Tryon Palace – Green Garden - The Sociable Adventurer

For one of the most architecturally precise gardens on the Tryon Palace grounds, the Green Garden is a real treasure. Set within the palace complex in downtown New Bern, NC in Craven County, this meticulously restored 18th-century landscape design showcases the formal English style that defined colonial-era gardens. Following a thoughtful 2018 redesign, the garden now features a beautiful knot garden — a centuries-old design tradition that creates the visual illusion of intertwined plants forming an endless cycle. Be sure to check out the YouTube video and pictures below to get a feel for the garden before you go — or to relive the visit after.

An 18th-Century English Landscape Design

The Green Garden is a stunning example of 18th-century English landscape design carried into the present with meticulous care. Inspired by the formal gardens that defined the British colonial era, the garden features the architectural touches that gave such gardens their distinctive character: geometric parterres, neatly laid gravel pathways, and vibrant seasonal plantings arranged in carefully composed symmetry.

The result is a garden that genuinely transports visitors to another era — a quiet, ordered space where colonial-era gardening traditions feel just as fresh and elegant today as they did 250 years ago.

The 2018 Knot Garden Redesign

In 2018, the Green Garden was thoughtfully redesigned into a knot garden — one of the oldest and most distinctive traditions of European formal landscape design. A knot garden uses carefully intertwined plants to create the visual illusion of woven or knotted strands forming an endless cycle — a pattern often used historically to symbolize eternity, continuity, and the rhythms of the natural world.

The redesign was made possible through painstaking research into 18th-century garden traditions, with the resulting design reflecting both the historical accuracy of the colonial era and the deeper symbolism that gave knot gardens such cultural meaning. For visitors who take the time to walk slowly around the garden’s edges, the design rewards close observation — each step revealing new ways the plants seem to weave together.

A Living Museum and Tranquil Oasis

Beyond its visual beauty, the Green Garden functions as both a living museum and a tranquil oasis at the heart of the Tryon Palace complex. The garden is maintained with historical accuracy — meaning that the plant selections, the spacing, the maintenance practices, and even the seasonal rotations all reflect what 18th-century gardeners would have known and practiced. For garden enthusiasts and history lovers, the result is a space that genuinely teaches as it delights.

Between the Green Garden and the Latham Garden

For visitors taking a leisurely stroll through the broader complex, it’s worth noting the lovely garden display between the Green Garden and the Latham Garden. This connecting space showcases additional plantings and design elements that complement the two formal gardens flanking it, providing a beautiful transition between two of the most distinctive landscapes on the Tryon Palace grounds.

Good to Know

Style: 18th-century English formal landscape design
Key features: Geometric parterres, gravel pathways, vibrant seasonal plantings
2018 redesign: Knot garden — intertwined plants creating the illusion of an endless cycle
Maintenance: Historical accuracy preserved throughout
Adjacent display: A beautiful garden space sits between the Green Garden and the Latham Garden
Best for: Garden enthusiasts, history lovers, photographers, and visitors who appreciate the precision of formal European garden design
Pair with: Our magnificent gardens guide and the list of gardens for a fuller look at the broader Tryon Palace garden complex
Located on the Tryon Palace grounds in downtown New Bern, NC

A Tryon Palace Highlight

The Green Garden is the kind of stop that quietly rewards visitors who appreciate the layered traditions behind a great historic landscape. The 18th-century formal design, the meticulous geometric parterres, the symbolism of the 2018 knot garden redesign, the historically accurate maintenance practices, and the beautiful connecting space leading toward the Latham Garden all add up to one of the most precisely composed gardens you can visit anywhere on the Tryon Palace grounds. Whether you’re a serious garden enthusiast, a history-lover, or just looking for a contemplative moment between Palace tours, this is one of the most rewarding stops you can make in Craven County.