Sarah P Duke Gardens is a great place to visit anytime of the year.However, spring and early summers are some of the best times, when the flowers are blooming at their peak. This beautiful place is located in Durham city and at the heart of the Duke University in North Carolina. Spread over fifty five acres, these gorgeous and elegant gardens with many flowering plants and trees is truly a photographer’s heaven . It has many scenic locations and back drops to shoot photographs .You will find many breathtaking and pretty flowering plants. There are colorful tulips, roses , cherry blossoms , dahlias, iris, lilies and many more varieties and species of flowering plants.

There is a lot to cover and miles to walk , as the gardens are spread over acres . We were able to cover most of it in our first visit but not the entire gardens as we did not want to rush. However you could cover it all if you plan to spend a whole day there.There are small windy trails, steps and it is absolutely a good place for a picnic with family or group of friends .If you feel the need to reconnect with nature and relax in the scenic surroundings, this is the right place to visit .There are many comfortable benches , large rocks and lush green grass to rest and overlook the scenery. The pond with turtles and ducks is very amazing. They also have fish ponds, fountains, butterfly garden, memorial garden, Japanese garden , tea house , a beautiful arched bridge and even a visitor information center .The admission is free but there is a fee for parking .

Visiting this breathtaking place was quite a wonderful experience and left us longing for more, to go back and experience it all again. Nature sure does have that phenomenal effect on us .Concluding this post with beautiful thoughts on nature, how we are in fact a part of it and the simple pleasures of just being in nature.

“We often forget that WE ARE NATURE. Nature is not something separate from us. So when we say that we have lost our connection to nature, we’ve lost our connection to ourselves.” – Andy Goldsworthy

“To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter… to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring -these are some of the rewards of the simple life. ” – John Burroughs

Have a great weekend!