Located in Rockingham County, Virginia, Boxerwood Gardens is a botanical garden. The nearest town is Harrisonburg, about 4.1 km (2.5 mi) away (Boxerwood Gardens lies NNE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Boxerwood Nature Center and Woodland Garden is a 15-acre (6.1 ha) arboretum featuring both native and unusual plant specimens, located within a larger preserve at 963 Ross Road near Lexington in Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States in the Shenandoah Valley. Established as a private garden in 1952, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. The Arboretum contains thousands of labeled trees and shrubs, including 1,300 cultivars, with fine collections of dwarf conifers, magnolias, dogwoods, rhododendrons, azaleas and Japanese maples.From the Wikipedia article “Boxerwood Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Boxerwood Gardens the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 59° ENE | 8:44 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 120° ESE | 4:59 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 29m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 30m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Boxerwood Gardens, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:12 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:51 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:56 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 4:17 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:39 PM – 3:49 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:22 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:50 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 10:25 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:06 PM – 8:26 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.2 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 72 | 73 | 78 | 87 | 93 | 96 | 101 | 98 | 97 | 95 | 80 | 77 |
| Low °F | -3 | -3 | -6 | 22 | 27 | 39 | 50 | 49 | 36 | 23 | 13 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this botanical garden
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Boxerwood Gardens, closest first.
Botanical Garden
National Forest
Cave
CaveCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Boxerwood Gardens?
What time is golden hour at Boxerwood Gardens?
Where does the sun rise and set at Boxerwood Gardens?
Can you see the Milky Way from Boxerwood Gardens?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Boxerwood Gardens?
How far is Boxerwood Gardens from Harrisonburg?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.