Any North Carolina gardeners who move out West will surely miss their Zone 8 plants like this Hibiscus ‘Albert Behnke’.


I read a comment from fellow garden writer Carol O’Meara asking me what plants were in bloom when I was in Raleigh, N.C., last week.

My answer? Everything.

After my week of visiting gardens in and around Raleigh, I can safely say gardening in North Carolina is probably a lot more fun than gardening in my neck of the woods.

Everywhere I looked, the gardens were lush, green and blooming with flowers of every shape, size and color. There were many plants I didn’t recognize because I’ve never had the chance to grow them.

The sides of every road and highway are so dense with trees and dark green foliage that it’s almost claustrophobic for someone who’s used to wide open spaces and views that go on forever.