Photo by Brian Gassel/TVS Designs

12. Sir Walter

A few days into the 2009 Garden Writers Symposium in Raleigh, North Carolina, a fellow garden writer glanced up at the statue in front of the convention centre that we’d passed about a million times and realized it was Sir Walter Raleigh. I’m not sure what took us so long to make the connection between the city we were visiting and Q.E. I’s infamous explorer and wouldn-be colonist, but once the penny dropped, we discovered a plethora of allusions to the city’s namesake, including the surreal Sir Walter Wrap at Sam & Wally’s Eatery. But of all things Raleigh-esque, I’ll most remember walking through the historic Oakwood neighbourhood to attend the TweetUp that took place in one of the neighbourhood’s charming gardens, sampling Raleigh-style barbecue at the JC Raulston Arboretum and tasting scuppernongs at the Raleigh Farmer’s Market. Thanks, Raleigh, for hosting such a great symposium!