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Summary: Bill and I talk about the history of Public Gardens, and the history and future of Sarah P. Duke Gardens. This interview was recorded on September 20th 2024, before Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina.

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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!
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Big Take Aways:
- The connection of Public Garden to “Rural” Cemeteries.
- The creation, design, and history of Sarah P. Duke Gardens
- A lot of new vocab words!

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About Bill LeFevre:
Bill LeFevre is executive director of Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University. His education includes a B.S. in Landscape Design from the University of Connecticut and an M.S. in Public Horticulture Administration as a fellow in the Longwood Graduate Program at the University of Delaware.

Since being named as Duke Gardens’ first full-time director in 2007, the Gardens has completed over $12,000,000 in capital projects including the Durham Toyama Sister Cities Pavilion and Pine Clouds Mountain Stream in the Ruth Mary Meyer Japanese Garden, the restoration of the Roney Fountain and Mary Duke Biddle Rose Garden, the Piedmont Prairie, and completion of the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden, a pilot project of the national Sustainable Sites Initiative.

Bill is currently leading development of the proposed Garden Gateway, a $30 million capital program to redesign the main entry experience and provide much-needed facility expansion and visitor amenities.

In recent years, Duke Gardens has been ranked among the top 10 public gardens in the country and been awarded Horticulture Magazine’s Award for Garden Excellence from the American Public Gardens Association.

Bill is a past president of the American Public Gardens Association, previously served as executive director of Bartram's Garden in Philadelphia and managed the Parks Revitalization Project at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society following a successful career in commercial landscape construction and service in the United States Navy as a carrier-based air traffic controller.

Connect with Bill: Website | LinkedIn

Mentioned in the show:
- Mount Auburn Cemetery
- Chelsea Physic Garden
- Bartrams Garden
- PUBLIC GARDEN MAGAZINE
- Allée Definition & Meaning
- https://gardens.duke.edu/
- The Garden Gateway Project
- Join & Give

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Sponsor: This show is supported by the Top Five Newsletter. If you want a simple and to-the-point update on Raleigh commercial development you can subscribe to the Top Five. It’s free if you want it to be!

Show Notes:
Welcome to Dirt NC where we talk all about the places and spaces of North Ca