>> Deborah: WELCOME TO "NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND."
I'M DEBORAH HOLT NOEL.
2016 MARKS THE 40th ANNIVERSARY OF ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
HORTICULTURAL RESOURCES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES, THE
JC RAULSTON ARBORETUM IN RALEIGH.
AND THIS IS A PERFECT TIME TO SEE THE ARBORETUM'S SPRING
BLOOMS AND GET GREAT IDEAS FOR YOUR OWN YARD.
IN FACT, RICK SULLIVAN SAYS IT HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER THE HOME
GARDENER ANY SEASON OF THE YEAR.
>> Reporter: WELCOME TO JC ARBORETUM, WHERE NORTH
CAROLINA'S BACKYARD GARDENERS ARE TOP PRIORITY.
YOU'LL FIND ONGOING RESEARCH HERE FOR SURE AND PLANTS NATIVE
TO NORTH CAROLINA ARE IMPORTANT, BUT MOST IMPORTANT TO THE FOLKS
AT RAULSTON ARBORETUM ARE PLANTS THAT WORK WELL IN THE YARDS OF
NORTH CAROLINIANS REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY ORIGINATE.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT NATIVE PLANTS
AND THEIR BENEFITS.
AND WE LOVE NATIVE PLANTS.
WE GROW QUITE A FEW NATIVE PLANTS.
WHAT WE WANT ARE GREAT GARDEN PLANTS.
AND THERE ARE SOME NATIVE PLANTS THAT ARE FANTASTIC IN NATURAL
HABITATS, BUT WHEN YOU COME IN AND YOU CUT DOWN ALL THE TREES
AND SCRAPE OFF ALL THE TOPSOIL AND BUILD A HOUSE OR BUILD A
ROAD, IT IS NOT A NATIVE, NATURAL HABITAT ANYMORE.
AND SO WE WANT THE PLANTS THAT ARE GOING TO DO THE BEST THERE,
AND THAT MAY BE NATIVE PLANTS, BUT IT MAY BE A PLANT FROM JAPAN
OR TAIWAN OR SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT'S REALLY GOING TO MAKE
PEOPLE SUCCESSFUL GARDENERS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO LOVE GARDENING LIKE WE DO.
>> THE ARBORETUM IS NAMES FOR DR.
JAMES CHESTER RAULSTON WHO
WAS THE DIRECTOR OF THIS SPECTACULAR GARDEN UNTIL HIS
DEATH IN A CAR ACCIDENT IN 1996.
HIS WORK AND LEGACY HAVE BEEN PIVOTAL IN EXPANDING THE VARIETY
OF AVAILABLE PLANTS THAT CAN THRIVE IN OUR LOCAL CLIMATE.
>> HE LOOKED AND SAID YOU CAN'T -- THERE'S NO ROOM TO GROW
THE INDUSTRY IF EVERYBODY'S GROWING THE SAME 40 PLANTS.
SO HIS ORIGINAL MISSION WAS TO DIVERSIFY THE AMERICAN
LANDSCAPE.
BRING IN PLANTS, EVALUATE THEM, TRY AND GET THEM IN THE HANDS OF
NURSERYMEN.
THAT'S STILL WHAT WE CONTINUE TO DO.
NOW, THERE'S A LOT MORE PLANTS IN THE NURSERY INDUSTRY.
JC REALLY -- AND THE ARBORETUM REALLY DID A GREAT TIME OF
GETTING THAT DIVERSITY OUT THERE.
>> Reporter: THE ARBORETUM IS NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED FOR ITS
COLLECTION OF COLD HARDY PLANTS THAT DO WELL IN THE SOUTHEASTERN
UNITED STATES.
>> WE ARE -- WE ARE ABOUT 10.5 ACRES, WHICH SURPRISES PEOPLE.
WE'RE KNOWN WORLDWIDE.
WHEN I VISIT OTHER COUNTRIES, I HAVE PEOPLE WHO TALK TO ME ABOUT
THE GARDEN.
WHEN THEY VISIT, THEY'RE SURPRISED WE'RE NOT A HUNDRED
ACRES.
WE'RE 10 ACRES.
IN THAT 10 1/2 ACRES, WE HAVE RIGHT AROUND 7,000 DIFFERENT
TYPES OF PLANTS.
>> Reporter: FINDING WHICH VARIETIES ARE BEST MEANS WEEDING
OUT THE REST.
>> WHEN WE GET A COLD WINTER OR A HOT, DRY SUMMER, WE LIKE THAT.
OTHER GARDENERS ARE PULLING THEIR HAIR OUT BECAUSE THEIR
PLANTS ARE DYING.
WE LIKE TO STRESS OUR PLANTS AND SEE WHICH ARE REALLY THE
TOUGHEST OF THE TOUGH.
>> Reporter: UNLIKE SOME OTHER OUTSTANDING BOTANICAL GARDENS,
WHEN YOU SEE A PLANT AT RAULSTON ARBORETUM, YOU CAN LIKELY FIND
IT AT YOUR LOCAL NURSERY TOO.
>> WHAT REALLY SEPARATES THE JC RAULSTON ARBORETUM FROM MOST
OTHER BOTANICAL GARDENS, WE WANT PEOPLE TO SEE THEM AND WANT
THEM, BUT WE TAKE A VERY ACTIVE ROLE IN MOVING THE BEST OF THE
PLANTS INTO THE NURSERY INDUSTRY.
>> Reporter: STILL, SOME OF THE PLANTS FOUND AT RAULSTON
ARBORETUM CAN BE DIFFICULT TO FIND LOCALLY.
IN THAT CASE, MARK WEATHINGTON RECOMMENDS BECOMING A MEMBER.
THAT QUALIFIES YOU FOR THE ANNUAL PLANT GIVEAWAYS IN
OCTOBER AND SOME OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS.
BUT MOSTLY WHAT THE ARBORETUM HAS TO OFFER IS AVAILABLE TO
ANYONE.
>> THERE IS SO MUCH HAPPENING HERE.
WE HAVE ADULT PROGRAMS, MONTHLY MEMBERS' LECTURES THAT ARE FREE
FOR OUR MEMBERS, BUT WE HAVE WORKSHOPS.
WE'VE REALLY INCREASED OUR WORKSHOPS.
PEOPLE WANTS TO GET OUT THERE AND GET THEIR HANDS ON PLANTS,
WHETHER IT'S A PROPAGATION WORKSHOP WHERE THEY LEARN HOW TO
RAID OUR COLLECTIONS.
>> Reporter: IF YOU MERELY ENJOY WALKING IN THE COMPANY OF
BEAUTIFUL PLANTS, JOIN THE ARBORETUM AND WALK AND GET
EXERCISE.
THERE'S NO NEED TO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY.
IN RALEIGH, I'M RICK SULLIVAN FOR "NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND."