Tour 28-Acre PLANT COLLECTOR'S Botanic Garden - Ep. 250

We borrow inspiration from many people and places around the region-and beyond-and one of the gardens that has been on our shortlist to see is Tony Avent's Juniper Level Botanic Gardens out of Raleigh, NC. Over 30+ years, he has slowly created a botanical paradise on 28 acres in addition to selling over 27,000 taxa (although not all at once!) through his nursery, Plant Delights.
To see the Plant Delights Nursery tour over on our sister channel @summerrayneoakes : • A Plant Collector's Nu...
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[@FlockFingerLakes]

The Plant Delights Nursery Tour on 'Plant One On Me' is now live: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pavKamuIgLqEras

[@feistycitrus]

Awesome. I was looking for it yesterday and couldn’t find it.

[@lhspirited]

I too was looking all over for it. ugh

[@sashastarshanti3599]

Ohmygoodness! You're with Tony Avent! He is an absolute living legend in the North Carolina horticulture world. And this is an amazing tour of his botanical gardens, thank you both!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Glad you enjoyed. We'll have more of Tony on our sister channel, 'Plant One On Me'. So you can tune in there on Thursday, May 16th too.

[@sashastarshanti3599]

@@FlockFingerLakes I'll be there, with joy! Thank you.

[@user-rf2vk8zp2u]

He also denies Global Warming! What a joy!

[@whywhywhy4716]

Yes, in the United States and globally. Fabulous show, thanks, blessings t

[@user-rf2vk8zp2u]

@@whywhywhy4716 ew.....

[@indianagardener365]

“38 years of joy it has given us” ( the Arched Oak) what a beautiful statement! With the gorgeous music, brought tears to my eyes! Well done!

[@saraw8503]

I was fortunate to tour Juniper Level conducted by Tony. It was glorious.

[@leilab.matson8188]

What a very knowledgeable man with so many years of experience!

[@thepipingbagbakery4399]

I so enjoyed this episode. I love how Summer soaks in everything and how much joy and passion each expressed in their tour and conversation. You can tell how much mutual admiration they held for each other.

[@user-rf2vk8zp2u]

A sponge for that money. You got it!

[@plantoholic761]

I was just there last week! Gorgeous place, truly one of the most diverse gardens in the US. Your showcasing is excellent. Great camera work. I can only imagine how much footage you cut to get this down to an hour video!

[@rons3236]

Stunning garden!!! And great videography!!! Thank you!!!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

You're most welcome.

[@angelaengler2387]

What a delightful man and his plants! Beautiful botanic garden, so much inspiration ❤️

[@marthamiriam8983]

Mr. Tony Avent I want to hear EVERYTHING he has to say. What a wise man.

[@SequoiaElisabeth]

Such a knowledgeable man, Tony. I'm blown away with the variety of this garden. Probably one of the best botanical collections I have seen outside of say, Huntington or Longwood.

[@jeanneamato8278]

He’s got tons of humor and tons of imagination.

[@TheeChocolateGoddess]

He has such a great personality. I've enjoyed watching this one!

[@aalejardin]

Thank you Summer that was a real treat.

[@alanFconrad]

Simply Fantastic......Tony ( and Summer) are brilliant....Thank You SO Much !

[@angela86753]

No one knew what a muffler was 😂 But he had a creative and beautiful solution. And living in zone 6b I love seeing all the plants they can grow outdoors in the South

[@andrisport]

"High Functioning Drunk" is the best, I must have it...🍇

[@2prettyfunnythings736]

Great tour. I know you were loving all the diversity

[@ExoticGreenery]

I follow mr Avent for a while. Great inspiration and know-how! Someone who really really knows and then even spreads! Thank you from the Netherlands

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Glad you enjoyed! Tony is The BEST.

[@pattivermeersch7348]

What a wonderful fabulous tour…thanks so much 👌

[@charlesbale8376]

I really enjoyed the garden walk and found the information very useful.

[@maryd6745]

What a wonderful garden tour! So fascinating and even though my grow zone is 6, this is inspirational! I love woodland plants, but I hardly ever see them cultivated - wow - what they have done here is amazing! Thank you both for this wonderful hour!

[@marywnz2no]

This is so awesome! I live in NC and had no idea this place existed. Thank you!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Oh you must make the trip when they have open houses. (They just had one recently).

[@lorirober2536]

❤ Awesome video! Thank you much for these botanic garden tours. This place is near me, i need to visit there sometime. Crape myrtle does not do well in my area of the mountains, here in SW Virginia. The 2 in my yard have such dieback, I am removing them. Once again, thank you for your continuing efforts in interviews. This man is a wealth of knowledge.

[@themilesdevin]

The crape myrtle’s bark is just so stunning! Never thought I would say that! ❤

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Agreed. I found one hopefully cold-hardy enough to our zone and will give it a shot! I'm in love with their bark as well.

[@cefcat5733]

Well, Tony is livin in paradise. You can see the work, they've put into it. The water element is precious. Wonderful and Summer had a good time. P. S. I purchased 4 tiny types of Acer Palmatum. They are still inside and I've noticed that they occasionally give off a cloud, of their own scent. One dropped some leaves. It waited one more day, in the store for me, than the others. (That was a fun video tour. Wishing continued success and gentle weather, for Tony's creative habitats.)

[@rolandromak]

Ohh it's Just fascinating to watch this garden and listen to your conversation. I Love your land that you have been working on, but also I find these "gardens" amazing, that you have been visiting😊 and showing us! MANY THANKS❤ Could you please show this garden in a different season like summer😮 It must be even more awsome❤ I'm wacthing you from Eastern-Europe and I learn a lot, not to mention I share your view, rather plant 400-500 type of plants in my garden, than Just 10-12 😢 that would be a shame and waist of land, I hope this new fashion, planting in masses a few species goes away soon😅

[@FlockFingerLakes]

If this place were closer, we would love to film it in a different season, but alas it's not, so I wouldn't hold your breath on it. But if chances have us back in the Carolinas, we'd love to do a full-day tour.

[@orlandogreengirl3053]

This is an amazing Garden. I used to volunteer there. You should go back in the summer time. It will look like Jurassic Park along the stream is stunning. There is an amazing amount of hellebores.

[@timgarner1957]

Two of my favorite people in my favorite garden..oh sorry 3 can't forget Saunder. Lol You really have to take your time in that garden..so many different plants to see..

[@FlockFingerLakes]

We could have spent a whole day there!

[@Marietta30064]

Loved this!!! I'm feeling inspired and informed. Thank you!

[@LifeHomeandGardenwithAnaRica]

Amazing garden! beautiful hard work and very knowledgeable Man. Thank you Tony and the team.

[@feistycitrus]

I’m only half way through this video but I had to say bravo. I mean first of all Tony Avent!!!, second Juniper Level is #1 on my list of gardens to visit and third you guys are doing a great job filming, discussing and the “B-roles” and slow pans of serene views of this specular place. I cannot wait to go myself. 👏👏👏

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Thank you for the lovely compliments.

[@Alwaysherethere]

I really enjoyed this video! Thanks for sharing!❤😊

[@donnas3148]

I always loved his catalogs. So much fun

[@FlockFingerLakes]

The covers never disappoint.

[@iwonnasalak2578]

Thanks for showing this! Love it!

[@marky3131]

We focus on native plants but are fine with some cultivars if they don’t do things like make double blooms or change leaf color. Native plant friends don’t like it when I do it. But my prime directive is 1. No invasives 2. Native plants, 3 native cultivars 4 non native non invasives that we love or see important for the garden design. We appreciate your tour

[@ac42405]

This is fabulous.

[@KJones-qs7ju]

Just watched a video/tour a few weeks ago that he did on baptisia (probably spelled wrong) at that garden and absolutely loved the guy! Had never heard of him before but looking forward to watching this.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

He's a bit of a legend in the plant world, so I do hope you enjoy!

[@Tminus89]

What a place, loved the tour :)

[@barbarabranstetter1784]

Fascinating garden 💚💚

[@TracMcNguyen]

So many wonderful ideas...and lithops...mind blown 🤯🤯🤯

[@FlockFingerLakes]

The lithops blew my mind too!

[@soozecca19]

Tony is super interesting, great video!!

[@allisonbusch2351]

Hi Summer! I loved this episode! Beautiful garden. And I love the energy you both had! I have a question though. You referenced episode 373 on plant one on me as the tour of the nursery. But there is no episode. Episode 373 is the one where you tried to save the dying aloe plant. I hope you post the nursery tour soon. So excited for that! Thanks for all you do!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

It's a typo. Sorry about that. It'll be coming out this Thursday, May 16th on 'Plant One On Me'. Thanks for pointing that out for others.

[@allisonbusch2351]

Thanks so much! Cant wait!

[@christophertaylor9826]

Very inspirational and informative.

[@berrysuttlemyre]

I love juniper level. We make a trip every year

[@FlockFingerLakes]

If it were closer, we'd be going every year ourselves!

[@jcriverside]

Awesome place/guy.

[@joelschmierer3544]

should tour with him again, he seems to know everything about plants

[@moradmoradi8518]

Thanks!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Thank you!

[@user-rf2vk8zp2u]

Ew.

[@hortontran1995]

I hope you will have video visiting JC Raulston Arboretum soon

[@marshaharwood8883]

Summer, have you ever visited Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo NC, it’s worth a trip!!

[@PlantNative]

Fiddleheads are harvested from Ostrich Ferns.

[@marthamiriam8983]

The Agave planted in the garden survive North Carolina winters and lithops too! I am so mind blown right now. Desert plants in North Carolina?! Does he cover them in winter with frost cloth? I am in Maryland and the closest desert plant I have in my garden is Hardy Sedum. Mr. Tony is proof he does not follow no almanac no garden zoning How do you acclimatize?! I HAVE QUESTIONS!

[@kathymacomber5115]

No way can I limit myself to 12 plants

[@1AceHeart1]

Hey Summer, is that your channel as well?

[@pamelapearce8702]

When was this filmed? If it were in our area (Southern Willamette Valley in Oregon) I would have guessed early to mid April- except arisaemas which begin blooming in late April most years

[@pamelapearce8702]

Variegated Pteris is hardy for us here in PNW (Oregon)

[@LS-kg6my]

Wonderful. I assume you have a huge deer fence

[@FlockFingerLakes]

I think he has in some places but not all. I guess the deer don't eat agave and a lot of the exotic species.

[@LostInThisGardenofLife]

❤❤❤

[@saraw8503]

Is the soil acidic due to the excessive amount of chemicals used in the tobacco farm during the former life of the land.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Really good question. Seems as if the native plants adapted to that condition though. It's strange because I worked on reclaiming a mine site as a teenager, where the normally neutral pH was hovering around 4.5 and the plants were really suffering.

[@Tminus89]

1:02:02 I can't seem to find this video on the other channel

[@allisonbusch2351]

Same. I asked about it too. I didn’t see you commented on it already 🫣.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Pardon. It was a typo. It's coming on the channel Thursday, May 16th (tomorrow), so you can look out for it then.

[@Tminus89]

​@@FlockFingerLakes I most certainly will :)

[@heinedevries2820]

wonder if he will get animal damage ..

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

It's not really true to say that all pollinators don't care about whether a plant is native or not. Moths and butterflies can be very, very specific about native origin. Nobody ever said that pollinators don't go to cultivars. Ever.

[@user-rf2vk8zp2u]

100%

[@judymckerrow6720]

Plant Delights shipping costs are unreal. They have a wonderful collection of plants but I personally will probably not ever consider them a go to nursery for plants. That’s just me though, probably one in a million that can’t afford their shipping. ☹️💐💚🙃

[@FlockFingerLakes]

As a customer, I felt the same way, but after touring the facility, you realize ALL that goes into it-from plant hunting to hybridizing to seed collection to growing and propagating (sometimes very, very slow plants), to managing the space and all the facilities of 100,000s of plants and 27,000+ varieties, (which in turn, have very different care and propagation strategies) in a very non-industrial way, and then you get the sense that he's undercutting himself on price. WAIT till you see the propagation techniques he's using (another episode on our sister channel)... It's really mind-blowing. And those techniques can take years and years of growth, which means space for plants (not in-production) and not selling them until they are absolutely ready. These are investment plants, for sure, but the fact that they are even offered is a gift alone.

[@judymckerrow6720]

@@FlockFingerLakes I understand, I just paid 89.00 for a 29.00 plant though and I definitely can’t be doing that very often, especially if hubby finds out how much I spent on one plant 😱💐💚🙃

[@shimmyhinnah]

Something here gets lost in the translation. That’s because the hostess did not give him uninterrupted time to expound on his own. She was constantly interrupting. Yikes.

[@kerryjean2223]

I can't stand the blatant blasphemy of the Lord's Name. Shame.

[@user-rf2vk8zp2u]

Fucking Jesus christ? Lol

[@debraisola9037]

God's system perfect..Jesus Christ is Lord not a cuss word!! Disgusting!

[@user-rf2vk8zp2u]

Fucking Jesus christ. 😂😂😂

[@rickyt3961]

Thank you Summer! that is an amazing place.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

You're most welcome!