April 28-30 & May 5-7 ​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​

“Juniper Level Botanic Garden set up an endowment through NC State University that, when fully funded, will allow us to open full-time as a public garden,” said Avent.

Friday, February 25, 8 am - 5 pm

Saturday, February 26, 8 am - 5 pm

Sunday, February 27, 1 pm - 5 pm

Friday, March 4, 8 am - 5 pm

Saturday, March 5, 8 am - 5 pm

Sunday, March 6, 1 pm - 5 pm

Friday, April 29, 8 am - 5 pm

Saturday, April 30, 8 am - 5 pm

Sunday, May 1, 1 pm - 5 pm

Friday, May 6, 8 am - 5 pm

Saturday, May 7, 8 am - 5 pm

Sunday, May 8, 1 pm - 5 pm

Friday, July 15, 8 am - 5 pm

Saturday, July 16, 8 am - 5 pm

Sunday, July 17, 1 pm - 5 pm

Friday, July 22, 8 am - 5 pm

Saturday, July 23, 8 am - 5 pm

Sunday, July 24, 1 pm - 5 pm

Friday, September 16, 8 am - 5 pm

Saturday, September 17, 8 am - 5 pm

Sunday, September 18, 1 pm - 5 pm

Friday, September 23, 8 am - 5 pm

Saturday, September 24, 8 am - 5 pm

Sunday, September 25, 1 pm - 5 pm

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – Contacted by members of the production team, Juniper Level Botanic Garden and Plant Delights Nursery supplied forty-five specifically requested plants for The Starling, an upcoming Netflix film starring Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dowd, Kevin Kline, and Timothy Olyphant.

A comedy-drama, The Starling explores how nature can help us get through our most challenging times. Lilly (McCarthy), already dealing with grief, hardship, and guilt, becomes comically obsessed with killing a starling that has nested near her backyard garden and begins to harass and attack her. Turning to a local vet, Larry (Kline), the pair strike up an unlikely friendship and work through their own problems together. The film, directed by Theodore Melfi, is based on a Matt Harris screenplay.

The Starling world premiere will be at the Toronto Film Festival in September and is expected on the Netflix schedule this fall. “I hope our plants made the cut,” said Tony Avent, founder and proprietor of Juniper Level Botanic Garden. “I’ll be looking for them in the movie.”

Juniper Level Botanic Garden, a $7.5 million gift from Anita and Tony Avent to NC State University, will open two weekends in September for public viewing and plant purchases. “Each season, we schedule two open garden and nursery weekends,” said Avent.

Fall visitation weekends will be September 17-19 and 24-26. These are the last public visitation weekends until February 2022. Admission is free, and hours are Fridays and Saturdays from 8 AM until 5 PM and Sundays 1-5 PM. Nursery sales provide operational funding for the garden.

Established in 1988 on a two-acre tract 12-miles south of downtown Raleigh, not-for-profit Juniper Level Botanic Garden has grown into a 28-acre educational, research, and display garden. Avent has participated in 13 foreign and 60 domestic plant expeditions over the past 25 years, amassing one of the world’s most diverse plant collections.

“Currently, we have just over 27,000 different kinds of plants,” explained Avent. “That makes our botanic garden one of the top five collections in the United States. It’s essential for human society to share plants; it’s critical that we not allow plants to go extinct. The rarer a plant is, the more it should be shared. We believe in getting plants where they will thrive and become abundant. Every plant has a place, and every plant has a purpose.”

“We set up an endowment through NC State University. When fully funded, the Juniper Level Botanic Garden endowment will allow us to open full-time as a public garden and a sister to JC Raulston Arboretum,” said Avent.

Fundraising efforts for Juniper Level Botanic Garden (tax ID 56-6000756) operate under the auspices of The Endowment Fund of North Carolina State University, a 501(c)3 non-profit. Donors receive an official receipt for contributions to the fund.

Contact:

Chris Hardison
Media Contact
Juniper Level Botanic Garden
ChrisHardison@PlantDelights.com

Robert B Butler
Communications | PR
www.NCPressRelease.org
www.RBButler.com

Permission granted for redistribution.

#NCStateUniversity #JuniperLevelBotanicGarden #JCRaulstonArboretum #NCSU #JLBG #JCRA #OpenGardenDays #BotanicGarden #PlantDelightsNursery #PublicGarden #Arboretum #Ornamentals #TonyAvent #MarkWethington #AnitaAvent #TheStarling #MelissaMcCarthy #KevinKline

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – “The Gardening boom of 2020 continues prominently into 2021,” said Tony Avent, founder and proprietor of Juniper Level Botanic Garden and Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh. “Last year, the boom really started with the existing gardeners. Then, the longer COVID went on, we began to see more orders from Gen Xers and millennials. We continue to see an amazing number of even younger gardeners in 2021. Some don’t own their house and are looking for things they can grow indoors. The house plant craze is insane.

“There is also an almost unprecedented plant shortage in America, especially for long-production time plants like trees and shrubs. In many box stores, where 60 percent of Americans buy their plants, there’s a major shortage. Retailers that do not propagate plants are struggling to get a wide range of plants to sell. We are very fortunate because we propagate most things here, but it’s still tough for us to keep up with demand.”

“We’ll be giving away pads of prickly pear cactus to our visitors at our Summer Open Garden,” said Avent. “I’ve always been fascinated with cactus, so we decided to see how many we could grow. We now have over 150 different kinds of prickly pear cactus ­– probably the largest collection in the world. Since we reign them in annually, we’re giving cactus pads to our visitors. You can plant them at home and enjoy the North American native prickly pear cactus. The flower colors range the spectrum of the rainbow, and the cactus is edible. Native Americans have used this cactus as a food crop for years.

“They’re so many amazing plants blooming in the summer and the pollinator activity is incredible. That’s when all the insects and birds are gathering nectar, which they need to survive. If you want a lot of pollinator activity in your garden in the summertime, you need plants that have a burst of flowers.

“Young homeowners are really into the environment and understand the benefit of planting an abundance of diverse plants, while the older generation focused much more on functionality in the garden. The younger people are much more into sustainable gardening, seeking better living without chemicals in the garden. The previous generation was ingrained with the “better living through chemicals” mantra.

“It’s funny, our generation, the Boomers, were generally afraid of insects and brought up that insects were bad. But the younger generations have been taught that insects are really an important part of nature – the more insects you have, the more nature you can bring into your garden and the healthier the whole environment will be. It’s a neat transition to watch.

“Adults and children are invited to come to the Open Garden Days and learn more about insects from our entomologist Bill Reynolds. Bill used to be with the Museum of Natural Science; he’s down to earth, loves nature, and enjoys talking with children. Bill’s an insect collector who’s also an expert on cicadas, which are very much in the news. Bill told me something I didn’t know. ‘Cicadas are the only insect that sweats’. You and your children can learn a lot from Bill.

“We hope that by visiting Juniper Level Botanic Garden people will learn to look at the outside of their homes the same way they view the interior of the house. Garden designers have known this for years, but that’s a new concept for many people. There’s so much going on outside. Get outdoors, get into nature, and create special spaces to have birds, bees, frogs, and cool things you’re not going to have inside your home.

“It’s also imperative that humans don their citizen scientist hats and help preserve plants in their gardens. Plants are going extinct at a pretty incredible rate, and sadly, some people want to hoard them or replant them where they’ve already gone extinct. We’re the opposite. If you want to preserve a plant, plant it, propagate it and share it.

“As soon as we have sufficient funds in our Operational Endowment foundation at NC State University, Juniper Level Botanic Garden will open to the public year-round in perpetuity. But, unfortunately, COVID put a damper on our fundraising over the past 18-months. It’s hard to go ask somebody for large sums of money with a mask on. Actually, it’s rather tacky. So now that we’re unmasked, we’re hoping to get back onto some more significant fundraisers. But, if we could get a million people to donate $17 each, we’re there. We’re open. That’s all it takes,” said Avent.

Fundraising efforts for Juniper Level Botanic Garden (tax ID 56-6000756) operate under the auspices of The Endowment Fund of North Carolina State University, a 501(c)3 non-profit. Donors receive an official receipt for contributions to the fund.

Contact:

Chris Hardison
Media Contact
Juniper Level Botanic Garden
ChrisHardison@PlantDelights.com

Robert B Butler
Communications | PR
www.NCPressRelease.org
www.RBButler.com

Permission granted for redistribution

Tony Avent was interviewed by Robert B Butler – No attribution required

#NCStateUniversity #JuniperLevelBotanicGarden #JCRaulstonArboretum #NCSU #JLBG #JCRA #OpenGardenDays #BotanicGarden #PlantDelightsNursery #PublicGarden #Arboretum #COVID19 #Pandemic #Ornamentals #TonyAvent #MarkWeathington #AnitaAvent

Raleigh’s Juniper Level Botanic Garden to open 8 weekends in 2021​​​​​​​

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – Juniper Level Botanic Garden, a $7.5 million gift to North Carolina State University, will open eight weekends during 2021 for public viewing, plant purchases, and free advice from the experts. There is no admission fee.

“Two open garden weekends are scheduled each season,” said founder and benefactor Tony Avent. Click for open garden dates and information

“With more people working and staying at home and trapped indoors, gardening boomed throughout 2020,” said Avent. “Gardening allows us to get outside and draw healing energy from the earth. Gardening is especially beneficial during tough times, not to mention the beauty and joy it brings.”

Established in 1988 south of downtown Raleigh, the not-for-profit Juniper Level Botanic Garden has grown into a 28-acre conservation and inspiration garden whose mission is to discover, grow, study, propagate and share the world’s flora.

Participating in dozens of domestic and international plant expeditions since the mid-90s, Avent amassed one of the world’s most diverse plant collections. “Currently, we have just over 27,000 different kinds of plants,” explained Avent. “That makes our botanic garden one of the top five collections in the United States.

“We knew the climate was changing and wanted to preserve plants. Many of the plants we found on our trips are now extinct in the wild, and we’re the only place they exist. The more the climate changes, the more paramount it becomes to preserve these plants for human benefit.

“We have always had a close connection with North Carolina State University and JC Raulston Arboretum. The Arboretum’s mission and ours are identical. To collect, study, propagate and share plants. The Arboretum’s primary focus is woody plants, and Juniper Level’s focus is primarily perennial plants.

“Raulston Arboretum currently has about 7,000 different plants. Between this collection and the 27,000 at Juniper Level, the result is one of the largest and top collections in the world of genetics.

“We set up an endowment through the university. When the endowment for the garden is fully funded, that will allow us to open full-time as a public garden and a sister to Raulston Arboretum,” added Avent.

Meanwhile, operational funding for Juniper Level Botanic Garden continues to be provided by plant sales, growing and shipping over 100,000 plants each year, and selling plants during the open garden weekends.

Fundraising efforts for Juniper Level Botanic Garden in conjunction with JC Raulston Arboretum, operate under the auspices of The Endowment Fund of North Carolina State University, a 501(c)3 non-profit, tax ID 56-6000756. Donors receive an official receipt for contributions to the fund. 

Contact:

Chris Hardison

Media Contact

Juniper Level Botanic Garden

Robert B Butler

Communications | PR

Permission granted for redistribution

#NCStateUniversity #JuniperLevelBotanicGarden #JCRaulstonArboretum #NCSU #JLBG #JCRA #OpenGardenDays #BotanicGarden #PublicGarden #Arboretum #Ornamentals #TonyAvent #MarkWethington #AnitaAvent

Website: http://www.jlbg.org/​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Website: http://www.jlbg.org/​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Juniper Level Botanic Garden in Raleigh to open two weekends in July​​​​