Duke Gardens: 50 Volunteers Keep 650K Annual Visitors Smiling

Every visitor to Duke Gardens sees perfectly pruned pathways and vibrant blooms, but few notice the quiet army making it happen.

Between 30 and 50 volunteers show up weekly at Duke Gardens, joining staff horticulturists, 15 work-study students, and seasonal interns to maintain one of the country's finest university botanical spaces. Together, they tend to four distinct garden sections across Durham, North Carolina, ensuring free, year-round access to natural beauty for more than 650,000 annual visitors.

Director of Horticulture Robert Mottern leads the coordinated effort, overseeing everything from seasonal plantings to repainting the iconic Meyer bridge. Each section of the gardens operates with remarkable independence, with expert horticulturists making daily decisions about their areas while maintaining the cohesive vision that makes Duke Gardens special.

The work is intensely hands-on. Volunteers and staff hand-pull weeds, mulch pathways, prune thousands of plants, and rotate seasonal displays from greenhouse to garden bed. During spring and fall, the busiest seasons, the team orchestrates what they've dubbed "Operation Cherry Blossom," a months-long preparation for the annual influx of visitors eager to see the cherry trees bloom.

First-year MFA student Lilyann Gardner discovered unexpected joy in the behind-the-scenes labor. She spends her shifts removing old plantings, tilling soil, and installing bulbs that will bloom months later for visitors she'll never meet. "It's really gratifying," she said, describing work that might seem repetitive but builds something beautiful over time.

The Ripple Effect

The commitment to sustainability quietly amplifies the gardens' positive impact. Every tulip and daffodil removed after blooming gets composted and transformed into new soil and mulch for future plantings. Nothing goes to waste in a continuous cycle that mirrors nature itself.

Mottern hopes visitors take home more than memories. By showcasing unusual plants arranged in exciting combinations, the gardens inspire people to recreate beauty in their own yards. The knowledge and ideas spread outward from Duke's campus into Durham neighborhoods and beyond.

The free admission policy makes this inspiration accessible to everyone, a rarity among university gardens of comparable quality. Where many institutions charge entry fees, Duke Gardens opens its gates daily to anyone seeking peace, beauty, or botanical education.

Gardner describes the experience as built on community and teamwork, where individual small actions combine into something far greater. "There's a lot of people that are doing work behind the scenes, and they're really making it beautiful, day in and day out," she said.

What looks effortless is actually the daily gift of dozens of people who show up, pull weeds, plant bulbs, and tend pathways so strangers can walk through beauty.