When the stress level in the library has reached its peak or the Plaza poses too many distractions, many Duke students find sanctuary in the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. With 55 acres of foliage and botanical beauty, the Duke Gardens is a majestic natural maze which many Duke students use as a jogging course, a place to picnic or a secluded study spot away from the hustle and bustle of campus. If you’re lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a great blue heron, or ducklings in the spring.
"It's less confining than the library, and I'm a fan of [going to the Gardens in the] early fall and late spring," junior Ro Yadama said. "It's nice to meet people there and catch a few friendly faces because people start flocking to the Gardens in the spring after sitting in Perkins or their tents all winter."
Perhaps one of the best aspects of studying in the Duke Gardens is the variety of quiet spots with unbeatable views. Orla Swift, the director of marketing and communications for the Gardens, suggested several spots that she believes are most conducive to efficient studying.
“In the Historic Gardens, nothing can beat the Terrace Gardens and the shaded Pergola for sheer postcard-perfect beauty,” she wrote in an email.
Since this location is one of the Garden’s best known showpieces, it is often crowded by many visitors. For a student who needs more solitude, Swift also recommended the Rollins Overlook, which she said provides the ultimate glimpse of the Terrace Gardens. Finally, Swift suggested the Virtue Peace Pond, which is located in the Doris Duke Center Gardens. From their seating in the adjacent amphitheater, or two Adirondack chairs on the grassy bank, visitors can enjoy the water lilies and lotus plants in summer and fall. If they’re lucky, they may catch a glimpse of a great blue heron, or ducklings in the spring, Swift added.
There is even “a hidden nook” within the seating area of the Doris Duke Center Gardens, where an “old crabapple tree forms an umbrella canopy,” director of horticulture Robert Mottern described in an email.
Unbeknownst to even regular garden-goers, the Duke Gardens hosts many hidden study spots for those seeking refuge from the library.
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