Juniper Level Botanic Garden

Juniper Level Botanic Garden is on Sauls Road in southern Wake County, and it holds one of the largest and most varied plant collections anywhere, roughly 27,000 different taxa, a number few gardens anywhere come close to. It is also the home of Plant Delights Nursery.

Tony Avent, a Raleigh native, and his wife Michelle started the garden in 1986 on 2.2 acres of abandoned sandy loam tobacco field in the community of Juniper. It now covers 28 acres and opens to the public during seasonal Open Garden and Nursery Days.

What to know

• Plant Delights Nursery was established the same year ground was broken on the garden.
• The Avents expanded by buying adjoining land in 1996, 2001, 2008 and 2014.
• A 300-foot crevice garden built in 2017 uses nearly 200 tons of recycled concrete.
• That crevice garden is a habitat for very dry, alkaline-loving plants.
• Memberships help pay for staffing and upkeep as the garden moves toward becoming a public garden.