Our Gardens (2022-2025)
Between 2022 and 2025, Pamlico Rose Institute (PRI) designed, built, and sustained wellness gardens across eastern North Carolina. Each garden reflects a shared vision; to grow wellness in underserved communities through nature, connection, and creative expression. While the context, size, and populations served vary, all gardens embodied our Biopsychosocial-Ecological (BPSE) model of wellness.
Betty Ann Sands Memorial Artful and Healing Garden, Rose Haven Center of Healing
Named by Cardinal and Pine as "one of the most enchanting original, trauma-informed garden space designed for women Veterans. Development began in 2018 and over the years, the garden evolved into a robust and mature wellness garden. This space combined walking paths, pollinator gardens, creative art installations, and quiet reflection areas (Click here for a May 2025 Flyover of the gardens). While now being transitioned for sale, Rose Haven's design, programming, and lessons learned laid the foundation for our broader model. We are carrying forward its legacy in every new garden we grow.
Sundial Gardens - Beaufort County Community College
Built in 2023, this garden provided fresh vegetables to students while serving as a hands-on learning place. The garden maximized useable space in its radial design and featured “sun shelter,” a composting corner and mindfulness benches. Besides healthy vegetables, the garden offered a variety of wellness opportunities (Click here for April 2025 Flyover of the gardens)
Chocowinity Primary School
A kid-sized garden that supports STEAM-aligned curriculum—including lessons on plant biology, environmental science, and food systems. We are expanding this site to integrate creative expression (e.g., garden-based art projects) alongside the existing gardening curriculum. The result is a playful space that encourages both learning and emotional regulation (click here for an April 2025 Flyover of the garden).
Wellness Gardens of Aurora
Our flagship gardens, the Aurora site exemplifies scalable design, blending food production with nature connection. It features pollinator beds, raised beds, a pavilion classroom, composting stations, an accessible and integrated walking path, meditation pergola, woodworking “shed.” In construction is a greenhouse and coming soon is an outdoor art studio, outdoor cooking space and more. . Aurora also hosts volunteer days, a community-gathering space cooking demonstrations, and children's nature classes. Click here to find out more about our flagship gardens and click here for a May 2025 Flyover of the gardens.
Interested in learning more or developing a wellness garden?
Contact us, robert@pamlicorose.org