History

A.J. Fletcher

Capitol Broadcasting Company founder A.J. Fletcher created the WRAL Gardens as a service to the community. The WRAL Gardens opened to the public in 1959, three years after WRAL-TV went on the air as the first UHF station in Raleigh. The WRAL Gardens surround WRAL-TV's studios on Western Boulevard in Raleigh , NC .

“I did it because I knew it would be beautiful,” said Fletcher of his beloved gardens. “It was simply my way of paying a tribute to beauty for beauty's sake.”

Fletcher loved azaleas and enjoyed finding new varieties to enjoy. He decided to share that passion with the general public, personally overseeing the installation of a thousand azaleas to create the gardens.

A.J. Fletcher stands in front of the fountain (since removed) in the Azalea Gardens

The 5-acre property containing WRAL-TV's studios, the corporate offices of Capitol Broadcasting Company and the WRAL Gardens sits on the corner of Western Blvd and Avent Ferry Road , only a few miles from downtown Raleigh. The gardens now sit adjacent to the new Centennial Parkway as well.

CBC Corporate Secretary Scottie Stephenson told a story of the depth of Fletcher's devotion to the gardens. Before a ceremony to dedicate the new station building in the spring of 1959, Raleigh experienced three straight nights of cold but not quite freezing weather. When Stephenson arrived for work the morning of the ceremony, the administration building looked like “an octopus” with hoses running out all of the doors. A.J. Fletcher was running warm water from the janitor's closet to the fledgling azaleas.

“I don't think he spared the horses much when it came to landscaping,” she said.

A flip-down mailer from the 1960s featuring the Azalea Gardens

The WRAL Gardens showcase a full range of flowering and non-flowering plant materials that are typical in a Southern garden. Featured plants include azaleas, dogwoods, rhododendrons, deciduous azaleas and the beginnings of a new collection of hydrangeas.

The 1970 Raleigh phone book featured the Azalea Gardens on the cover

The gardens underwent major renovation during the early 2000's as the TV studio building expanded. A new fountain and walkway in front of the station now open to a view above the gardens, and numerous planters and beds around the buildings tie the architecture into the natural landscape. The faux tower in the fountain seemingly emits a signal in arcs of paving stones and flower beds that extend down to the main plat of the WRAL Gardens .

In 2003, the WRAL Gardens received the Tree & Landscape Conservation award from the 21st Annual Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Community Appearance.

As greenspace in the Triangle becomes harder and harder to find, the WRAL Gardens serve as a sanctuary from the clogged city streets, miles of concrete and high rise buildings, and the general hustle and bustle of the rat race. The lush vegetation of the gardens can quickly envelope each visitor, providing a haven that seems far away from the maddening crowd.

This 1960s Postcard referred to the "Channel 5 Gardens"

CBC Corporate Property Management oversees maintenance of gardens, planting a seasonal rotation of annual and perennial borders. With active input from Fletcher's grandson CBC President & CEO Jim Goodmon they constantly work to introduce new varieties of plants to complement the hedges of azaleas and pleasantly surprise visitors with visual treats.