As temperatures warm up and spring ushers in its vibrant blooms, nature enthusiasts should consider packing a picnic and exploring the best botanical gardens North Carolina has to offer.

ASHEBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — The North Carolina Zoo earned a very special honor this fall. The park is now an accredited botanical garden, one of only a few zoos in the world to receive the status.

Stowe was a former textile executive who set aside 380 acres of meadows, woodlands and lakefront property to develop a world-class botanical ... in Belmont, North Carolina, the garden sits about ...