Neighbors and garden enthusiasts can enjoy a sneak peek of the Joslin Garden on Open Garden Day, Saturday, April 23 from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Garden guests are invited to enjoy a self –guided tour.

The Garden, located at 2431 West Lake Drive, was developed by William and Mary Coker Joslin and comprises more than four rolling, wooded acres, with an extensive variety of rare and native plants.

In the future, the Joslin Garden will be owned by the City of Oaks Foundation and managed in collaboration with the Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department. Still currently Mary Joslin’s private residence, the Garden will one day be open to all as a natural haven from urban life. Until then, the Garden is open to the public one day each year.

Out of respect for the neighbors, guests are asked to park on only one side of West Lake Drive. Please note that there are no public restroom facilities on the property.

This gift of their home and garden to the City of Oaks Foundation reflects the Joslins’ vision that their garden would provide a place where environmental awareness and conservation can be nurtured through education and the joy of a deep connection with the natural world.

The City of Oaks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that believes in a great outdoors for a great Raleigh. Dedicated to the principle of keeping nature nearby for all to enjoy and making lives richer through nature, the Foundation works to acquire urban land to leave as green space, and offers need-based scholarships to families who can’t afford to enroll their kids in Raleigh’s summer camps and nature programs.

For more information, please contact the Foundation at 919.996.4773, or email the director at: chris.heagarty@cityofoaksfoundation.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter @CityofOaksFound.