The coastal gardens of North Carolina

Flower & Garden Magazine, April-May, 1996 by Ellen Henke

Like An Intricate Piece Of Heirloom Lace, The North Carolina coast forms a beautiful pattern of inlets and islands along the edge of the Atlantic. Here, nestled among sandy beaches, salt marshes and brilliant landscapes, garden enthusiasts can find two stunning gardens -- Orton Plantation near Wilmington and Tryon Palace near New Bern.

With a history as rich and colorful as its sumptuous gardens, Orton Plantation, located on a bluff high above the Cape Fear River, has been home to many fascinating and wealthy families. A promontory at the mouth of the river earned the name Cape Fear because violent storms and the treacherous Frying Pan Shoals made sailing perilous and provided havens for pirates. Exploring the lovely and restful gardens of Orton Plantation today, visitors might find it difficult to envision the terrors and high intrigue associated with its 18th century environs.

Orton's first owner, Maurice Moore, a British military officer, settled on Cape Fear with his brothers, Roger and Nathaniel, in the early 1700s. They and other entrepreneurs of the day carved from the wilderness a number of plantations whose main crop was rice. Orton continued to prosper under subsequent ownership, developing into one of the most renowned and exquisite plantations in the region. Although the mansion escaped the ravages of the Civil War as a hospital for the Union army, the property declined and the abandoned rice fields were never replanted. In 1910 Dr. James Sprunt, grandfather of the present owners, purchased Orton and began developing the gardens, which now attract visitors from near and far.

Today Orton boasts 20 acres of glorious gardens. The Sprunts terraced much of the land, then adorned it with hundreds of flowering shrubs for a succession of brilliant color and fragrance over a long season. Daphnes, camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons and michelias are the star performers. Fruit trees and bedding plants, such as colorful pansies, as well as native live oaks festooned with Spanish moss, complete the picture.

Carefully orchestrated contrasts are a signature of Orton. The woodland path borders the lagoon and traverses northward to the colonial cemetery where many former owners of Orton are interred. En route to the mansion, you will encounter a Chinese bridge that zigzags across the water, leading to a group of color-themed gardens. Farther along a treehouse beckons daring visitors to appreciate a spectacular view of the gardens, mansion and Cape Fear River in the distance.

Before leaving the garden, be sure to walk out onto each of the two long platforms that overlook the water -- a key feature at Orton. On the south platform, you can peer into the mysterious, dark waters of the lagoon and perhaps spot one of the many alligators that call Orton home. The north platform looks out to the former rice fields, now maintained as a wildlife refuge. A meticulously manicured scroll garden filled with colorful annuals decorates the landscape between the platforms.

Farther north along the Carolina coast and inland from Morehead City stands Tryon Palace, another colonial garden with a fascinating history and unique horticultural legacy. Constructed in 1767 for royal governor William Tryon, the Georgian-style palace was ultimately hailed as "the most beautiful building in the colonial Americas."

In 1798 the main building of Tryon Palace burned, and the property deteriorated until the early 1950s, when New Bern native Maude Moore Latham formed the Tryon Palace Commission. Restoration and reconstruction commenced in 1952. Because plans for the palace and grounds could not be found, the restored grounds were patterned after a typical mid-18th century English estate garden. Drawings of the palace made in 1769 were helpful in planning the restoration, although there is no definite evidence that the expansive front lawn and formal gardens the drawings depict were ever completed.

After approaching the property on a white marl driveway lined with Darlington oaks (a form of Quercus laurifolia), you pass through a courtyard gate. Inside, the driveway encloses a small, pristine, circular green lawn where costumed hostesses greet and direct visitors, evoking days of gracious Southern hospitality and affluence.

Two formal privy gardens flank the palace, created to be viewed from the upper windows of the palace and intended as retreats for the owners' pleasure, not for public view. The first of these, the Green Garden, is a tapestry of many shades of foliage displayed against golden gravel paths. Framing the scrolled pathway design is a hedge of manicured yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria), its corners reinforced and ornamented with perfectly clipped Carolina cherry laurels. English ivy and vinca intertwine to produce a beautiful groundcover effect. In summer two crape myrtles provide the only contrasting color.

Nearby you will find the intricate and elaborate Latham Memorial Garden. A central octagonal pool and fountain provide a focal point within an ornate parterre of brick paths and manicured hedges of dwarf yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria `Schellings Dwarf'). This pattern is dramatized by tulips in springtime and seasonal annuals, such as ageratum and marigolds, chosen for their brilliant colors. Antique statues accent the formal design.