He engaged a number of architects and engineers to fulfill his dream, including Buckenham & Miller, James Leal Greenleaf and Ellen Biddle Shipman.

Starting in 1958 she created and designed over a five-year period a unique botanical display in the Horace Trumbauer conservatory and greenhouses known as Duke Gardens.

In the process of rehabilitation, numerous invasive foreign plants were removed, including Norwegian maple and Asian Ailanthus, and replaced by native species.

After a $45-million renovation, Duke Farms now serves as an environmental center that "aims to inspire people to become guardians of the planet, and to be a free, inclusive, accessible resource for helping everyone find their place in nature.

"[13] Duke Farms' restored habitats now include 30 endangered species and 230 varieties of birds, among which are the great blue heron and the bald eagle.