Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Botanical garden in Durham, United States
Sarah P. Duke Gardens is a botanical garden on Duke University grounds with organized planting beds, water features, and thousands of species across distinct sections. Each area displays different plant types and landscape styles, connected by a network of walking paths throughout the property.
The space began in 1934 when a doctor persuaded Sarah P. Duke to fund flower plantings in a debris-filled ravine on the university grounds. This initial project grew into the extensive botanical garden that exists today.
The landscape was shaped by Ellen Biddle Shipman, whose design from the 1930s created formal terraces with Italian influences that define the space today. Visitors can walk through these arranged sections and understand how American landscape design developed during that era.
The garden has an extensive path system connecting different planted areas and sections for visitors to explore at their own pace. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended since the terrain varies across the different zones.
A major latitude line runs directly across the property and is marked with a plaque so visitors can stand at this geographic location. This unusual feature combines natural geography with the cultivated landscape.
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