingbird Mint Form of "blue Fortune'
Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea Japanese Barberry Purple Japanese Barberry Purple Leaf Barberry Red Barberry
Chaenomeles japonica Flowering Quince Japanese Flowering Quince Chaenomeles japonica
Chrysanthemum–Rubellum Group Chrysanthemum Hardy Chrysanthemum Hardy Garden Mum Red flowers
Euonymus alatus Burning Bush Corky Spindletree Corky Spindle Tree Form
Juniperus chinensis 'Kaizuka' Hollywood Juniper Torulosa Juniper Juniperus chinensis 'Kaizuka'
Muhlenbergia capillaris Gulf Muhly Hairgrass Muhly Grass Muhlenbergia capillaris
Rudbeckia fulgida Black-Eyed Susan Orange Coneflower Rudbeckia fulgida
Junipers outlining spiral path leading to a gong in the center.

Summer

Junipers used to form the labyrinth Garden age: ca. 21 years Isabel Tremble CC BY 4.0
Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Juniperus horizontalis 'Plumosa' Andorra Juniper Planted near a walkway.
stream flows surrounded by groundcover plants, trees, and shrubs

Summer

A rocky recycled water stream flows surrounded by groundcover plants, trees, and shrubs, with a welcome small bridge above the stream. Garden age: ca. 21 years Isabel Tremble CC BY 4.0
Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Buxus sempervirens Boxwood Common Box Common Boxwood Buxus sempervirens
Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana' Dwarf Cryptomeria Dwarf Japanese Cedar Form in spring in Moore County
Pachysandra terminalis Carpet Box Japanese Pachysandra Japanese Spurge Pachysandra terminalis
Shallow steps leading down to a yellow bowl water fountain.

Summer

Yellow focal point/destination Garden age: ca. 21 years Isabel Tremble CC BY 4.0
Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Hosta Hosta Plantain Lily Hosta spp.
Jacobaea maritima Dusty Miller Silver Ragwort Senecio cineraria
Magnolia figo Banana Magnolia Banana Shrub Michelia figo
Musa basjoo Basjoo Banana Tree Hardy Banana Hardy Fiber Banana Form
A children's tunnel surrounded by colorful, dense vegetation.

Summer

The tunnel. Garden age: ca. 21 years Isabel Tremble CC BY 4.0
Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Catharanthus roseus Annual Vinca Madagascar Periwinkle Periwinkle close up of 2 pink, pinwheel flowers with dark pink eyes.
Ilex vomitoria 'Dwarf' Dwarf Yaupon Dwarf Yaupon Holly Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'
Tree house

Fall

Tree house Garden age: 12 years Cyndi Lauderdale CC BY 4.0
Labyrinth

Summer

Labyrinth Garden age: 12 years Cyndi Lauderdale CC BY 4.0
Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Agastache Giant Hyssop Hummingbird Mint Form of "blue Fortune'
Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea Japanese Barberry Purple Japanese Barberry Purple Leaf Barberry Red Barberry
Chaenomeles japonica Flowering Quince Japanese Flowering Quince Chaenomeles japonica
Chrysanthemum–Rubellum Group Chrysanthemum Hardy Chrysanthemum Hardy Garden Mum Red flowers
Euonymus alatus Burning Bush Corky Spindletree Corky Spindle Tree Form
Juniperus chinensis 'Kaizuka' Hollywood Juniper Torulosa Juniper Juniperus chinensis 'Kaizuka'
Muhlenbergia capillaris Gulf Muhly Hairgrass Muhly Grass Muhlenbergia capillaris
Rudbeckia fulgida Black-Eyed Susan Orange Coneflower Rudbeckia fulgida
Junipers outlining spiral path leading to a gong in the center.

Summer

Junipers used to form the labyrinth Garden age: ca. 21 years Isabel Tremble CC BY 4.0
Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Juniperus horizontalis 'Plumosa' Andorra Juniper Planted near a walkway.
stream flows surrounded by groundcover plants, trees, and shrubs

Summer

A rocky recycled water stream flows surrounded by groundcover plants, trees, and shrubs, with a welcome small bridge above the stream. Garden age: ca. 21 years Isabel Tremble CC BY 4.0
Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Buxus sempervirens Boxwood Common Box Common Boxwood Buxus sempervirens
Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana' Dwarf Cryptomeria Dwarf Japanese Cedar Form in spring in Moore County
Pachysandra terminalis Carpet Box Japanese Pachysandra Japanese Spurge Pachysandra terminalis
Shallow steps leading down to a yellow bowl water fountain.

Summer

Yellow focal point/destination Garden age: ca. 21 years Isabel Tremble CC BY 4.0
Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Hosta Hosta Plantain Lily Hosta spp.
Jacobaea maritima Dusty Miller Silver Ragwort Senecio cineraria
Magnolia figo Banana Magnolia Banana Shrub Michelia figo
Musa basjoo Basjoo Banana Tree Hardy Banana Hardy Fiber Banana Form
A children's tunnel surrounded by colorful, dense vegetation.

Summer

The tunnel. Garden age: ca. 21 years Isabel Tremble CC BY 4.0
Plants in this photo:Plants in this photo
Catharanthus roseus Annual Vinca Madagascar Periwinkle Periwinkle close up of 2 pink, pinwheel flowers with dark pink eyes.
Ilex vomitoria 'Dwarf' Dwarf Yaupon Dwarf Yaupon Holly Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'