In the Spotlight: Elizabethan Gardens—Roanoke Island

20 April 2011

Initially, we planned to start our exploration of Roanoke Island at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (post here), but when our arrival there coincided with that of several busload of school kids, we switched gears and headed over to the Elizabethan Gardens, located adjacent to the site.

The gardens were created as a living memorial to the first English colonists who came to explore the New World and settle on Roanoke Island in 1584-1587.  (More about that history is in the previous post, linked above.)

We arrived at the high brick wall that surrounds the Elizabethan Gardens just as the doors opened, paid the $8/person admission fee, and began a meandering walk through the grounds. As anticipated, the kids on Spring Break had no interest in the gardens; it was nice to have the place to ourselves.  Peaceful, quiet … with forested trails and manicured gardens offering the perfect setting for a slow-paced stroll.  Any chance encounters with other early-bird visitors were few and far between.  Couldn’t have asked for better.

Spring is very much in evidence in the courtyard that fronts the Gate House.

The gardens are named in tribute to Queen Elizabeth I, who directed Sir Walter Raleigh
to explore and settle the New World in 1584.

Virginia Dare of the lost colony “Elenora  … wife to Ananias Dare … was delivered of a daughter in roanok … and because this child was the first Christian borne in virginia, she was named virginia. (from the narratives of Gov. John White on the birth of his granddaughter, Aug 18, 1587) sculpted by Maria Louisa Lander in Rome in 1859, the statue is made of Carrara marble.  It's said to have been based on an Indian legend that says the first English child born in America grew up amongst Native Americans. Coincidentally  lost in a shipwreck off the coast of spain, the statue spent two years in the ocean before it was recovered and sent to the us.

The focal point of the Sunken Garden is an ancient Italian Renaissance fountain.

A number of birdbaths are tucked into nooks and crannies, including
the "Bashful Girl" (bottom left) and "Lion Couchant" (bottom right).

Colorful blooms delight the senses.

Mui shares a moment with his gnome friend in the Woodland Garden.

I’ll end with the words etched into the plaque embedded in the brick wall surrounding the gardens:

“Down the centuries, English women have built gardens to the glory of God, the beauty of the countryside, and the comfort of their souls.  The women of the Garden Club of North Carolina have planted this garden in memory of the valiant men and women who founded the first English colony in America.  From this hallowed ground on Roanoke Island, they walked away through the dark forest and into history … 1585-1951.”

If you’d like to see full-size versions of the pictures used in the collages, go to this online gallery and click the link for the Elizabethan Gardens.