Stein:  Walking into Jere Stevens' garden, I felt as if I were entering the pages of a fabulous storybook.

Stein:  Each of the immortals in Greek mythology had a specific charge in the workings of the universe.

Visit reveals living museum of plants

Arriving at Duke Gardens a few minutes early for an appointment at Blomquist Gardens allowed time to enjoy the diverse parade of visitors. There were rowdy kindergartners, reluctantly posing for photos under the beloved wisteria pergola. Students with Frisbees, heading for the South Lawn. Little boys climbing on stone walls; little girls in spring dresses and pretty hair ribbons. Students marching proud parents around the campus. And teenagers strolling hand-in-hand while mothers with strollers, and fathers with babes in arms took in the surroundings. The green landscape seemingly held attractions for everyone.

I just recently discovered "The Adventurous Gardener's Sourcebook of Rare and Unusual Plants." Imagine my surprise to find that many of the plants I've been growing over the past decade are introduced as rare or unusual.