BOTANICAL GARDEN GETAWAYS

Fayetteville

Nestled between the Cape Fear River and Cross Creek, Cape Fear Botanical Garden offers a picturesque floral respite in the military town of Fayetteville.

Loaded with specialty gardens and blooming ornamental plants, the garden is home to camellia, daylily and shade gardens in addition to the Butterfly Stroll and Children’s Garden. Amble along the scenic river trail to take in the water views, participate in a guided tour or relax on the patio overlooking the Cypress Pond. The garden hosts events such as tai chi and yoga, and creates a fairytale backdrop for weddings.

Fayetteville is home to one of the country’s largest military complexes: Fort Bragg. The U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum, located in downtown Fayetteville, showcases the history of this branch of the military. Downtown Fayetteville is walkable and quaint, with shops and restaurants. Stop by Gaston Brewing Company for a local craft brew, then cheer on the Woodpeckers—Fayetteville’s hometown minor league baseball team.

Learn more about Cape Fear Botanical Garden at capefearbg.org.

Wilson

Not only a pretty place to meander, Wilson Botanical Gardens also seeks to welcome even the youngest botanists. The Children’s Secret Garden is a magical play area with a garden tunnel, rain wall, dinosaur dig and banana split sundae garden. The STEM Garden promotes horticulture education through the use of outdoor classrooms. This part of the garden is divided into four areas, providing students of all ages with hands-on experience with STEM—science, technology, engineering and math—in a unique setting. Divided into four areas, the garden brings each STEM concept to life.

On a breezy day, visitors also flock to Wilson to see the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park—a truly one-of-a-kind experience featuring wind-powered structures made from metal scraps by farm machinery repairman Vollis Simpson. Continue your whimsical adventures over at Imagination Station Science & History Museum, where families can explore interactive science experiments. No visit to Wilson is complete without a stop at Parker’s Barbecue—a local mainstay for more than 75 years.

Learn more about Wilson Botanical Gardens at wilsonbotanicalgarden.org.

“There is a depth of knowledge on stonework that is not being passed down anymore. It became this very deep, very rewarding experience as I learned to be a stonemason. We didn’t have masters. We didn’t know how to access this knowledge. It has been a learning process, and it is fulfilling to see the fruits of my labor at the end of the day.”

— Brooks Burleson

OM, 2015

LILAC-COLORED PENNSYLVANIA

BLUE STONE

11 X 11 INCHES

The symbol of “om” has many different meanings in different cultures. For Raleigh-based artisan and stonemason Brooks Burleson, om signifies creation, inclusion and connection. A self-taught stone carver, Burleson carved this universal symbol into lilac-colored Pennsylvania bluestone to exemplify his turn to yoga to better his physical and spiritual well-being. Om is propped against the entry stairs to his home—a reminder to live a healthy lifestyle and continue the legacy of stone masonry.

Burleson credits his love of old trades, like stone masonry, to his grandfather and childhood summers spent in the mountains of North Carolina. In high school, Burleson turned to art as an outlet. Showing artistic promise, his art teacher invited him on a trip to Europe where he saw ancient stonework, such as aqueducts. This fascination with stone sparked a lifelong journey to stonework, which he continues today in his carvings, mosaics and stonework as the owner of Natural Stone Installation.

View his work at Duke Gardens, at stonecraftsman.com and on Instagram at @ natural_stone_installation