Airlie Gardens Explained

Airlie Gardens is a 67acres public garden in Wilmington, North Carolina.

History

It was created in 1886 as a private garden for the Pembroke Jones family by Sarah Green Jones. The name 'Airlie' was derived from the Jones' family home in Scotland.^[1] It was designed as a lush, flowing, naturalistic Southern garden, with thousands of azaleas, camellias, magnolias, palms, and wisteria. German landscape architect Rudolf Topel, transformed the garden to a picturesque garden.^[2] In 1999, it was purchased by New Hanover County.^[3]

In 2018, more than 300 trees were felled due to Hurricane Florence.^[4]

Airlie Gardens is a participating member of the American Horticultural Society and offers reciprocal admission for other gardens, arboreta, and conservatories.^[5]

African-American folk artist Minnie Evans was the Airlie Gardens admissions gatekeeper for a number of years.^[6] In 1954, Evans created an oil on wood painting titled Airlie Oak, which is on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.^[7]

Airlie Oak

Airlie Oak is a 500-year-old southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) located on the grounds of Airlie Gardens. In 1967, Airlie Oak was registered as member number 238 in the Live Oak Society.^[8] In 2007, Airlie Oak was 128feet tall, had a trunk circumference exceeding 21feet and a crown spread of 104feet when measured by North Carolina Forest Service employees. At that time, it was designated the largest live oak in North Carolina.^[9]

Mount Lebanon Chapel and Cemetery

Located on the grounds of the gardens are the Mount Lebanon Chapel and Cemetery.^[10] The chapel, constructed by Thomas H. Wright around 1835, is the oldest surviving church structure in New Hanover County and part of the parish of St. James Church.

See also

• List of botanical gardens in the United States

External links

• Official Website

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Story of Airlie Gardens in Wilmington. 2012-01-27. Our State Magazine. en-US. 2019-10-29.
2. Web site: Airlie Flower Gardens in North Carolina . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402035604/http://www.myflowergardens.com/north-carolina-airlie-gardens.html . 2015-04-02 .
3. Web site: Airlie Gardens fights possibility of being sold. Setzler. Heather. April 14, 2010. wect.com. en-US. 2019-10-29.
4. Web site: After post-Florence cleanup, Airlie Gardens to reopen Nov. 1. Staff. Hunter Ingram StarNews. Wilmington Star News. en. 2019-03-19.
5. Web site: 2019 RAP Gardens American Horticultural Society. www.ahsgardening.org. 2019-10-29.
6. News: Minnie Evans, 95, Folk Painter Noted For Visionary Work. McGill. Douglas C.. 1987-12-19. The New York Times. 2019-10-29. en-US. 0362-4331.
7. Web site: Airlie Oak. Smithsonian American Art Museum. en-US. 2019-10-30.
8. Web site: Live Oak Society (Registrations beginning in 1934, 1 to 500). Louisiana Garden Club Federation, Inc.. 2019-10-29.
9. Web site: Airlie Oak has watched over Wilmington for 500 years. Hotz. Amy. June 13, 2009. Wilmington Star News. en. 2019-10-29.
10. Web site: National Register of Historic Places Inventory--Nomination FormMt. Lebanon Chapel and Cemetery. Turberg. Edward F.. July 10, 1986. nc.gov. 2020-05-16.