Our Gardens

Over time, the Gardens have expanded to include:

• A Daylily and Ornamental Grass Collection

• A Native Plant Garden installed by high school horticulture students

• A Medicinal & Culinary Herb Garden (State Master Gardener Landscape Award, 2009) featuring a white picket fence, arbor, fountain, and a whirligig inspired by the work of Vollis Simpson

• The Pondside Garden, home to water lilies, goldfish, frogs, and artistic elements

• A Showstoppers Garden highlighting outstanding plant performers across North Carolina

• A Hosta Garden nestled beneath a mature red maple

• A Seasonal Sensation Wall showcasing rotating plant displays

• Metal flower sculptures created by artist Ruben Ledbetter

At the Pondside Garden, the “Flying Cranes” sculpture was purchased by Linda and Jim May in memory of Jim’s mother, adding both beauty and personal meaning to the space. The musical area within the Gardens was donated in memory of Jim May by his wife, Linda — a lasting tribute that brings joy to visitors of all ages.

Dedicated in 2012 after more than six years of fundraising, the Children’s Secret Garden remains one of our most beloved spaces.

Designed for imaginative exploration and connection with nature, it includes:

• A treehouse

• Garden tunnel

• Sand play area

• Dino dig

• Musical features

• Slide and swings

• Labyrinth

• A central fountain feature

• Lush banana trees that give the space a playful, tropical feel

This one-acre garden invites the young — and the young at heart — to explore, discover, and experience nature through movement and creativity.

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, and this garden brings those disciplines into an outdoor learning environment.

Nationally, the need for STEM education continues to grow. In Wilson, many companies recruit STEM professionals from outside the region due to a shortage of qualified local candidates. The STEM Garden was created to help inspire middle and high school students through hands-on, outdoor engagement.

Funded through grants and community support, construction began in 2015, with Phase II completed in 2016.

STEM Learning Areas:

Science
A rain garden anchored by native carnivorous plants teaches water conservation, filtration, erosion control, and plant–insect interactions within specialized ecosystems. Binoculars are available through the Master Gardeners to allow students a closer look at these fascinating plants.

Technology
Technology concepts are incorporated through weather monitoring and data tracking, emphasizing observation, trending, and environmental awareness.

Engineering
Engineering principles are demonstrated through sustainable growing systems and water movement concepts within the garden environment. A human sundial allows visitors to explore ancient and modern understandings of Earth’s rotation and its relationship to the sun.

Math
Geometric plantings support mass and volume calculations, while patterns found in nature help introduce mathematical relationships in engaging, visual ways.

Event Space
At the center of the STEM Garden is a flexible event lawn used for educational programming, concerts, weddings, memorial services, and community gatherings.

This garden features raised-bed planting areas suitable for growing vegetables, flowers and traditional row crops. The heritage garden walk is covered by four trellises that are used to grow various vines and the garden itself is completely blocked from the parking lot by large evergreen hedges.

This small pond is used as a setting for water's-edge, shallow-water plants and hosts a number of fish. Pond construction was accomplished through a “Build a Pond” day hosted by the Wilson County Green Association.  The garden is also home to “Dancing Cranes”, a metal sculpture from artist Clifton May.

The JCRA Garden started as an official trial program of the JC Raulston Arboretum (located in Raleigh).

Wilson Botanical Gardens was one of several gardens across North Carolina that were chosen to trial different pittosporum species and cultivars for 3-5 years. Although the original pittosporums are no longer in this garden, we do showcase plants released or given by the JCRA.

There is a beautiful native Red Buckeye tree as well as Rose of Sharon, Carolina Allspice, oleander, spiraea, and several varieties of illicium, to name a few.

The first plantings were Turf Grass demonstration plots which are still one of the most popular features of the WBG. The WBG currently has 5 turf species and a total of a dozen different cultivars.