The magic of nature

by Philip S. Ruckle Jr.

Do you like being outdoors and experiencing the beauty of nature? Then The Elizabethan Gardens on north end of Roanoke Island might be just the place for you.

Adjoining Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and The Lost Colony outdoor drama theater, the Gardens were established as a cultural attraction and permanent memorial to Sir Walter Raleigh’s lost colonists.

A horticultural paradise with something different to see each season of the year, visitors can inspect an assortment of statuary such as a world famous life size statue depicting how Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the New World, may have looked as a grown woman, an ancient Italian fountain, a sundial, an assortment of birdbaths, stone steps and several benches guaranteed to pique the interest of almost anyone willing to stroll the garden paths.

Opening August 18, 1960 as a modest project similar to what the early colonists might have had, the Gardens have since become one of the most unique and beautiful garden spots in America.

Helping keep the gardens in top shape, Daniel Hossack serves as the gardens manager and with him is a stable of willing volunteers working each weather-permitting Friday to see to it that all the necessary details are taken care of.

“The Gardens open at 9 a.m. and the greenhouse doors are open by 10,” explains Hossack. “We make sure things are watered, the water is turned off, paths are blown off and cleaned up and all facilities are ready to roll for the day. That’s when the sun is starting to come out and things are starting to wake up.”

Following a regular plan of action, by 10 a.m. the volunteers are busy some place on the grounds.

“We always have a project for our volunteers,” Hossack continues. “Every Friday we pick some place, like today it was the herb garden, and we focus our efforts on that project area. So we start on one area and move along until the routine is done.

Scattered around the property and working in pairs or small groups, volunteers trim branches and fertilize plants. Hossack said all new plants will get fertilizer, a task that will take most of the day.

“We do all sorts of things,” explained Jeanne DeCamps, one of the almost two dozen volunteers who also does administrative work when needed. “We trim, plant, rake, weed, spread mulch, and do general clean up. It’s a beautiful place to do it.”

Others, like Edie Fallon, have more than one connection to the Gardens.

“I was married right over there by the sound in 1984,” said Fallon. “It’s magical here, with a lot of history.”

DeCamps and Fallon are not the only ones aware of the area’s beauty.

A crown jewel on the Outer Banks with constantly changing flora, The Elizabethan Gardens is a popular wedding site.

“It’s prettier here than at my own yard,” added Terri Davis. “I probably need to do some of this at home.”

But beauty is not the only draw.

Davis, who works as a veterinarian in Virginia, says working in the Gardens lowers her blood pressure, with each season offering something different to do and see.

“Just like farmers we always try to stay one season ahead,” Hossack added. “In the springtime we are cut- ting back our hydrangeas. At this point in the year you can tell what’s alive and what’s not. Mostly, we really focus on specific areas, we pick some place and focus there, and then march through the garden as we go. Sometimes it’s like painting the Golden Gate Bridge. By the time you get done painting it you need to start over again.”

With more than 250 different genera of plants spread across almost 11 acres, the Gardens is more than just a nice collection of plants. The area is a great place to view birds and is a site on the North Carolina Birding Trail.

To that end, both staff and volunteers strive to provide the best experience possible for any and all visitors.

“Our volunteers are here almost as much as I am sometimes,” offered Hossack. “Most put in between two and two-and-a-half hours here at the Gardens.”

But it’s not all work and drudgery. Many of the workers have developed strong friendships as a result of their working together.

“Sometimes we get together after work and have lunch together,” said Laura Allendorf.

Walking along the main garden path, Hossack points out some construction activity on a new greenhouse funded by a grant.

“I’m a good gardener but not so good at construction,” he said with a chuckle. “That’s why we rely on our volunteers. We don’t get much done without them.”

Hossack went on to explain that the Gardens have a full time greenhouse that is almost its own world.

A place for all seasons, The Elizabethan Gardens is open yearround, seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with shorter hours in December and closing only on Thanksgiving, December 24 and 25, and for the entire month of January.

The Elizabethan Gardens is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located on National Park Drive on Roanoke Island. For more information about the Gardens, call 252-473-3234 or visit elizabethangardens.org/.

Something is always going on at the Fessenden Center in Buxton.

At 11 a.m. on Thursday, adult pickleball intermediate players make their way to the gym. Before that, at 9:30 a.m., yoga was scheduled and a 30-minute beginner pickleball session was held. After a two hour session for advanced pickleball, POUND, a “rockout workout,” which provides a “fullbody cardio jam session” by playing drums, takes over the center’s activity room. At the same time, more pickleball is underway followed by men’s open gym basketball from 7 to 9 p.m.

The Fessenden Center is a multi-generational facility serving all of Hatteras Island with programs and activities for toddlers, youth, adults, older adults and families. Programs include a variety of classes and lessons, team and individual sports, summer camps, special events and activities for adults.

A myriad of other activities take place at the center, such as a Master Gardener mosquito presentation about abatement;