From the world-renowned Southern Heritage Apple Orchard at Horne Creek in the west to the varied historical gardens at Tryon Palace in the east, there’s so much to explore.

Here are few places across North Carolina where you’ll find a unique blossom or two.

Gardens Nestled Among the Foothills

The Southern Heritage Apple Orchard

Horne Creek Farm. Pinnacle

The special magic at Horne Creek Historical Farm is in the heritage apple orchard, where 800 trees produce 400 varieties of apples raised long ago. With such exotic varieties as Rusty Coat, Summer Cheese and Wolf River, North Carolina once led the nation in apple production.

A freestanding tree up to 12-to-16 feet tall, and a backup tree of about six feet attached to a fence and trellis system, impresses thousands of visitors annually. Beautiful apple blossoms are an enchanting springtime treat. The heirloom apples also make wonderful apple cider, butter or fritters.

Visit the Orchard at Horne Creek Farm

The Grounds at SECCA

Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem

The historic estate on which SECCA is located was designed by Peabody, Wilson and Brown in the English manor style and was completed in 1929. The grounds of the 20 acre estate were designed by West Virginia landscape architect Brooks Wigginton.

Picnic on the back sun porch or on the grassy lawn, overlooking the small but beautiful lake year-round.

Visit the SECCA Estate Lake and Grounds

Garden Oases in the Heart of Raleigh

North Carolina Executive Mansion Gardens

North Carolina Executive Mansion, Raleigh

Despite being less that 100 years old, the Executive Mansion’s gardens are remarkably full of colorful perennials, shrubs, trees, bulbs and annuals combined in interesting ways. Visitors to the garden delight in seeing both native and exotic plant species, a koi pond, beehives, and a large vegetable garden that provides produce for the first family year round.

See the Gardens at the Governor’s Mansion

Rodin Sculpture Garden and Museum Park

North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh

The peaceful Rodin Sculpture Garden at the North Carolina Museum of Art features a reflecting pool studded with water lilies and surrounded by bronze sculptures by Auguste Rodin. Tall bamboo plants also grow in the garden, providing a lush, green backdrop for those who wish to take a moment to reflect on one of the granite seats located around the perimeter of the courtyard.

Encompassing 164 acres of fields, woodlands, and creeks, the Museum Park presents a unique setting to explore the intersection of art and nature. The Park invites visitors to encounter over a dozen dramatic works of art while riding bicycles, walking dogs, or wandering along scenic paths. Visitors can also enjoy picnics on a grassy hill or jog along wooded trails.

Visit the Sculpture Garden at the Museum of Art

For more information visit http://www.ncdcr.gov/things-to-do/trips-travel-ide…