Founded in 1952, the Harbor Island Garden Club is celebrating its 70^thAnniversary this year. The grandest accomplishment of the club is creating Harbor Way Gardens in 2005. The Town of Wrightsville Beach donated the land for the garden, and the club went to work making it beautiful. Located on the west end of Wrightsville Beach Park, and occupying a prominent presence on The Loop, the one-acre garden has become a destination and an oasis from the island heat and is a quiet place to reflect and enjoy native plants and flowers.

 Harbor Way Gardens is also the only public garden in North Carolina to have Witherspoon Roses. The main arbor leading into the garden is often decorated for holidays and special events and greets visitors coming over the drawbridge. In October, Breast Cancer Awareness month, the arbor is decorated with pink ribbons each bearing the name of a survivor, or someone lost too soon to this disease.

In 2012, Harbor Island Garden Club dedicated the Children's Fountain in Harbor Way Gardens. The multi-spray fountain provides much needed relief from the hot North Carolina heat and a calming place to reflect.  Kids of all ages can run through the reclaimed water spouting from the ground most days of the year. It’s also a favorite spot for many four-legged friends!

In 2017, Harbor Island Garden Club changed its official club flower to the Gaillardia. Native to the southeast, the blanket flower perennial is related to the sunflower.  Harbor Way Gardens has many unique and special spots along the winding paths.  You might meet a gnome coming out of his home, or pause to reflect on some history such as the garden marker honoring Dr. Sidbury, founder of the historic Baby’s Hospital. No matter what you discover along the many paths, your journey will be better for it. Harbor Way Gardens is a magical place and Wrightsville Beach is fortunate to have it in our midst.