Mabry Mill On The Blue Ridge Parkway

Mabry Mill

Mabry Mill is among the most photogenic stops on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Last month, a leisurely drive took me to Mabry Mill in Meadows of Dan, Virginia. It was an easy detour from a few of those towns in northern North Carolina I had been exploring. During this pandemic, with social distancing in mind, day trips are pleasant diversions. My mother and I called them “mental health drives”.

I’ve spent the past few months looking for property with more sun, more space, and no homeowners’ association. The goal: large gardens for pollinators, butterflies, and birds. Raise greens and vegetables, and maybe a dog. Fix it up while working part-time? Open a little plant shop? The possibilities are exciting! With the vaccine apparently a likelihood, maybe more properties will soon come to the market.

For years, the western part of North Carolina was the location of choice. But, for the past month or so, I’ve widened the search to include counties in the northern part of the state. Lovely area, beautiful terrain, home to several vineyards. This is where people waved from their riding mowers as I drove by.

Getting to Mabry Mill

Driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The mill is located at milepost 176.1 (watch for signs) on the Blue Ridge Parkway and is administered by the National Park Service. This is a truly memorable drive and part of the National Scenic Byways system. The Blue Ridge Parkway winds 469 miles through the southern Appalachian Mountains. Elevations range from 649′ near the James River, Virginia, up to 6053′ on the slope of Richland Balsam Mountain (milepost 431) in North Carolina.

The Parkway connects the eastern side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles the border between Tennessee and North Carolina, and Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. It continues northward as Skyline Drive, from where it intersects with U.S. Interstate 64 near Afton VA, to Front Royal VA. The Blue Ridge Mountains are part of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain.

But don’t expect to whiz by at interstate speeds; this is a slower road, with over 380 stopping points. There are many intersections along the faster U.S. or state highways where you can pick up a local stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway. And gas up the car before reaching the Parkway because there are no filling stations on this road.

Caution

Keep in mind that people live and work here, so there might be farm vehicles on or crossing the Parkway. And check with the National Park Service to see if hazardous conditions or inclement weather might have closed parts of the Parkway.

Camera’s Ready

Trail’s cabin.

Very picturesque. The entire area presents scenes of astonishing beauty, with views of pastoral landscapes, deep valleys, and mountain vistas. If you need to get away from it all, come to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The “blue” in Blue Ridge derives from the Cherokee Indian description for the mountains, an area they and their ancestors have inhabited for over 10,000 years. Their term translates to “land of blue mist”. Isoprene compounds (hydrocarbons) are released from and protect the trees in hot sun, cloaking the distant hills in a bluish haze. The Mohawk, Iroquois, and Shawnee also inhabited this mountain chain, with the Cherokee centered around the Great Smoky Mountains at the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This was my second visit to Mabry Mill, and I had a particular goal in mind: pictures of fall foliage! Although there was some color in the trees and shrubs, the bright reds and oranges of sourwood and maple, and the glowing gold of hickory, had already passed. A gentleman in the restaurant informed me that, just a few days prior to my visit, a wicked wind had stripped much of the fall color from the trees.

Photographers after the perfect shot of the mill and its reflection waited for the pond water to stop rippling after a young boy had stirred it up. But no one complained. He was having a great time! A few of us exchanged “Oh well” glances, and made sure we were positioned to capture the moment.

Entering the grounds of Mabry Mill.

Building Mabry Mill

Edwin B. Mabry and his wife, Mintoria Elizabeth (“Lizzie”), had acquired the property and water rights around 1905, and finished construction of the gristmill three years later. By 1914, the gristmill, the sawmill, and blacksmith and woodworking shops were providing services for residents living in the area. A sorghum evaporator and the remains of the whiskey still also can be seen.

A flume channeling water toward the mill.

Mabry built a system of concrete tributaries, which collected water from streams above the mill, and directed it toward the wooden flumes (photo, right). Those flumes, in turn, channeled water toward the race, which fed water to the overshot waterwheel.

Because the water flowed slowly, the gristmill (called a “slow grinder”) ground corn with less friction, preventing the grain from overheating and burning. This earned the Mabrys a reputation in the region for producing products of excellent quality.

A few years after the mill and the shops were operating, around 1918, the Mabrys built their new home. It has since been replaced with a wooden structure once owned by the Marshall family (photo, below). The house on the site was built in 1869 near Galax, and donated to the National Park Service in 1956.

The old Marshall house.

The National Park Service

The Parkway’s construction began in 1935 at Cumberland Knob, milepost 218, just south of the border between North Carolina and Virginia. In 1938, two years after Ed Mabry died, the National Park Service purchased Mabry Mill.

Restoration of the historically significant mill and other buildings was completed in 1942. By then, gristmills had been rendered obsolete by more efficient large-scale milling operations and transportation networks that shipped products throughout the country.

The site is home to the restored mill, the wooden residence, and the workshops. This property includes short walking trails, a restaurant, and a gift shop, where you can pick up publications and maps. The restaurant closes for the season in early November, so check first if you’re hungering for their famous pancakes.

On certain days through the year, the National Park Service conducts craft demonstrations recounting ways of the past. They also bring in live musical performances to entertain visitors. The day I was there, Park Rangers Chris and Tabitha welcomed questions and shared information about how residents met the many challenges presented to them at that time. Each year, hundreds of thousands of travelers from around the world stop at the mill.

: Park Ranger Tabitha explained different uses for various kinds of baskets.

: Park Ranger Chris demonstrated dying wool, using pokeberry, indigo, jewel weed, and goldenrod.

Seeing how others lived just 100 years ago gives me renewed appreciation for our more modern conveniences. Now that my mother has passed, I enthusiastically look forward to life in a more rural location…one with those modern conveniences.

Farther Up the Road

yellow flowers of witch hazel at Mabry Mill

Native witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, in bloom at the mill.

In no rush to get home, I drove for another two hours or so, northward on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There was so much to see; each stop had its own unique view or plant life or structure to learn about. Trail’s Cabin, Shortt’s Knob Overlook, Rocky Knob, Rakes’ Mill Pond…and that’s only one small segment. Informative signs provide more details at the various sites.

“There’s something for everyone” along the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you’re curious about the history of a region or its natural wonders, if you enjoy photography or painting, bicycling or walking the trails, it’s all here. Check before you go to see when campgrounds, visitor centers, and picnic locations will be open.

Within a few miles of the Parkway are hundreds of attractions, including museums, folk art centers, performance theaters, lodging, restaurants, water sports, caverns, and fishing opportunities. Enjoy the friendly vibe or the local craftwork in any of the quaint shopping districts not far from the Parkway.

Biodiversity

The Parkway accommodates tremendous biodiversity. According to one pamphlet, 159 kinds of birds nest along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and dozens more migrate through it. 130 species of trees, 1600 kinds of plants, and 74 kinds of mammals (including bears) live here. Near one of the gorges, a sign indicates that 25 species of native ferns inhabit that area.

More than 50 species of threatened or endangered plants occupy terrain around the Parkway, so tread respectfully.

Among the oldest land formations on earth, the Appalachians got their start 1.1 billion years ago. From that time up to around 250 million years ago, European and North American tectonic plates collided, pushing up this mountain range that stretches from Pennsylvania to Georgia.

The Appalachians once were as high as the Rocky Mountains, but erosion slowly reduced their elevation. Now, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi River is Mount Mitchell, reaching 6684′, near milepost 350, west of Old Fort NC. These cooler mountain tops support evergreen spruce-fir ecosystems, also found in the northern United States and Canada, while mixed hardwood forests occupy the lower elevations.

As rivers and streams shaped the surface of the land, pockets of territory became isolated from each other. Smaller “niche” ecosystems evolved, each with its own assortment of organisms. Geographic isolation and a great deal of time are the primary drivers behind speciation. One kind of salamander might inhabit a particular streamside location, but not occur anywhere else in the world, not even over the next ridge.

From the first superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Stanley Abbott:

“A parkway like Blue Ridge has but one reason for existence, which is to please by revealing the charm and interest of the native American countryside.”

Modern living continues to extract more land for housing, transportation, and commerce. But, with conservation of natural habitats, the National Park Service has protected vulnerable ecosystems for wildlife and preserved the history and character of the region for all to see.

: Near Shortt’s Knob Overlook.

: Woolly bear caterpillar–larva of Isabella tiger moth. No, it cannot predict winter weather.

: Fall blooming native aster (Curtis’ aster, A. curtisii–?).

: One of several lichen species on these ancient rocks.

If you’d like to read another article about gristmills, this one at The Farm In My Yard describes one that is still working in North Carolina, and dates from pre-Revolutionary War days: The Old Mill of Guilford. (Try their gingerbread mix!)

2020: The Year That Wasn’t?

Kim’s pumpkin pie.

Well, it’s almost over. We have the holidays to look forward to, right? Oh wait; here, we can’t gather indoors in groups numbering more than 10… Some areas are discouraging any kind of indoor celebration. I wonder what most American families will do.

There will be turkey roasting in the oven while freshly baked pumpkin pies cool on the counter. We’ll celebrate Thanksgiving (400th year since the Mayflower) and Christmas, although new traditions—new ways of gathering—might be born. (With respect due the native Indian cultures, I acknowledge that not everyone celebrates this day.)

How will your holidays look different this year?

Such misery this pandemic has caused many millions of us: jobs lost, loved ones lost, businesses closed, weddings postponed, school children missing out. The good news on the radio this morning announced another pharmaceutical company that has developed a vaccine for the virus. If it’s safe and effective, sign me up.

If all we can do is gather outdoors, then so it shall be. No problem; I’ll gather the camera and some snacks, and be off to some not-too-distant location…somewhere in nature, which, for me, never fails to rejuvenate.

This has been a difficult year for all of us, all around the globe. Good days are on the horizon, though, and I wish you happiness and good health. There’s still so much to be grateful for. Let’s celebrate that.

Northern North Carolina.

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Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, in Belmont NC

Feb26

2020

A Visit to Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

A few days ago, I visited the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, in charming Belmont, North Carolina. In 1991, Daniel Stowe, a textile industry executive, and his wife, Alene, dedicated 380 acres to this natural showcase. They developed themed gardens and installed spectacular fountains among meadows, woodland, and lakefront property.

This is a relatively young horticultural destination, which opened in 1999 with the 13,500 square foot Robert Lee Stowe Visitor Pavilion. Individuals and groups can reserve spacious rooms for weddings, luncheons, and corporate events. Stop by The Garden Store for a book, a bottle of wine, or that special botanical gift. Or perhaps you need a snack to fuel further exploration.

DSBG offers educational opportunities for adults and children throughout the year. “Holidays at the Garden” is a magical event for everyone. For information regarding hours, event planning, special displays, and classes, contact www.DSBG.org.

The Orchid Conservatory

Orchids at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.

Not far from the Pavilion, inside The Orchid Conservatory (2008), a photographer snapped pre-wedding photographs of the bride-to-be. Behind her, water splashed down the stone wall, and orchids bloomed and scented the air. Perfect setting!

Several tables and chairs outside on the patio invite visitors to recharge in the winter sunshine. Visitors may picnic anywhere in Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, amid birdsong and seasonal color.

Activities centered on orchids—the show, educational presentations, and the sale—take place during the first three months of the year. A schedule of events can be found on the website.

I cannot provide the botanical names of the orchids, but will supply photographs…

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, air plants

Many species and varieties of Tillandsia, or air plants, growing in the orchid house.

Theme Gardens

Fountain in Ragan Canal Garden.

New features continue to add to the garden’s vision of instilling an appreciation of nature. In Lost Hollow: The Kimbrell Children’s Garden (2014), children “of all ages” play and create adventures. They can indulge an active imagination among the trees and trails, the Moonkeep, an amphitheater, and around the sunken pond. So cute, the children’s smiles.

Be sure to bring the camera, as there are delights at every step. Paved walkways and forest paths direct visitors from one garden room to the next. There’s the Nellie Rhyne Stowe White Garden, the Cottage Garden, and a Four Seasons Garden. Follow the 100-yard-long water feature in the Ragan Canal Garden to the great water fountain at the end.

Beyond the fountain is the Piedmont Prairie Garden (2018). Here are native grasses, perennials, and other plants that lived in this area 200 years ago. The Magnolia Allée, more water features, and the Conifer Garden stretch into the distance, approaching Lake Wylie.

sculpture by Gary Lee Price at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Gary Lee Price sculpture, “Child of Peace”, in a bed of crape myrtles and dwarf mondo grass.

The Carolina Thread Trail

From the Persimmon Trail, off the parking lot, you can connect with the Carolina Thread Trail, maintained by the Catawba Lands Conservancy. Part of this path follows the edge of Lake Wylie.

The Carolina Thread Trail consists of 260 miles of public and private properties that connect people and communities over 15,000 acres of protected Southern Piedmont terrain. The master plan calls for including more than 1600 miles of trails and blueways.

Stickwork by Patrick Dougherty

brochure, Patrick Dougherty stickwork at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

DSBG’s brochure, Patrick Dougherty’s Stickwork.

Take a look at the photographs, hanging in the Pavilion, of the fascinating work by North Carolina resident, Patrick Dougherty.

His work is commissioned all around the world, and one of his larger-than-life sapling sculptures stands on the grounds of DSBG. Walk through the Pavilion, exit the back door, then turn right. “The Magnificent Seven”, seven huge woven urns, complete with fenestration, dominates the vista beyond the pergola. I don’t know how long it will last.

Typical for gardeners, two acquaintances and I speculated whether the twigs might root in the ground and leaf out in spring. We looked for willow stems, which could root. “Oh, look…do those buds look like they’re swelling to you?” Alas, I couldn’t squeeze just one more picture out of the camera…not one.

Near Lost Hollow, a sinuous bundle of sticks snakes its way through the trees, passing under a small bridge. Not only does this sculpture (done by DSBG, I assume) provide a quirky element on the daffodil-dotted slope, but it also holds back topsoil and leafy mulch that could erode downhill. Plus, birds, insects, and other critters might find refuge there during winter months. This can be done by anyone, maybe on a smaller scale, and would be a great fall or winter project.

Information

The DSBG website lists all coming events and details, and the fee schedule for admission to the garden.

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

6500 S. New Hope Rd., Belmont NC 28012

704 825-4490

: Vanilla, the second most expensive spice.

: Variegated vanilla orchid.

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Tornado in Matthews NC! Time for Smaller Trees?

Feb13

2020

Updated 11/4/2024

An old oak tree felled by the Matthews tornado.

Tornado!

I’ve been out of town for a few days, visiting family in New Jersey. On the return drive, the weather report on Charlotte’s WBT radio warned of impassable flooded streets and a tornado that had toppled old oaks and mature maples near my home, in Matthews, and in nearby towns. Over 3″ of rain fell last Thursday, swelling streams and rivers and saturating the ground. When the soil is that wet, it becomes more fluid; a brisk wind can push over 200-year-old trees.

Rot inside the trunk, a weak spot.

And that’s just what happened. Shallowly rooted evergreens and even perfectly healthy bare trees couldn’t stand up to the sustained high winds. Trees with rotten cores (photo, right) fell over at ground level or shattered some distance up the trunk. Healthy or somewhat compromised—it didn’t seem to matter. Tornadoes choose their victims indiscriminately.

On Friday, I drove around and saw those damaged trees, twisted and gnarled, some sheared of all their branches and leaves. On Pineville-Matthews Rd., the junipers, cypresses, and evergreen magnolias fell like dominoes, one against the next. For all the beauty Nature reveals to us, there’s always the flip side, too—devastation and death.

Police were out directing traffic. Stoplights were dark, and trees leaned on overhead wires. When this happens, remember to observe local laws. Here, we treat an intersection with a non-functioning stoplight as a 4-way stop. I was pleased to see cars on the main road come to a stop to allow vehicles lined up on the side streets their chance to proceed.

The main roads had been cleared of debris, but some of the side streets were still littered with limbs, piles of greenery, parts of roofs and fences, and road signs.

Aftermath of the Tornado

After the tornado, something will benefit and grow after the wreckage has been removed. Shrubs and flowers shaded by the thickening canopy will be reinvigorated by brighter light. And, of course, more weeds will grace our gardens.

Sure, we’ll have to move the shade lovers to more appropriate locations, or plant a new tree. Residents whose homes border main thoroughfares will reestablish screening plants that provide a measure of privacy. The silver lining in this cloud could also mean more fruitful harvests from our blueberry bushes and vegetable gardens. But certainly, we’ll miss our trees.

Half the tree landed on this house in Matthews NC.

Roots or Consequences

Checking the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) website confirmed the presence of a few tornadoes in the Carolinas on February 6, 2020. Around 12:15 p.m., an EF1 tornado cut a swath 150 yards wide and 17½ miles long south of Charlotte, from Pineville to Matthews. It lasted 16 minutes, with winds that reached 95 miles per hour.

Warm moist air masses clashed with strong cooler fronts, setting this severe weather pattern into motion. Local media recorded some of the devastation.

There were no deaths in this area, although two casualties, unfortunately, were reported elsewhere in North Carolina. I spoke with a man in Matthews, who said his aunt and uncle were in the room right below where part of a tree trunk had crashed through the roof. They were not injured, thankfully, but the Fire Department declared the home unsafe to occupy (photo, above).

Pancakes

It’s incredible, when viewing the uprooted plants, that almost all the tree roots are in the top foot or 18″ of the soil. You’d think these 50′ or 80′ tall trees would have deep roots that anchor them to the ground, but most do not.

Compacted soil, bedrock, and natural growth patterns for the species keep the roots shallow. And there is more of the necessary oxygen, fertility, and microbial activity closer to the surface. So, tree roots spread out from the trunk in search of water and nutrients, extending beyond the drip line.

When the force of the wind is stronger than the ability of the tree’s roots to hold it in place against resistance, the tree will succumb. Plants might hold up at first, but, after a while, trees can begin to fall over.

: A toppled tree in Matthews, with a 10′ wide “pancake” of roots.

: Three 40′ tall pine trees in the Raintree area.

Time for a Tree Check-Up

A huge tree, at least 100 years old.

This might be a good time for a tree health check-up from a licensed arborist. Granted, there are no guarantees. But a trained specialist can see aspects of the tree’s growth that could indicate the likelihood of trouble in the future. Pruning trees properly when they’re young and as they grow, if they need pruning at all, will improve their branching structure for decades to come.

The arborist might find decay where a few trunks come together 30′ from the ground. This is where leaves and water might have been collecting for years, eventually rotting the bark. Decay then spreads deeper into the interior wood. Also, as trunks and large congested branches grow in girth, they compete with each other, compromising transport of water and nutrients, and, therefore, structure and strength. Many of the trees that came down in this tornado had rotten cores.

A topped tree, showing weak epicormic shoots.

Another weak point occurs where several stems grow as a result of topping or heading back the trunk or side branches. Those epicormic shoots (photo, above) have feeble connections to the wood and compete with each other. Most of them fall from the tree over time. Never top a tree! It’s a difficult decision to make, but you’re probably better off replacing large trees that have outlived their usefulness (too large, too close to the house, cracking the foundation) instead of topping them.

Girdling root on maple tree and no trunk flare.

Another clue to look for is a missing flare. That part of the trunk looks flat (vertical) where it descends into the ground. This usually indicates a girdling root or some other obstruction underground, and possibly a sparse root system on that side. Rocks and soil discarded against a tree trunk can cause problems later.

Mother Nature does not issue guarantees. Sturdy trees that give no indication that anything is wrong can blow over in high winds, regardless of the care it has been receiving.

Trees for Shade

In areas with hot summers, such as here in the Carolinas, we love our trees. We value our family’s lives and the integrity of our homes, of course, so it makes sense to evaluate the plants on our properties, especially those standing close to structures.

Certainly, a mature tree canopy helps reduce energy bills and adds aesthetic value. But ignoring unhealthy trees or pruning them improperly can be very costly in the long run.

Alternatives to Towering Trees

Magnolia Flowers Plant Petals - ottawagraphics / Pixabay

Small to medium-sized cultivars of magnolia are suitable for most home landscapes.

Although you might be inclined to replace a dead tree with the same species, now is the perfect time to reconsider that choice. Visit a reputable garden center and ask the tree expert for recommendations. ‘Bradford’ pear? Silver maple? Weeping willow? No thanks!

There are many other options that will fit better in your landscape. Find species with strong branch attachments, and those that won’t litter the ground and fill the gutters with twigs or fruits every time a breeze blows through the neighborhood.

Landscape Considerations

Always look at the scale of the site, how your home fits into the local surroundings. A 3-story Victorian could look lovely framed by a natural stand of stately scarlet oaks. If they’re growing 15′ from the sunroom, you could enjoy the shade for 10 years or even 50. But a microburst or a tornado could send tons of wood hurtling toward Logan’s antique Firebird…or your home.

It’s safer to locate the tallest trees much farther from the house. Then you won’t have to deal with the oak trees’ acorns in the driveway every year.

Ask about native trees and shrubs, although there are so many beautiful exotic species I must have. Each species has many cultivars to choose from. If one tree doesn’t seem substantial enough, plant three or five of them in a raised bed, properly spaced. Perhaps large shrubs will work better for your situation or in tight spaces.

Add drifts of small shrubs, perennials, groundcovers, a patch of colorful annuals, and spring flowering bulbs for a complete garden. Mulch to suppress weeds, conserve moisture, and prevent erosion.

A Short List of Small to Medium-Sized Trees

Check with local garden centers, agricultural extension offices, botanical gardens, and native plant societies for suggestions. Here are several of the species (native and non-native) that grow in this part of North Carolina:

American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana)
Birch (Betula ‘Whitespire Senior’ and others)
Carolina silverbell (Halesia)
Chaste tree (Vitex)
Chinese pistache (Pistache chinensis)
Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)
Dwarf evergreen magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’)
Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Flowering dogwood (Cornus spp.)
Fringe tree (Chionanthus spp.)
Full-moon maple (Acer japonicum)
Golden chain tree (Laburnum)
Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)
Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonica)
Lilac (Syringa)
Magnolia (Magnolia spp.)
Paperbark maple (Acer griseum)
Parrotia (Parrotia persica)
Peanut butter tree (Clerodendrum trichotomum, can be invasive)
Serviceberry (Amelanchier)
Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum)
Stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia)
Witch hazel (Hamamelis spp.)
Smaller varieties of oak, birch, maple, tupelo, plum, crabapple, cherry, conifers.

Do Your Research

Research cold/heat hardiness (USDA plant hardiness zones), disease resistance, forms and colors that enhance your property’s appearance, and seeds or fruits that feed wildlife. Include some natives in your garden to support diversity of local insect and animal species.

: One of the small cherry trees.

: Japanese snowbell, Styrax cultivar.

: Fall color of crape myrtle.

Severe weather events can cause considerable damage to our homes. Each year, they claim human lives. The cost for cleaning up and repairing the damage is quite high, but, of course, some of the losses we can’t recover.

The United States leads the world in the number of tornadoes, averaging more than 1,000 annually. North Carolina averages 22 per year. The states with the highest number of tornadoes, in descending order, are Texas (135/year), Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Iowa.

Although a tornado will alter the look of our landscape, this is an opportunity to view it with a fresh perspective. Looking into the future, planting smaller trees and shrubs appropriate for the site might prevent the heartache of real loss.

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Pumpkins At The Union Market

Oct30

The Union Market, a Local Favorite

Anyone traveling on Providence Rd. south from Charlotte toward Waxhaw, North Carolina, is familiar with this roadside market. Union Market carries vegetables and greens from local farms, freshly-cut herbs (in season), fruits from orchards nearby, Duke’s breads, and a selection of refrigerated meats, dairy products, and prepared meals. (In order to stock a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, though, they are sometimes brought in from elsewhere. But the emphasis is on fresh, locally grown produce.)

I sometimes buy heirloom tomatoes (‘Cherokee Purple’ and ‘Pineapple’), sweet peppers and cucumbers before mine are ready, cantaloupe, and a loaf of rye bread. After the Christmas trees and greens, they’ll close for the winter for a well-deserved rest.

Now, of course, it’s pumpkin season! You can hunt for the perfect pumpkin, or for one that’s not so perfect. This year, there’s a huge one tucked into the autumn vignette, weighing in at almost 400 pounds.

The biggest one on the lot.

So, you can carve your terrier’s smile, a grim monster, or a psychopathic clown face into your pumpkin. But don’t delay; Halloween is here! Union market has lots of pumpkins and squashes to choose from—the pinkish ‘Porcelain Doll’, the striped ‘Speckled Hound’, and the bumpy ‘Knuckle Head’… Small ones, big ones, smooth ones, warty ones… Round orange, blocky pink, flattened white, orange splotched with green, and some that are kind of bluish gray…

While you’re there, pick up a bunch of corn stalks. And they have a good selection of ornamental corn—tiny ears and full-size, too.

Ready for the Holidays?

Here’s an old family recipe for pumpkin pie that uses canned pumpkin. (I’ve used fresh pumpkin, but results weren’t as good.) Delicious! My daughter, Brynn, is coming for a visit soon, so I’ll be making a couple of pumpkin pies, with homemade crust.

These autumn fruits can dress up the front door or the view out the kitchen window. They’ll last through Halloween and right up to Thanksgiving. And after Thanksgiving, it’ll be time for winter delights—garlands and lights, bows and paperwhites. And, yes, Union Market will have Christmas trees and greens.

For more information

The Union Market

Owners: David and Christine White

Address: 1316 Providence Rd. South, Waxhaw NC

Phone: (704) 843-0227

Hours: This is a 3-season market. Check the website for hours.

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South Mountains State Park, North Carolina

Oct21

Introduction to South Mountains State Park

Yesterday, I spent a couple of enjoyable hours at South Mountains State Park hoping to get some late afternoon pictures of fall color. But there wasn’t much going on quite yet. This was my first trip here, but fall foliage is a good reason to return. If you like being surrounded by nature, this is the place for you!

Poison ivy.

South Mountains State Park is the largest in North Carolina’s state park system. It is located south of Morganton, about an hour and a half northwest of Charlotte. You can hike along 50 miles of trails, enjoy camping and equestrian paths, and pack a picnic lunch. There are no designated swimming areas. But there is poison ivy (photo, right) on the ground and climbing trees, so you are advised to learn how to recognize–and avoid–it. It can cause a rash even from dormant stems.

The park comprises two separate areas:

the larger Jacob Fork Access, 3001 South Mountains State Park Ave. (S.R. 1904), Connelly Springs NC 28612 (828 433-4772)
Clear Creek Access, 5999 Branstrom Orchard St., Morganton NC 28655

More information is available from the NC Division of Parks and Recreation, Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, at south.mountains@ncparks.gov or www.ncparks.gov. Some activities require a permit and carry fees, so check first.

The Visitor Center

My first stop was at the Park Office, not far from the entrance sign, to pick up a map and purchase a couple of books (insects and butterflies) from the store. I walked through the interactive display room, with information on various topics, including watershed pollution, river basins, seasonal changes in the forest, and the 80′ tall High Shoals Falls (a strenuous hike, according to the list of Trails).

You can also learn about the unique plant and animal ecology of the Spray Cliff Community. This type of biome is rarely seen in this terrain (elevation approximately 1500′) of the North Carolina piedmont. Throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains, though, this kind of constantly wet environment is more common.

Sounds of Nature

Kids of all ages will want to press the buttons to hear the drumming of a pileated woodpecker, the call of a wild turkey, or the song of a Swainson’s warbler. And you’ll learn that just one bat can consume 3,000 insects in one night! At the exit, various brochures are available, listing, for example, wildflowers or birds of South Mountains State Park.

Going For A Walk

I asked the park ranger about hiking to High Shoals Falls, but it didn’t sound like a good idea; my knee certainly would have objected. She highlighted on the map where I could find the easy trails. The road continued downslope about a mile from the Park Office, ending in a parking lot.

Here was the beginning of the Hemlock Nature Trail and the River Trail, the two easy trails. Downstream, a fisherman cast his line for trout, and most hikers were packing up for the day. This time, I walked the gravel-and-earth-surfaced Hemlock Nature Trail, alongside Jacob Fork River, easy enough even for a wheelchair. Maybe next time I’ll try a moderately difficult trail; one can always turn around!

At intervals down the path, signs described features such as local trees, animal tracks, salamanders, rotting wood, and species of fish living in the river. And there are handrails, some benches, and a restroom on the Hemlock Nature Trail.

A Carolina wren sang nearby, accompanied by the stream’s whooshing refrain. Lovely walk, less than half a mile into the woods. I love this. The clean fresh smell of moist woods…

Death and Birth

The steep hillside across the river was home to huge evergreens, including Rhododendron maximum, and deciduous trees in various stages of succession. Big old trees claimed much of the canopy, but eventually they, too, will fall. Opportunistic saplings and forest floor flowers take advantage of the new sunlight and quickly fill the space.

: Young pine tree, lower right, growing through a sunny gap in the tree canopy.

: A low growing plant, Pipsissewa (Chimaphila maculata), and lichen.

: A rotting tree trunk.

: Rhododendron.

Why wait for a summer vacation “to get away from it all” when a trip to one of the state parks takes just an hour or two? For me, there’s no greater power than being in nature to restore feelings of wellness. I need that connection with the natural world. The sights, the smells, the music of the trees, birds, and water…nothing is more refreshing!

Hemlock, Tsuga canadensis.

forest at South mountains state park, river, rhododendrons

Riverside Rhododendrons and trees.

This mushroom gives shelter to a passing fly.

Mushrooms and Other Fungi

After the mushroom’s gills mature, the spores disperse. When the spores germinate, they grow a complex system of hyphae that absorb nutrients and water from the ground and leaf litter. The fruiting structures—the mushrooms—ensure that a new generation will continue to decompose and recycle organic matter.

The mushrooms themselves are fleeting, but the mycelium, the collective term for the branching hyphae, can live an incredibly long time, perhaps thousands of years and spreading over many square miles in undisturbed forests.

Birth, growth, maturity, procreation, death, and decomposition. It’s all part of Nature’s plan to use and to recycle nutrients, giving new life to generation after generation.

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A Trip To The Old Mill Of Guilford

Oct15

The Old Mill of Guilford, in Oak Ridge, North Carolina

A couple of weeks ago, I took a pleasant drive to a part of North Carolina that I don’t normally visit. The Old Mill of Guilford, in Oak Ridge, is a working mill an hour and a half northeast of Charlotte. It has the distinction of being one of the oldest operating gristmills in America. The mill is located at 1340 Hwy 68 North, a few miles northwest of Greensboro.

History

Before We Were The United States

Let that sink in. Before we were The United States!

After moving from Hopewell, Virginia, in 1753, Daniel Dillon settled in this area, then part of Rowan County. In 1755, a tract of 552 acres of land was surveyed for Dillon, and, in 1759, was granted to him by the Earl of Granville. On January 10, 1764, according to Rowan County records, Dillon obtained a license to build a public gristmill, to grind grain for area farmers, near the mouth of Beaver Creek.

In 1771, this area became part of Guilford County.

The American Revolution

British Successes

George Washington.

During the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), it is believed that the mill was seized by British General Charles Cornwallis, in February of 1781. Cornwallis saw earlier successes against General George Washington’s Continental Army in New Jersey, in 1776.

But, by June, 1778, the French had entered the war, in support of the Americans. So Cornwallis shifted his campaigns to the South, hoping to enlist American colonists still loyal to Great Britain and the Crown. He thought that taking the South first would make it easier to win in the North.

Cornwallis’ forces defeated American troops in several battles in the South, including the ports of Savannah, Georgia (December, 1778), and Charleston, South Carolina (May, 1780). He also fought Major General Horatio Gates at the Battle of Camden, South Carolina (August, 1780), strengthening the British hold on the South.

After Gates lost Camden, Washington replaced him with Major General Nathanael Greene to lead the Continental Army in the South.

The Tide Turns

Cornwallis’ exhausted army soon met with stronger opposition as they marched toward North Carolina. A turnaround began on October 7, 1780, when the Patriot militia defeated the Loyalists at King’s Mountain, near the border between North Carolina and South Carolina. Patriot troops surrounded and surprised British Major Patrick Ferguson’s 1200 men. Ferguson was killed after an hour’s fighting, and the Patriots claimed victory. Among the 900 Patriots was Davy Crockett’s father, John Crockett.

Greene divided his troops to force Cornwallis to battle on multiple fronts. Brigadier General Daniel Morgan defeated British forces led by Colonel Banastre Tarleton at Cowpens, South Carolina, on January 17, 1781. Cornwallis pushed into North Carolina and engaged in heavy recruiting to expand his forces. Greene was in Virginia doing likewise, before returning to North Carolina.

On March 14, 1781, Greene and his troops camped near Guilford Court House. This location is near present-day Greensboro, which later was named for General Greene. The next day, the Battle of the Guilford Court House lasted less than two hours, pitting Cornwallis’ 1900 soldiers against Greene’s 4400 troops and militia. Both sides suffered losses before Greene’s forces retreated. Cornwallis lost one fourth of his troops in that short period of time.

After decisive losses at King’s Mountain and Cowpens, and this Pyrrhic victory at Guilford Court House, Cornwallis abandoned the British campaign for the South. He and his army proceeded to Wilmington, North Carolina, to rebuild his forces. Greene moved into South Carolina, achieving a dissolution of the British hold on the South, later in 1781.

Surrounded

Cornwallis led his troops to the Virginia coast, hoping to receive backing from British General Henry Clinton’s large army in New York City, and ended up in Yorktown, in southeastern Virginia. He raided every farm he came across, stealing horses and freeing thousands of slaves, winning allegiance from many of them. General Cornwallis fortified the town, and waited for help.

In the meantime, Washington asked the Marquis de Lafayette to block Cornwallis’ escape. George Washington’s troops and the French, under Comte de Rochambeau in New York and Comte de Grasse’s fleet offshore, surrounded Cornwallis’ army. After a three-week siege, this battle effectively signaled the end of the American Revolution.

And Surrendered

After 5 years of General Cornwallis’ participation in the war, he surrendered his 8,000 British soldiers and seamen to the French and American forces at Yorktown, on October 19, 1781. He did not attend the surrender ceremony, perhaps due to illness, but sent his second-in-command, General Charles O’Hara. O’Hara presented Cornwallis’ sword to the American and French commanders.

Peace negotiations commenced in 1782, and the Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783. The United States of America now was formally recognized by Great Britain as a free and independent nation.

The Mill

Daniel Dillon’s estate, through Nathan Dillon, executor, sold the tub mill, a house, and 175 acres on Beaver Creek to Joel Sanders (also seen as Saunders) in 1808 for $900. Records indicate that Sanders owned two other mills on Deep River, in Guilford County. Sanders moved the mill 500′ downstream; the original mill now sits in the mill pond.

Through the early 1800’s, the mill changed hands from the Dillon family to the Sanders family. In 1869, R.A. Blalock, for $2250, purchased a half interest in the mill and 197.25 acres. James A. Sanders and his wife, Ella, sold the other half of the mill and 197.25 acres, in 1872, to John M. Brittain for $2500. In 1875, Brittain bought Blalock’s interest for $2350.

Ownership of the mill continued under the R.M. Stafford family, and then the Johnsons, then the Baynes and Lowry (Lowery) families, the Cudes and the Beesons.

In 1912, British buttons and musket parts reportedly were found on the site when the dam washed away. The next year, in 1913, K.L. Hendrix (Hendricks) bought the mill. Undocumented information indicates that the mill was converted to a roller mill, replacing the less durable wooden water wheels.

Around 1928, a metal pipe was installed under the road, replacing the canal from the dam. The mill changed ownership a few times over the next quarter century, from the Hendrix family to the Staffords, and back again.

In 1954, Clarence E. Bailes and McLeod Leather Belting Co. purchased the roller mill, a power plant, and 122 acres. They replaced the roller mill machinery and the turbine with a 24′ x 4′ Fitz overshot water wheel.

Bailes made other improvements to the operation to comply with agricultural regulations, added the sales office, and built the feed mill next to the original mill. Lloyd Lucas became miller and operated the mill until his death in 1975, when the mill closed.

In Modern Times

Charles Parnell purchased the mill in 1977, renovated it, and restored its 200-year-old tradition as a water powered gristmill. He and his wife, Heidi, developed many new products, which gained national recognition for quality.

Annie Laura Perdue spent years training as a miller under Mr. Parnell. When both of the Parnells died in 2007, she took over as miller.

The mill currently is powered by electricity, as the metal pipe that carries water from the mill pond needs to be replaced. Although the mill has experienced many changes over the centuries, some original parts, including structural timbers, still remain in the building.

In 2008, Amy and Darrell Klug bought The Old Mill of Guilford. Annie Laura continues to this day as miller, with help from community volunteers. The Old Mill of Guilford brochure, compiled by Jack L. Perdue, concludes with this succinct missive: “The Klugs continue to introduce new products, maintain the historical integrity of the mill, and enhance the mill’s reputation for high quality, natural stone ground products.”

Products

The Old Mill of Guilford’s website lists many locations in North Carolina where their products are sold. (Yes, they can ship them to you!) And, of course, you’re welcome to purchase directly from the mill store. It’s open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can find outlets carrying the mill’s flours and mixes in other states, as well, including Virginia, California, South Dakota, and Texas.

This is a privately owned operation, so your patronage is kindly appreciated.

Think: Gifts! Stocking stuffers! Must warm up the oven once in a while!

: The Mill Store.

: Locally made jams, jellies, and other items.

: Wheat and one of the old timbers.

: A grindstone and the feed mill.

The Mill Store has grits and flours of all kinds (including rye), steel cut oats, gingerbread mix, lemon poppyseed and sweet potato biscuit mixes. Buttermilk and apple cinnamon pancake mixes, corn meal, cookie and scone mixes. But there’s so much more! The store, conveniently located right next to the gristmill, offers 50 or so all natural ground products, with no preservatives. You’ll also find local jams and honey, bean soup mixes, locally made crafts, and even a jigsaw puzzle featuring The Old Mill of Guilford.

Annie Laura and volunteer Carola were there to answer all my questions, as they packaged and labeled the mill’s products.

Carola and Annie Laura at the Old Mill of Guilford

Carola, left, and Annie Laura at work.

The Old Mill of Guilford is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It would be a great day trip with the kids, a camera, or an easel and canvas. Since semi-retiring, I love finding places like this.

Today, it’s so easy to put bread on the table, but imagine how complicated it was 200 years ago. And who doesn’t miss the smell of freshly baked bread or muffins? With cold weather about to make its debut in the coming days, this is a great time to bake something. Mmmm…gingerbread!

Phone: (336) 643-4783, Amy and Darrell Klug.

Email: info@oldmillofguilford.com.

Website: www.oldmillofguilford.com.

Address: 1340 Hwy 68 N, Oak Ridge, NC 27310.

An article about another gristmill can be found here: Mabry Mill On The Blue Ridge Parkway, in Meadows of Dan, Virginia. It’s part of the National Park Service.

The Old Mill of Guilford.

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To The Moon And Back: 50 Years Ago

Jul20

2019

**Fifty years ago today, NASA successfully landed the first manned expedition to the moon.**

The United States wasn’t the first, though, to send a manned spaceship into Earth’s orbit. That distinction belongs to the Soviet Union. Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1 was the first to orbit the Earth, once, on April 12, 1961. The image of the American astronauts planting the flag on the moon is indelibly fixed in our minds. But many earlier milestones laid the “groundwork” in the evolution of this remarkable achievement.

Photographed from Command Module by Pilot Michael Collins, showing Lunar Module ascending toward Command Module. Earth in distance.

The Space Age Begins

On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the world’s first artificial satellite. Sputnik I, at only 23″ in diameter and weighing 184 pounds, took 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. Soon after that first flight, Sputnik II carried a dog named Laika into space on November 3, 1957.

At the time, relations between the United States and the Soviet Union were less than cordial. The Soviet Union’s launch into space suggested the possibility of nuclear weapons transport on spacecraft. This, then, prompted the United States Defense Department to fund, with Congress’ approval, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The “Space Act” formally created NASA in July of 1958, partly to maintain our technological edge over other countries.

The Space Age had begun.

Moon Voyages: The Soviet Union and The United States

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in February, 1959, asked NASA to compile a list of military test pilots who met certain requirements. These 110 aviators were candidates under consideration for Project Mercury, the first crewed space program.

The Luna Missions

On September 13, 1959, the Soviet Union sent Luna 2, an uncrewed spacecraft, to the first impact landing on the moon’s surface. This is the first time a man-made object made contact with the moon. And on October 4, Luna 3 took the first photographs from the far side of the moon in a “fly-by”. Luna 1, earlier in 1959, failed to land. Both nations can count many losses of equipment in those early years of space exploration, but, certainly, valuable information was gained.

Alan Shepherd

Astronaut Alan Shephard was the first American to reach suborbital flight on May 5, 1961. This was less than a month after Gagarin’s historic accomplishment. Shephard flew on Freedom 7, with a Mercury-Redstone rocket.

John Glenn on his first mission.

John Glenn

Less than a year later, on February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth. He completed three orbits on board Friendship 7. The space race was underway, sparked by something said by President John F. Kennedy in a 1961 speech. He challenged us to land a man on the moon and to safely return him to Earth before the end of the decade. President Kennedy prohibited Glenn from making another space flight, in order to protect this American hero.

A few years earlier, on July 16, 1957, Glenn completed the first supersonic flight across the United States. Called Project Bullet, Glenn averaged 586 miles per hour, including three refuelings. The trip lasted 3 hours, 23 minutes, and 8.3 seconds, and the country was continuously photographed in panoramic mode.

Wally Schirra

Walter (Wally) Schirra was one of those original 110 test pilots chosen by NASA. Schirra was born on March 12, 1923, in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was raised in Oradell, where I grew up. On October 3, 1962, his first flight was designed to examine support systems of the spacecraft, Sigma 7. Another task was to test space suits. At one point, Schirra’s suit heated to 90º F, but he was able to fix the problem. On this mission, Sigma 7 orbited the Earth 6 times during a 9 hour flight.

More Firsts

The first woman in space was Valentina Tereshkova, from the Soviet Union. She flew on Vostok 6, on June 16, 1963. By the end of 1963, the United States had launched two astronauts into suborbital flights and four into orbit.

On December 4, 1965, Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford began a two-week mission aboard Gemini 7. During the flight, Schirra injected a little levity by reporting a UFO sighting to Houston Mission Control. He implied that he had seen Santa Claus. The joke came with sound effects, as Schirra played “Jingle Bells” on the harmonica he had smuggled aboard. Stafford also had a part to play–ringing the sleigh bells!

Schirra was the only astronaut to have flown in 3 NASA programs–Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. The borough of Oradell, New Jersey, celebrated his accomplishments with a joyous red-white-and-blue parade down Kinderkamack Road to Oradell Avenue. Yes, I was there.

A park at that intersection must have a plaque commemorating his achievements; I’ll check next time I visit. (***Update***: Yes, there’s a plaque. Below is the town park, at the intersection of Oradell Ave. and Kinderkamack Rd.; the plaque sits at the base of the flag. August 13, 2019.)

Harry Carlisle, my father and a professional photographer, compiled an exhaustive pictorial account of Wally Schirra’s work in the space program. He donated it to the Oradell Public Library…from where it promptly was stolen.

Schirra Park in Oradell NJ.

Successes and Tragic Failures

After a few failures in the unmanned U.S. Pioneer program, the Ranger mission first impacted the moon on January 30, 1964. A series of successful crash impacts and soft landings (1964-1965) yielded many thousands of photographs.

The Soviet Union’s Alexei Leonov performed the first space walk on March 8, 1965. In 1966, the U.S.S.R. made the first soft landing on the moon. Their Luna 9 and Luna 13 missions sent the first pictures from the lunar surface.

The U.S. Surveyor 5 mission took tens of thousands of photographs. It also made the first use of an Alpha scatter soil composition monitor, on September 8, 1967. This device analyzed soil composition to help determine safe landing spots on the lunar surface.

Apollo 1

After the successful Mercury and Gemini missions, the Apollo program was designed to go a step further. Goal: take humans to the moon! At the Kennedy Space Center launch pad in Florida on January 27, 1967, Virgil (Gus) Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee, aboard Apollo 1, were scheduled to run systems tests prior to a future launch. Disaster struck when an electrical arc ignited the pure oxygen atmosphere inside the Command Module, killing all three astronauts.

Grissom was the second American in space, on the Liberty Bell 7, during the second Mercury flight in 1961. White spent 36 minutes as the first American to space walk, outside Gemini 4 in 1965. And this was going to be Chaffee’s first space flight.

Apollo 1 crew Grissom, White, and Chaffee.

The Space Shuttles

Two additional disasters that claimed lives occurred in the space shuttle program. In 1986, Challenger exploded a mere 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all 7 crew members. This is one of those events that made such an impact that most of us can recall exactly where we were when we first heard about the catastrophe. I had just left an office building in Rockville, Maryland, where I maintained interior plants for Springtime Environments.

The second incident, in 2003, involved the Columbia Space Shuttle. It disintegrated during its return into the atmosphere, killing the crew of 7.

As in all human endeavors that reach ever farther into the realm of discovery, risk is part of the equation. Every achievement attests to the precision of scientific research and application. These milestones inspire awe and we applaud the contributions made by these courageous men and women.

Testing His Wings

In the first flight after the Apollo 1 tragedy, Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele, and R. Walter Cunningham flew in the Apollo 7 mission on October 11, 1968. This first three-person crew to venture into space tested the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in Earth’s orbit. This flight included the first live television broadcast from an American spacecraft. Success of this mission paved the way for the proximate Apollo 8 mission and the moon landing in 1969. For each of these astronauts, this was the last space flight they would make.

From December 21 to December 27, 1968, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders were the first to travel beyond low Earth orbit and to fly into deep space. (Goose bumps!) Apollo 8 orbited 10 times around the moon, and safely returned back home.

Armstrong, “The Eagle Has Landed”: 7/20/1969

Apollo 11 insignia, apollo 11 moon landing

The Apollo 11 insignia, designed by Michael Collins. Names not included to signify effort made by all participants.

Preparation

The goal envisioned by President Kennedy in 1961 was about to be realized. Government scientists, university scholars, and engineers and scientists from the private sector made incredible progress.

Altogether, 400,000 people contributed to the Apollo 11 moon mission. They included contractors who made the space suits, medical experts, and mathematicians and astrophysicists who worked on the spacecraft and the launch. All communications and camera equipment, containers for rock samples, fabrics and fasteners—everything had to follow strict manufacturing specifications. No detail was too small for consideration.

Apollo 11

Buzz Aldrin.

Neil Armstrong, Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin, and Michael Collins boarded on July 16, 1969. After launching atop the powerful Saturn V rocket, the spacecraft reached speeds of up to 17,000 miles per hour. (“Buzz” is from Aldrin’s young sister’s mispronunciation of the word brother, or “buzzer”. He took it as his legal name in 1988.)

The astronauts orbited one and a half times around Earth before they reached the moon, 238,800 miles away. The trip took 3 days, 3 hours, and 49 minutes. But before setting the Lunar Lander onto the moon, the Command Module, Columbia, orbited 30 times.

Eagle safely descended into the Sea of Tranquility, about 1200′ west of the West crater. Command Module pilot Collins remained on board the Columbia, orbiting the moon. All this work and anticipation culminated in the historic July 20, 1969, landing. These brave Americans were the first to land and walk on the surface of the moon.

The Apollo 11 mission delivered, 50 years ago today!

CBS News, live coverage with Walter Cronkite and Wally Schirra, July 20, 1969.

Moon Walk

But Neil Armstrong didn’t step off the Lunar Lander until 6 hours after landing. Armstrong, as Commander of the Lunar Lander, was chosen to be the first to step foot on the moon at 10:56 p.m., followed 19 minutes later by Aldrin. Upon making contact with the lunar surface, he uttered the unforgettable, “This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

The astronauts installed instruments (sensing seismic activity, solar wind) on the moon that would relay data back to Earth. Armstrong spent 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 40 seconds on the surface of the moon. Aldrin and Armstrong gathered 47.5 pounds of rocks and “soil” from below the surface. And they placed the American flag a short distance from the Eagle.

CBS News broadcast the entire trip, with Walter Cronkite and Wally Schirra narrating the events. At one point, they pondered whether the flag would remain standing when the Eagle departed to meet Columbia. I have heard that it did not. But another flag was planted on the moon’s surface during a subsequent mission.

Time To Go

Aldrin and Armstrong remained at the landing site for 22 hours and 37 minutes. When it was time to leave, the Lunar Lander docked with the Command Module, flying overhead. After a successful and momentous expedition, the three astronauts headed home in the Command Module.

The Command Module was the only section to make the trip home. It safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969, a few miles from the recovery ship, the U.S.S. Hornet. The Apollo 11 mission logged over 1,000,000 miles during this incredible eight-day exploration.

VP Pence honoring the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 moon landing.

Vice President Mike Pence honoring the 50th anniversary of the work and success of the Apollo 11 mission, 7/20/2019. Buzz Aldrin, third from right.

More Accomplishments

In 1970 and 1973, the U.S. sent 5 unmanned rover missions to the moon. More “firsts” include Vladimir Remek, from Czechoslovakia, on March 2, 1978, the first in space from a country other than the U.S. or the U.S.S.R.

Sally Ride was the first American woman in space, and the youngest person in space, on June 18, 1983. Ride’s mission on Space Shuttle Challenger was to deploy two communications satellites. On July 25, 1984, Svetlana Savitskaya, from the Soviet Union, became the first woman to walk in space. And Yang Liwei was the first person from China to venture into Earth’s orbit on November 15, 2003.

More Apollo Missions

From the beginning of space flight through 1972, 6 Apollo missions landed 12 men on the moon. Briefly:

Apollo 9–James McDivitt, David Scott, Russell Schweikart.

Apollo 10–Thomas Stafford, John Young, Eugene Cernan. Didn’t land, first live color TV transmission.

Apollo 12–Alan Bean, Pete Conrad, Richard Gordon. Lightning struck the spacecraft, causing no major damage…landed in Ocean of Storms…

Apollo 13–John Swigert (“Houston, we’ve had a problem here.”), Fred Haise, James Lovell. Oxygen tanks failed (explosion) 200,000 miles from Earth. Lovell saw oxygen venting outside the spacecraft, loss of power, 38°F cabin, low water. Crew lost 31.5 pounds, but returned safely.

Apollo 14–Alan Shephard (hit some golf balls), Edgar Mitchell, Stuart Roosa.

Apollo 15–David Scott, James Irwin, Alfred Worden. First rover.

Apollo 16–John Young, Charles Duke, Thomas Mattingly.

Apollo 17

On December 7 through December 19, 1972, Gene Cernan and Harrison (Jack) Schmitt, with Ronald Evans as Command Module pilot, flew on Apollo 17. The astronauts were accompanied by five mice (4 males and 1 female–Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum, and Phooey, named by the crew) for the purpose of biological experiments. One died on the flight, and the four that returned were sacrificed for examination.

Cernan was the last person to walk on the moon. Each Apollo mission had a third member remaining in the Command Module, and the last 3 expeditions included rovers for increased mobility.

Apollo 17 was noted for being the longest moon landing, at three days. It also had the longest total moon walk time, and took the largest samples. The crew spent the longest amount of time in lunar orbit, and orbited a record number of times, at 75.

About 850 pounds of moon rocks were collected during the Apollo program. Apollo 17 was the last manned mission to the moon. The United States can proudly proclaim the honor of being the only country to have landed people on the moon.

Many uncrewed flights have headed toward the moon since then, from the U.S., Russia, India, China, Japan, Israel, and the European Space Agency. And recently, President Donald J. Trump announced the goal of sending another manned flight to the moon within five years.

The Smithsonian Institution

A trip to the Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is a must. Here, visitors are permitted to touch a moon rock, and see the space suits worn by astronauts, complete with moon dirt. The last time I was there, one of the capsules was on display.

And Other Missions Beyond

Subsequent explorations have reached Mars (Mariner 4 and 9, Mars 3 missions, Spirit and Opportunity). And several ingeniously designed spacecraft and telescopes have launched toward Mercury (Mariner 10, Messenger), Saturn, and Jupiter (Galileo). Voyager 1 has left our solar system! I watch spellbound as videos of their journeys are broadcast back to Earth.

Success!

Once More for John Glenn

Traveling in zero gravity causes dozens of physiological changes in humans. Early in 1998, 77-year-old John Glenn asked to participate in medical experiments while in space. Test results would advance our understanding of aging processes. So, on October 29, 1998, he departed the Earth’s grip once more, for nine days and 134 orbits aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. In addition to Glenn, Curt Brown and several others were on board.

This mission deployed the Spartan Solar Observing spacecraft and the Hubble Space Telescope orbital systems test platform. Glenn participated in microgravity experiments documenting changes in balance, visual perception, bone and muscle density, sleep patterns, metabolism, immune system response, and blood flow. After their flights, many astronauts experienced visual problems resulting from pressure on the optic nerve.

The Barringer Crater

In 1891, Daniel Barringer, a mining engineer, discovered what would later be known as the Barringer Crater. He postulated that this 50,000-year-old 3/4 mile wide crater in Coconino County, Arizona, was caused by meteor impact. During the Pleistocene epoch, the area was open grassland, with some woodlands. Mammoths and giant ground sloths lived there, many thousands of years before humans arrived.

Grove Karl Gilbert, chief geologist with the United States Geological Survey, announced that an explosion of volcanic steam had caused it. Most geologists at the time accepted Gilbert’s explanation, although attention was beginning to focus on the theory of meteor impact. Decades later, another American geologist, Eugene Shoemaker, investigated the 560′ deep crater.

Shoemaker studied the Barringer Crater for his Ph.D. at Princeton University, New Jersey, in 1966. While at Caltech, in 1969, he began searching for Earth-orbiting asteroids. Shoemaker became the first director of the U.S.G.S. Astrogeology Research Program. He proposed that large asteroid strikes can cause sudden geologic changes and that they’re common, over time. But, prior to Shoemaker’s work, these “astroblemes” were considered to be extinct volcanoes, including those on the surface of the moon. Later investigations estimated that a 160′ wide nickel-iron meteorite had hit Earth at 29,000 miles per hour.

The Barringer Crater, although privately owned, was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1967.

And Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9

In 1993, Shoemaker co-discovered, with his wife, Carolyn Shoemaker, and David Levy, Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 at California’s Palomar Observatory. This comet provided the first opportunity to predict and to observe a collision between two bodies in our solar system.

In 1992, as Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 approached our largest planet, Jupiter, it broke up into 21 fragments. Each fragment later crashed into the planet at an astonishing 137,300 miles per hour. Seven to eight hours, on average, lapsed between impacts, which occurred from July 16 through July 22, 1994.

A few years earlier, NASA launched Galileo toward Jupiter, from the Space Shuttle Atlantis, on October 18, 1989. Its mission was to study the magnetic field and the planet’s moons. The spacecraft recorded the comet’s demise, which happened on the unseen night side of the planet. The Hubble Space Telescope also captured the event for scientists to analyze.

Gene Shoemaker died in a car collision near Alice Springs, Australia, on July 18, 1997, and his wife suffered severe injuries. On July 31, 1999, the Lunar Prospector space probe carried some of his ashes toward the moon. He is the first and only person to have ashes buried on any celestial body outside Earth. Yet another first.

Jupiter and one of its moons.

My Friend, Deri

Deri’s card.

The Barringer family currently owns the Barringer Crater. Years ago, when I was selling plants at the Rockville Farmers’ Market, in Maryland, a good customer stopped by every week. We chatted about any subject under the sun… birds, dogs, dinosaurs, cameras… We became good friends, and I often worked on her property in town. She didn’t have family nearby, so she frequently spent holidays with me and my 2 kids.

She was a dear friend, and, unfortunately, passed away in 2003. Her name was Deri (Frederika) Barringer, granddaughter of Daniel Barringer. She spun fascinating tales of the family crater and of her travels across far-off continents, photographing for the National Geographic Society. Small world, when threads intersect.

After her death, she wanted to have her ashes dispersed over a river in Colorado. When the local beer company used water from that river, she declared that she would be “the life of the party”. That’s our Deri! This colorful character happily announced her wishes before she became seriously ill. And, when the time came, her brother complied.

Heading for the moon.

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Return To The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

Jul15

2019

Updated 10/28/2024

An Early Summer Visit To The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

“Petunia’s Hideout”

On Wednesday, I headed once again for the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, hoping to find respite from this prolonged period of high humidity and temperatures in the mid 90’s. Yes, I could retreat to the air conditioned confines indoors. But that’s too close to the refrigerator. As usual…the mountains!

The first thing I noticed upon arrival was the missing huge maple (photo, right) at the end of the parking lot. It had a great rotten hollow at the base and was taken down as a precaution. It didn’t take long for someone to put a green roof on the stump and to invite The Bear to reside in the cozy void.

Another thing I noticed was that it wasn’t much cooler here than in Charlotte. Lake Lure sits at 1,000′ elevation, so I expected it to be a bit cooler. Regardless of the temperature, I needed pictures.

The New Information Station

The information station was stocked with all sorts of maps, diagrams, and mailboxes brimming with brochures since my last trip here. At that time, only the frame had been built. The volunteers at The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge do an excellent job informing the public.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re an avid gardener or a beginner; the flowering bridge is simply a wonderful place to enjoy plants or to walk through on your way to the lake or to lunch in Chimney Rock, just up the road half a mile or so. I met two friendly ladies here, in the shade—a volunteer who plants herbs in the garden and a visitor enjoying a private tour.

: Information printouts.

: Butterflies.

: Birds.

: Bees.

: The information station.

: A map of the gardens.

Daylilies Galore At the Flowering Bridge

I don’t recall ever seeing as many beautiful daylily hybrids (Hemerocallis) on the flowering bridge. Some flowers were enormous! (Missing were cultivar identification tags. Next time, I’ll look more closely.) These perennials have sturdy flower scapes, and some have high bud counts.

Although each flower lasts only a day, you can see from the photograph of the double orange daylily that many buds have yet to open, and several scapes grow on each plant.

Peak Bloom at The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

True blue balloon flowers (Platycodon grandiflorus) and their round buds invite inspection. Pink and white cultivars also are available, and dwarf types, such as ‘Sentimental Blue’.

Several varieties of hydrangeas boldly proclaimed their presence throughout the garden. Those with cone-shaped inflorescences, Hydrangea paniculata, include ‘Pinky Winky’, ‘Strawberry Vanilla’, and the popular ‘Limelight’. A few smaller mopheads (H. macrophylla) also grow on the flowering bridge.

Crocosmia, grown from bulbs native to South Africa, was in full golden bloom. Crocosmia, sometimes called montbretia, is hardy in zones 5 to 9 and is a member of the iris family (Iridaceae).

Dwarf butterfly bush, Buddleia davidii ‘Pugster Blue’, has strong stems and grows only about 2′ tall. It’s hardy to zone 5, growing in full sun and well-drained soil. Other colors are available in this series of small butterfly bushes. Most of these perennials were humming with pollinators—bees, wasps, moths, and butterflies.

: Dwarf butterfly bush ‘Pugster Blue’.

: Crocosmia.

: Hydrangea ‘Limelight’.

: Balloon flower.

Roses

The roses were in full bloom, and some had wonderful fragrance.

Hibiscus

Growing to about 4′ in height, Hibiscus ‘Starry Starry Night’ is a stunner with flowers up to 8″ across! They appear from midsummer to fall. Leaves are dark burgundy-black, with the deepest color in full sun. This one likes moist, well-drained soil, as most hibiscus plants do.

Hardy hibiscus grows in zones 4 to 9, and stems die to the ground in the colder zones. Apply a few inches of mulch under young plants before winter. Hibiscus is native to North America and is said to be deer resistant, but…

: H. ‘Starry Starry Night’.

More Native Perennials At the Flowering Bridge

goldenrod, buddleia at lake lure flowering bridge

Early goldenrod next to the dwarf butterfly bush.

Goldenrods (Solidago) were just beginning to open in the flowering bridge garden, and will continue all summer. Their bright yellow flowers and those of the ‘Pugster Blue’ butterfly bush played well off each other, a nice combination.

Stokesia laevis, native to the southern U.S., likes acidic soil and remains evergreen in warmer regions. It tolerates drought when well established. Stokes aster grows to 2′ tall and blooms over a long period of time, in full sun.

Tickseed (Coreopsis), with its canary yellow flowers and finely textured foliage is always so pretty. When choosing coreopsis varieties for your garden, check their hardiness zones. Some do not tolerate frost. But, among the annual tickseeds, breeding efforts have come up with some spectacular new colors. The family Asteraceae includes around 80 species of coreopsis, all native to the Americas.

Stately clumps of billowing garden phlox (family Polemoniaceae) showed off their peak bloom. Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators are attracted to these plants. Most of the 67 species are native to North America.

Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum), zones 4 to 8, spreads rather invasively by rhizomes. This plant is a member of the Lamiaceae family, along with many other herbs. Its small pink flowers sit above silvery bracts. This plant can be used to make a mild tea. Kind of understated with its unusual flowers, but a strong pollinator magnet.

Black-Eyed Susan

The widely adaptable black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida var. fugida, was in top form. Among my favorites of the hardy Rudbeckias, this variety is perfect for meadow, prairie, mass plantings, or clustered among the shrubs. Use it to highlight a garden around a lamp post or off the patio. And they’re well-suited in combination with ornamental grasses.

Deer are not especially fond of this variety, but they might take a bite now and then. They came in for seconds in the Maryland garden. Give them full sun or sun for 2/3 of the day and well-drained soil that doesn’t stay wet. The best thing about “Ruff” is its incredibly long bloom period. Although it begins flowering a short time after Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’, it blooms until frost, weeks longer than ‘Goldsturm’. Deadheading helps maintain the display.

: Coreopsis, one of the tickseeds.

: Stokesia.

: Mountain mint, Pycnanthemum, an invasive spreader.

: White and purple coneflowers, Echinacea purpurea cultivars.

: Garden phlox.

: Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida.

Annuals

Zinnia, lantana and ‘Bat Face’ Cuphea attracted pollinating insects. Although they will die with autumn frost, annuals give us the opportunity to plant different varieties each year. And they flower all summer. Although some varieties of lantana perennialize in zone 7, they’re usually planted only for the current season’s flowers. Coleus, grown for its colorful foliage, is another heat-tolerant annual.

Elephant ears (Colocasia) produce large tropical leaves from underground tubers. This garden had both the black and the green-and-black-mottled varieties. They’re perennial in warmer sections of zone 7, but I don’t know if they survive the winter in Lake Lure. Because cold winter air passes under the bridge, the soil is not as well insulated from temperature extremes as is garden soil.

: Cuphea ‘Bat Face’.

: California poppy, Eschscholzia californica.

: Lantana, next to the hot sidewalk.

: Zinnia with a silver-spotted skipper butterfly.

: Coleus echoes color in a red Hibiscus.

: Colocasia.

Styrax

Styrax japonica seedpods.

A Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonica) that had been growing for 25 years in the Maryland garden was cut down by the family who bought the house from me. I loved that tree for it fragrant pendulous white flowers and for the umbrella-shaped canopy. It’s a great tree for shading a sunny patio. C’est la vie.

That tree in Maryland seeded heavily, but there never were many seedlings popping up in the bed below it. I did, however, gather a few, germinated them, and then brought them with me to North Carolina, where the grounds maintenance crew whisked them away with the loropetalum trimmings…

This species of styrax has many ornamental features in addition to the flowers and habit—the fruits will split open later in the season, revealing shiny brown seeds. The leaves and twigs are fine in texture, and it has a pleasing horizontal branching pattern. A perfect small tree!

Osmanthus

False holly, Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’.

Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’ has variegated leaves, with some pink at the tips of the stems. ‘Goshiki’ means “5 colors”—white, creamy yellow, gold, pink, and green—for the different hues that appear in the somewhat spiny leaves.

Plant in full sun, or in morning sun in hot zones, and in moist soil. Strong, hot sun will burn the tender new foliage or the white parts of the leaves.

This Asian native is hardy in zones 6 to 9. Use it in mass plantings or as a specimen, in borders or in a bright woodland setting. Small flowers are fragrant. This compact evergreen grows 5′ to 7′ tall.

Peanut Butter Tree

clerodendrum trichotomum at lake lure flowering bridge

Clerodendrum trichotomum, the Harlequin Glorybower.

What?! Yes, apparently, crushed leaves from this suckering tree from eastern Asia smell like peanut butter. Clerodendrum trichotomum (family Lamiaceae), more commonly called Harlequin Glorybower, grows in zones 7 to 10, and reaches 10′ to 20′ tall, and wider than that.

Hummingbirds and butterflies sip nectar from its flowers, which appear most of the summer. This large-leaved tree makes a bold statement in the landscape.

But If There’s Work To Do

A simple screen or workshop like this one can be constructed to hide the works of the garden—the compost pile, tools, and stacks of pottery. It defines the edge of the garden, and it also can hide the neighbor’s trash cans.

Incorporating structures into a landscape adds another dimension, enriching the experience. Finally, personalize with a green roof, interesting twigs and vines, and small hanging pots that express your whimsical side.

The Twig Chair

Here’s a great place to rest after the day’s transplanting and weeding, surrounded by peace and beauty. With iced tea, some magazines, and the family dog for company, it’s a great way to spend a summer afternoon. All that’s missing is the “Please do not disturb” sign.

Every time I visit the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, something new is in bloom, or one of the sections has been completely replanted. It’s only about an hour and a half from Charlotte, and there are plenty of restaurants and mom-and-pop shops to make this area a delightful way to spend the day.

Bring the kids; a Merry-Go-Round and other children’s activities are only a mile away in the Village of Chimney Rock. There are lots of reasons for returning to the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge over and over again!

: Sit…relax…observe.

: Granite outcrops around Lake Lure.

Hurricane Helene

This section added 10/7/2024:

***Update***: Hurricane Helene and the resulting floods and landslides scoured the western North Carolina mountains and other regions in the southern Appalachian Mountains for a few days on and after 9/27/2024. It destroyed small towns, roads, bridges, and people’s lives. Around 100 people died and many more are missing in NC alone. Heroic efforts are being made by individuals, churches, and charitable organizations to assess the damage, bring food, water, and communication to trapped families, and to begin the process of mitigating the damage and rebuilding.

Most shops and restaurants in Chimney Rock have been washed downstream to Lake Lure. From what I’ve seen in news coverage, the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge has been reduced to the only remaining feature: part of the concrete balustrade at the edge of the bridge (as in the photo at the top of this article).

Mark Huneycutt documented what he has seen, and here’s one of his videos:

I walked to Chimney Rock for answers… Hurricane Helene Aftermath – YouTube

Rescue operations request that you not venture to the area on your own, even if offering help and supplies. The ground is unstable, and you could end up being one of those needing rescue, so leave it to the professionals. Ask them if you can help.

Please, generously donate money and requested goods to legitimate rescue operations. I donated to Samaritan’s Purse and will forward a portion of my proceeds earned at the farmers’ markets. Samaritan’s Purse, headquartered in the area, has tractor trailers, machinery, supplies, and an army of dedicated volunteers. They are doing a fantastic job, so please help them in their efforts. Thank you.

Added 10/28/2024:

This video demonstrates hope, determination, and generosity in the face of a devastating life-changing event. I also have donated to hurricanehelenewnc.com from my revenues at Wellspring Gardens (Elkin NC farmers’ market):

Asheville is Worse than We Realized – Can They Rebuild?

Thank you again.

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The Garden Patch, McFarlan’s, Strawberry Hill

Jun18

2019

The Garden Patch, McFarlan Bakery, and Strawberry Hill U.S.A.

The Garden Patch, Columbus NC

Last weekend, I took a drive toward western North Carolina, and stopped in at a nursery I often saw when traveling out that way. The Garden Patch is located on West Mills Street, in Columbus, not far from Route 74. I was given a friendly greeting by Jeanine Gauen, the owner, and then proceeded to the hardy plants section.

After seeing the cute little holly with tiny leaves, I asked permission to take some photographs for The Farm In My Yard. Jeanine gave me a business card, and then we started chatting.

She moved to North Carolina 11 years ago, from Chicago. It’s no wonder the population is shifting southward. The climate is so much more comfortable! Maybe it’s the longer growing season. Winter greens that grow with little or no protection is high on the list of must-haves.

Yes, it does get hot in the summer, and that’s why the mountains and the foothills are popular. It’s cooler than the lower elevations, but the winters are still quite mild. You just have to pick the right elevation. And, to me, there’s the unmistakable appeal of smaller towns.

Luna, the long, lovely dog, came out to say hello. So, of course, Jeanine and I exchanged naughty dog stories for a few minutes, before I was gently reminded that the store had closed for the day…..Horrors!!…. Bold me, I asked if I could just get a few pictures before leaving. “Thank you!”

Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Kaori Hime—Party Princess’

Osmanthus het. Party Princess, at The Garden Patch

Osmanthus ‘Party Princess’.

‘Party Princess’ is a false holly, and it grows in USDA hardiness zones 7-9. This patented variety can be kept at 2-3′, but it has big fragrance.

Plant this evergreen in sun or part sun, grouped around the lamp post or in the garden near the mailbox. It also works well as a border or a short hedge. In hot climates, it does best with light shade during the harsh afternoon hours.

Enjoy the fragrance when it’s in flower, late summer to fall, near the patio in the back yard. With some selective pruning, this tiny-leaved shrub is well-behaved in the garden. It appears to be a low maintenance plant, and not bothered by deer. Very cute. Another must-have!

Here are more discoveries at The Garden Patch:

: Callicarpa dichotoma Wine Spritzer.

: Cryptomeria japonica Chapel View

: A fragrant Gardenia.

: Sunny Knockout Rose.

: Pineapple Lily, Eucomis comosa Sparkling Burgundy

: Ice Plant, Delosperma nubigenum Golden Wonder.

Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Wine Spritzer’

This deciduous Callicarpa, a new beautyberry called ‘Wine Spritzer’, grows in zones 6 to 9. It stays a bit smaller than its green-leaved cousins, to 4-5′ tall. The more direct sunlight this plant receives, the brighter the variegation. However, in hot climates, the foliage can suffer sun scald in full sun, so consider planting it in morning to early afternoon sun. It does not fruit as heavily as the green varieties.

If it’s like the green types, this shrub does best with an annual hard pruning in late winter to early spring. I used to prune the ones in Maryland to within 1′ of the ground or lower. Since it flowers on new wood, pruning like this didn’t diminish the crop of purple berries. And growth is more controlled this way. In fact, the later I cut them back (May, at the latest), the shorter the shrubs ultimately grew. New shoots regrew quickly, although this variegated variety might respond more slowly.

Cryptomeria japonica ‘Chapel View’

Cryptomeria ‘Chapel View’ is a beautiful evergreen with dense blue-green foliage. This Japanese Cedar grows in zones 6-9. It has minimal, if any, winter bronzing. This one is not as large as some, growing up to about 10′ tall and 6′ wide. If needed, the plant can be pruned to shape.

‘Chapel View’ is a good variety for an informal screening hedge, as a specimen in a large rock garden, or on the corner of the house. Plant it in slightly acidic soil, and mulch it.

Hydrangea ‘Little Honey’.

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Little Honey’

‘Little Honey’ Oakleaf Hydrangea shines in the lightly shaded garden with its bold gold leaves and white summer flowers. This variety grows only 4′ tall, and is hardy in zones 5-9. A sport of ‘Pee Wee’, it is derived from the native species.

Shade doesn’t have to be a drab, dark green forgotten space. Mass a few of these eye-catching shrubs, and add yellow variegated hostas, and Hakonechloa (golden Japanese forest grass) to “echo” the hydrangea’s color. Plant a cluster of autumn ferns (Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliant’) for contrasting texture and copper-colored new fronds. Sweet!

Another way to enjoy ‘Little Honey’ is to plant a drift of Liriope ‘Royal Purple’ in front of the shrubs. Rich royal purple flowers are attractive with the chartreuse background. You might have to spray for deer, though.

‘Little Honey’ will burn in hot sun, but without some direct sunlight, the color will be closer to green. It tends to deepen in color over the growing season. Morning sun is appreciated. If more light is needed, consider limbing-up lower tree branches or creating openings in the canopy, but avoid hot afternoon sun. Prepare the soil well for this shrub because it needs good drainage. This hydrangea puts on another show in autumn with its red fall color.

A running water fountain brings additional elements to the shade garden—mesmerizing sound and birds! Don’t forget to add a bench, from which to enjoy it all.

Delosperma nubigenum ‘Wheels of Wonder—Golden Wonder’

‘Golden Wonder’ is an ice plant, native to South Africa. It grows in zones 5 or 6-9, and needs very well-drained soil. It will tolerate dry conditions. Bright flowers develop in late spring and early summer. This plant stays short, so it’s good candidate as a ground cover in hot spots.

Sedum telephium ‘Desert Black’

Sedum ‘Desert Black’.

Here’s another succulent bred by Terra Nova Nursery. ‘Desert Black’ has chubby purplish leaves on short upright stems. More sun = deeper color.

It grows to only about 7-8″ tall. Deep pink flowers rise in clusters a few inches above the leaves in late summer to early fall. It’s hardy in zones 4-9, and likes full sun and dryish soil that drains very well.

Great for rock gardens or perennial gardens not under irrigation. These sedums, when in flower, are visited by every passing butterfly and other pollinators.

The Garden Patch

The plants were in great condition at The Garden Patch. Look for some of these varieties for those problem spots in your landscape, and have a chat with the employees. But remember that hours are limited on Saturdays.

Address: The Garden Patch, 39 West Mills St., Columbus, North Carolina

thegardenpatchnursery.com

828-894-2200

* * * * * * * *

McFarlan Bakery, Hendersonville NC

Mother looks forward to the little treats I bring home from these trips, so I would never want to disappoint her…

I often drive through downtown Hendersonville, and stop for lunch, brochures at the Visitor’s Center, or butter rum lifesavers at Mast General Store. This is a great place to spend an afternoon, especially when the thermometer heads for the high 90’s in Charlotte. It’s almost always 5-10°F cooler here.

On this day, I bought a few donuts and cream cheese-filled pastries. Yum! This bakery has been delighting its customers since 1930. Here are some possibilities for the next trip:

McFarlan Bakery

Michael W. Cole, owner

Address: 309 N. Main St., Hendersonville, North Carolina

mcfarlanbakery.com

828-693-4256

“Ursula” The Bear

There have been several bear sightings in downtown Hendersonville.

: Ursula the Bear.

: Details…

Fabulous detail! This bear was sponsored by NCSDAR and was painted by Starlotte Englebert. It will be auctioned on October 19, 2019, to benefit Crossnore School and Children’s Home. For more information: DowntownHendersonville.org.

* * * * * * * *

Strawberry Hill U.S.A., Chesnee, South Carolina

Part of the fun of these day trips is discovering new routes to travel instead of using the old familiar ways. A very pleasant drive home along Route 11 East, in South Carolina, took me past the Cooley Brothers Peach Stand. Take exit 5 off I-26 South for the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, or Route 11. The stand is located 5 or 6 miles west of Chesnee.

It was well worth the stop. I bought a bagful of delicious local peaches, a large cantaloupe that ripened perfectly, sesame sticks, and several beefsteak tomatoes at a price no one could beat! They also stock jellies and jams, baked goods, and t-shirts.

Another building across the street was busy with customers, so I had to take a look. Several people were sitting outside, enjoying their ice cream. Perfect, since I mustered some restraint and had not yet touched the pastries. I ordered a hot fudge sundae, and for less than $4.00, this mountain of chocolate chip mint and whipped cream and hot fudge…well, it was almost too much!

There are places of historical interest not far from here, so next time…

Strawberry Hill U.S.A.

3097 Hwy. 11 W, Chesnee, South Carolina

strawberryhillusa.com

The Shed 864-461-7225

The Cafe and Ice Cream Parlor 864-461-4000

Road Trip

Take advantage of the lower gasoline prices, pack a few essentials, and enjoy a summer road trip. Even now, I’m wondering what the next destination will be. Often, I don’t have a specific goal in mind…until an interesting place finds me. Have fun!

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The Hendersonville Garden Jubilee, 2019

May28

2019

So, What Can I Add To the Garden This Year?

This past Saturday, I headed for the cool North Carolina mountains to attend the Garden Jubilee Festival. Over 250 vendors set up their booths on the streets of downtown Hendersonville, on Saturday and Sunday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It was going to be hot, but Charlotte was going to be hotter. We’ve been stuck in this prolonged period of July-like weather, and the grass is already browning out.

I love going to garden shows. Rain or shine, but, preferably, not extreme heat. This is the type of venue where my little horticultural company, Wellspring Gardens, sold herbs and vegetables, annuals, perennials, seasonal plants, and houseplants…succulent dish gardens, herb gardens in decorative clay pots, and colorful combinations. If it sounds as if I would like to do this again…well, you’re right.

Many of the vendors I met last year were back again. Some who braved constant rain a few weeks ago in Waynesville were here in Hendersonville, happier about the weather. This garden show traditionally runs during Memorial Day weekend. Here are some of the booths I visited.

Water Dance

“Water Feature Specialist”

This outdoor display (photo, above) required 5 hours to set up on Main Street. The company installs water gardens, patios, and other landscape projects. They also maintain them.

www.waterdancellc.com, waterdancellc@gmail.com. 828 687-9007, 828 712-8268.

Brigg’s Garden Center, Horse Shoe NC

I started the day at Brigg’s, after finding a shady parking space. They had lots of annuals, perennials, and shrubs, including blooming hydrangeas. A few pots of blue/lavender Hydrangeas clustered around a blue ceramic seat created a lovely color combination.

They demonstrated, under the city’s trees within their space, the value of repeating colors within a garden by grouping plants with related colors. Lots of customers. I bought a few bright yellow Sanvitalia, or creeping Zinnia, for pots.

Briggsgardencenternc.com.

Stepp’s Plants, Etc., Flat Rock NC

Fuchsias like cooler temperatures, such as eastern (morning) sun. And hummingbirds love them.

Stepp’s had the biggest and some of the best-grown plants at the show. Their specialty, at this show anyway, was large combination hanging baskets. Nice combinations, good healthy plants, beautiful, and selling like hotcakes!

One or two plants filled the little red wagons that customers carted them around in. Gorgeous fuchsias, million bells (Calibrachoa), petunias…

steppsplants@yahoo.com. Larry Jr., Gayle, and Larry Stepp. 828 243-5299.

Plant Smart Shade Gardens

Karen had a large collection of Hosta varieties, from large growing plants to miniatures to unusuals. Tiny golden ‘Little Miss Muffet’ grows only 4″ tall, nice for tucking between rocks or at the edge of a shady garden walk. ‘Whee!’ grows to 15″ tall and has rippled edges. ‘Golden Tiara’, with gold margins, quickly fills a space and is a medium small variety.

Hosta breeders are trying to bring new features to this huge genus. Several recent introductions have red petioles, including ‘Fire Island’ and ‘Miss Susie’, two that were represented here. Informative signs.

George and Karen Smart, hostas@alwaysplantsmart.com, facebook.com/AlwaysPlantSmart.

: Hosta ‘Little Miss Muffet’

: ‘Fire Island’

: ‘Golden Tiara’

Barry Farms

Lots of herbs, including uniquely fragrant patchouli, and hardy succulents. They also had one of my favorite annuals, the variegated Nasturtium ‘Alaska’, which is both pretty and edible.

barryfarms@gmail.com.

: Fragrant patchouli.

: Nasturtium Alaska.

Landy’s Woods, Nebo NC

Natural log and wood planters. Simply drop in a large pot of plants and add some moss to the edge for a finished look.

Landyswoods@gmail.com.

MrMaple, East Flat Rock NC

Concurrently with this event, MrMaple on Saturday hosted the “MrMaple Festival 2019” in East Flat Rock. Ever popular Japanese maples and other species, many rare varieties…and expert advice to ensure longevity (for the tree) in the garden.

‘Red Filigree Lace’ Japanese maple.

mrmaple.com. Tim Nichols 828 551-6739, and Matt Nichols 828 226-5684, facebook.com/japanesemaple. Open to the public by appointment.

Linda’s Plants

Many nicely-grown flowering plants, including Osteospermum, Verbena, herbs, sweet potato vine. Busy booth!

lindasplants.com.

Linda’s Plants.

Ziba Cards and Jewelry

Karen had hundreds of glass-covered pendants for sale. Images in a broad range of subjects (birds, zebras, plants and flowers, religious, inspirational, insects, graphics, music…).

Karen Rollefson, www.zibacards.com, zibacards@gmail.com. 704 806-1725.

Caristo Jewelry Designs, Asheville NC

Silver bracelets with free “organic” design, and nicely detailed enameled (cloisonné) earrings and pins.

Southern Highland Craft Guild. www.caristojewelrydesigns.com, caristojewelry@yahoo.com. Linda 828 691-7700 and Carl 828 778-7247.

Wildwood Herbal

“Plants-Produce-Cannabis”

Succulents, herbs…this is where I found the pink flowering gypsophila that’s going into the small wire basket on the deck. I used to grow one like this from seed, nice in smaller combinations. I’ll post the cultivar name as soon as I can recall its name (‘Pink Fairy’?).

Darsey Driver, 336 692-7615, Darsey@wildwoodherbal.org. And Seth Salmon, 828 407-3339, Seth@wildwoodherbal.org.

Dean Epperson

Hand-made natural live-edge wood tables and seats, complete with Ambrosia beetle tunnels and verticillium streaks. So…bugs and fungus, but beautiful bugs and fungus! Nature is awesome.

deanepperson@gmail.com.

Memories by Laura, Franklin NC

“Vintage Framed Memory Art & One of a kind collectibles”

Teacups, old keys, crystal butter dishes, small cut glass bowls, glass beads, decorative metal accents and other treasures fused in a glass panel and framed.

Hang them in windows or wherever light passes through them if plants are kept in the cups. Try small succulents and tillandsias (air plants).

Laura Williams—LL Design, www.MemoryGlassArt.com, laura34275@gmail.com. 942 223-9109.

High Country Nursery

Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’ (Dancing Peacock), must be spectacular in full autumn “plumage”, when showing off its scarlet and orange foliage.

japmaple.com.

Windy Mountain Chimes, Asheville NC

Stained glass of the audible kind, including wind chimes in red-white-and-blue, appropriate for this Memorial Day weekend.

I bought one in peaceful shades of green, with glass and beads hanging from an old horse shoe.

Mother enjoys the nice sound when we “accidentally” bump into it, where it temporarily hangs on the kitchen wall.

Denise Parlier, mtnchimesandcrafts@gmail.com. 828 667-3518.

J & B Herb & Plant Farm, Inc., Roxboro NC

Bay laurel! I had just run out of the last of the dried bay leaves, so I bought a nice, full plant. Make sure you’re buying Laurus nobilis for cooking, since other similar laurels are toxic if ingested. J & B carries a wide variety of organically grown herbs, vegetables, and scented geraniums.

On my way back to the truck, I bought a pot of Origanum ‘Compactum‘, a marjoram with velvety leaves and wonderfully aromatic fragrance. Although both of these herbs are hardy to zone 8 or in a protected microclimate here in zone 7b, I lost the two that I had a few years ago. But I’m not going to take the chance again, and will keep these potted herbs outside in the summer and inside during the coldest parts of winter.

www.facebook.com/JandBHerbFarm.

: Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), the only edible species.

: Scented geraniums.

Bella Bonsai

Many species of potted bonsai…tiny-leaved variegated Serissa, variegated Schefflera arboricola, dwarf Pomegranate (with fruit), citrus plants (with fruits), Fukien tea. But the showstopper is the old Yaupon Holly that had been cut back as a mature plant, sprouting above a magically, fantastically gnarled trunk (photographs, below).

Larry Morton, BellaBonsaiNursery.com, bellabonsainursery@gmail.com.

: Yaupon holly.

: Nice trunk.

: Looking up.

: Dwarf pomegranate with fruit and orange flowers.

Hendersonville Bee City

Female gulf fritillary butterfly.

“Celebrate Pollinator Month by learning about how bees, birds, and butterflies are crucial to our native plant habitats, local agriculture and the health of our communities.”

You’ve come to the right place, to this display, if you want to know anything about bees. Information on an initiative to repopulate the environment with bees and other pollinators can be found at Hendersonville.gov/bee-city, with a month-long calendar of events. June is, after all, Pollinator Month. Proceeds from plant sales go toward painting a mural on one of the Hendersonville buildings. I bought a perennial Passiflora (photo, right, with one of the dozens of gulf fritillary butterflies that laid eggs on the vine).

Hendersonville.gov/bee-city.

: Bee City USA.

: Informative poster.

: Bees through the sun’s glare.

Muddy Llama Pottery Studio, Zirconia NC

“From Earth to Art”

Among the collection of bowls, mugs, vases, and (I had to ask) sponge racks, some had salamander handles and real leaf impressions. Most of their pottery is sold through retail stores.

Cathey Chet, muddyllamapottery@yahoo.com. 828 674-2671.

All Things Canvas, Bryson City NC

“Hats—made of 100% cotton duck. Bags—made of 100% Acrylic Sunbrella®. Highly resistant to UV rays, water and mildew.”

Well-made, and in nice colors, these items will last a long time.

Jan Kleinrath, www.jansallthingscanvas.com, info@jansallthingscanvas.com. 828 788-1767.

Preston Montague

“Artist, Educator, Landscape Designer”

I bought a card, but I doubt if it will be mailed away. It shows a flurry of monarch butterflies. Meticulously detailed natural elements in all of his artwork, and in the display—mosses, bracket fungi, and a cicada!

: (pardon the glare)

Preston Montague, carolinanaturalist.com, naturalistnc@gmail.com. 336 558-6137.

The Silk Thread, Franklinton NC

“Eco printing. I gather leaves, plants and flowers and through a natural process, transpose Nature’s actual colors, designs and faux textures onto pure silk in my NC Studio.”

Silk and raw silk, naturally imprinted with leaves, moss, and even pecans! Treat yourself to something unique and beautiful. Clothing, purses, scarves. Exquisite compositions.

Theresa Brown, theresa@thesilkthread.com. 919 880-7431.

* * * * * * * * *

yaupon holly at Hendersonville Garden Jubilee

A woman sitting under a huge tree?? Actually, it’s the Yaupon holly bonsai, from Bella Bonsai, less than 2 feet tall.

Hendersonville Garden Jubilee 2019

oaklead hydrangea, Hendersonville garden show

Oakleaf hydrangea in one of the large streetside planters.

This show was sponsored by Lowe’s, “Our State” Magazine, and the city of Hendersonville NC. The schedule included 5 presentations each day, with topics ranging from plants for shade, unique trees, native plants, pruning, and lawns to native bees, composting, mushroom logs, starting a veggie garden, and joy in gardening.

Thank goodness for the shade cast by trees up and down the street. Lots of shrubs and perennials were in bloom, adding to this town’s reputation for bringing ambiance to the busy downtown shopping district. “Leave your pets comfortably at home” during show hours.

There were some food vendors, and Hershey’s ice cream, whose chocolate chip mint hit the spot! And, of course, the local shops and restaurants were ready and waiting for visitors.

VisitHendersonvilleNC.org. 800 828-4244.

Thanks to all the participants, the sponsors, and the crowds for making this another successful event. Great show, Hendersonville!

The 2020 Hendersonville Garden Jubilee

***Update*** 5/1/2020: The 2020 Garden Jubilee will have a different look this year, in order to enforce hygiene and social distancing required by state and federal authorities.

So, in 2020, the festival will take place from May 22 through May 25, from 9 to 5, but not in downtown Hendersonville. Instead, booths will be clustered at various nurseries and other sites in the area.

***Update*** 5/22/2020: This link will give you updated information and a list of participants. In 2020, downtown Hendersonville was awarded Accredited Main Street America recognition for maintaining a vibrant economic community in their historic downtown.

Until the vaccines come along, we need to follow such practices so fewer of us become casualties. My best wishes for your good health, and I’ll see you in Hendersonville…or thereabouts!

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Whole Bloomin’ Thing Festival: A Garden Show

May13

2019

Last Saturday, the Frog Level Association held its annual “Whole Bloomin’ Thing Festival” on the streets of downtown Waynesville, North Carolina. When a leisurely road trip, the need to explore, and a garden show align in one day, I’m on my way!

whole bloomin' thing garden show, waynesville nc

Geranium baskets and annuals.

Unfortunately, the weather forecast did not include sunshine. But those of us who have sold at garden shows such as this one recall that most of them are held Rain or Shine. (And you can guess how the weather affects revenues.)

Okay, that did it; I was determined to go if only to spend a few dollars to help out some of the vendors. Plus, I needed a gift for Mother on Sunday, Mother’s Day.

Frog Level?

The mural in Frog Level.

Colonel Robert Love, a Revolutionary War soldier, founded Waynesville in 1810. He donated land for public buildings, and named the town after his commander during the war, General “Mad” Anthony Wayne. Today, the town is the largest in the state west of Asheville, with about 10,000 residents. It sits nestled between the Great Smoky and the Blue Ridge Mountains, at about 2700′ elevation.

The low-lying area near Richland Creek was sometimes prone to flooding, thus the name, Frog Level. This section had some commercial enterprises in the 1800’s, and the town was incorporated in 1871. But, when the railroad came through in 1884, more development took place and opened access to the west.

KW Edible Landscaping Nursery.

As the town grew, businesses opened uphill from Frog Level. The area deteriorated several decades ago, until new shops and restaurants revitalized it. In 2003, the National Register of Historic Places recognized the Frog Level Historic District. This is a great spot for garden shows and street festivals, with lots of restaurants and independent shops to visit.

In 2018, Waynesville received a “Main Street America” designation by The National Main Street Center. The town is committed to “preservation-based economic development and community revitalization”. I hope to find one of these towns, maybe down the slope a bit, within the next few years to settle in.

On April 30, 2019, Riley Howell, a UNC Charlotte student, lost his life when he tackled the gunman who killed another student. This brave act detained the suspect, allowing time for the authorities to move in and capture him. Riley was from Waynesville.

the whole bloomin thing garden festival, a rainy day at the garden show

The Hickory Nut.

Back To the Garden Show

hummingbird feeders, moongirlglass at garden show

Moongirlglass hummingbird feeders.

About 75 vendors registered for the garden show, and there were surprisingly few vacant spaces. Kudos to those who braved torrential rainstorms! An umbrella wasn’t enough protection on a day like this, but I found a full-length plastic poncho in the back of the truck. Luckily, the temperatures were in the 60’s.

It rained non-stop. Everyone could hear the familiar sound of pop-up tent canopies being emptied of their catch. Some huddled under cover, enclosed by waterproof sides that kept them almost dry. Others openly defied inclement conditions, and contentedly waited for customers. That’s the spirit!

The Mother’s Day flowering baskets and big geraniums didn’t seem to mind. The music, though, was cancelled.

There were wood crafters, jewelers, artists, potters, and several plant places. I chatted with a woman selling a friend’s hummingbird feeders, glassware, and her plants.

The first booth I visited at the garden show, All Things Canvas, had really nice bags and hand-painted sunhats. Jan was also scheduled for the Hendersonville Garden Jubilee on Memorial Day weekend.

jeanette franich jewelry, the whole bloomin thing garden show

Jewelry at Janette Franich’s booth.

Janette Franich had very nicely crafted jewelry. I tend not to wear jewelry, but if I did, there were some tiny bird’s eggs in a silver nest hanging on a fine chain that might have tempted me.

KW Edible Landscaping Nursery, from Stokes County NC, sold trees and shrubs that could be incorporated into home landscapes. Not only ornamental, but also edible!

And, speaking of edibles, there were a few food trucks on site.

Can’t Leave Empty-Handed

I bought a hand-made pot from Milton Mugs. My mother liked the purple and blue colors and especially the attached saucer!

The photograph at the top was the booth (vendor declined credit) where I bought a few plants, including ‘Vancouver Centennial’ stellar geranium, ‘Berggarten’ sage, and a Sempervivum (Hens and chicks) called ‘Oddity from Albidum’, with rolled leaves.

: Pottery by Milton Mugs.

: Hog Back Ridge Herb Farm’s vegetable plants.

: Fruit of ‘Blueberry’ cherry tomato. ‘Indigo Blue Berries’?

Hog Back Ridge Herb Farm, from Spring Creek NC, had lots of tomato varieties that I’d never heard of. A small cherry tomato called ‘Blueberry’ caught my eye. Although I don’t have any room for another tomato plant, I am determined to see this one fruit, even if that means another potted tomato on the deck. (***Update***: ‘Blueberry’ had rich, spicy tomato flavor. 2/2021)

The Hickory Nut (E. Main St., Chimney Rock NC) displayed metal garden art and plants, including herbs, perennials, and annuals. They had large beautiful basil plants—‘Genovese’ and the lettuce-leaf ‘Valentino’ among them.

Because of the weather, many of the items the vendors had planned to bring with them had to be left at home or in their stores.

So, the next time a garden show visits your town, or the next town over, support your local economy and buy something there…especially if it’s raining.

: Very nice sunhats and bags from All Things Canvas, Bryson City NC.

: Made from Sunbrella fabric.

: A recent petunia introduction.

: ‘Valentino’ basil at The Hickory Nut.

: Stellar geranium ‘Vancouver Centennial’.

: The Hickory Nut.

: Beautiful glass from moongirlglass.

: Aeonium Kiwi.

: Rain, lots of rain!

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Campbell’s Covered Bridge, Landrum SC

Mar11

Campbell’s Covered Bridge

Campbell’s covered bridge.

A weekend drive, with no destination in particular, delivered me to an unexpected surprise. The sign on the side of a local road said “Campbell’s Covered Bridge”, and included an arrow to point me in the right direction.

With only a quarter of a tank of gasoline indicated on the dashboard, I hoped to combine tasks. The last quarter tank holds so much less than the first quarter tank, so fuel took priority. Luckily, the gas station was a few miles ahead, according to Garmin, and the bridge somewhere beyond that.

I was in Greenville County, South Carolina, exploring an area that was new to me. The weather consisted of a persistently pesky light drizzle, with temperatures in the 40’s. Wipers on, then off, then on… Not terribly unpleasant for a walk around a park, I thought, even with a camera hanging around my neck. Since there were, as yet, no highlights on this trip, I was hoping for a sign. And I got one.

There’s the sign!

Sharp right turn off the road! Blink, and you’ll miss it. I blinked…backed up, and pulled into the parking lot, next to 3 or 4 other cars. Apparently there’s a second entrance farther down the road with a tighter parking lot. A young man in formal ROTC dress told me so.

Red flowers on native maple trees.

The red-sided bridge was down a gentle slope—very picturesque, I’m sure, when the maple trees are in full fall color, or as light green leaves unfurl in spring. The trees were a week or two away from new spring foliage. But the maples were in flower, which warmed up the grays and browns of bare forest twigs. And some yellow daffodils over by the picnic table brought cheer to what some would call a dreary day.

Jacket on, umbrella open, camera dangling. The slippery slope with all the water draining toward the stream from the field above limited access. Different shoes, different story.

A diagram on the site.

There’s something about the sound of a mountain stream…I just love it! Beaverdam Creek spills over smooth flat bedrock, and I imagine this would be a great place for the kids to splash around on a hot August afternoon. Bring a picnic lunch and art supplies for a quiet break.

Built and Rebuilt

On August 24, 1908, 20″ of rain fell in one day, washing out the original bridge. Local residents used the rock shoal upstream to cross the water. A year later, Charles Irwin Willis (1878-1966) built the current 35′ x 12′ bridge on land belonging to Alexander Lafayette Campbell (1836-1920). The truss followed the contours of the land, so the bridge was not built square.

Campbell’s Covered Bridge has a four-span Howe truss on each side, with X-braces and vertical tie rods. William Howe, from Spencer, Massachusetts, patented this design in 1840, and it was often used for railroad bridges.

According to the Greenville County Recreation District, the Crescent Community Club restored the bridge in 1964, and Greenville County restored it again in 1980. The bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in 1984.

Campbell ran a corn grist mill downstream from the bridge. A dam built 75′ upstream created a mill pond, providing water to drive the mill. The Campbell grist mill closed in the 1950’s, but some of the stone foundations from the mill and the house can still be seen.

In 1979, E.O. Productions filmed a scene for the movie “The Day of Judgment”. Set in the 1920’s, an avenging angel rode a horse out of the bridge to see that justice was done!

The address is 171 Campbell’s Covered Bridge Rd., Landrum, SC. This is the last covered bridge in South Carolina—worth a visit.

This website has many seasonal photographs of the bridge that you may see but not copy without permission: https://www.scpictureproject.org/greenville-county/campbells-covered-bridge.html

Downstream from bridge.

Upstream from bridge.

Be careful where you walk.

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Southern Spring Home and Garden Show

Mar6

2019

It’s Time For the Home and Garden Show!

Arrangement by Kazuko Ikuta, Sogetsu school.

For two weekends in late February and early March, the annual Southern Spring Home and Garden Show, charlottespringhomeandgardenshow.com, comes to the Park Expo and Conference Center, in Charlotte NC. It arrives at that time of the year when many of us gardeners are itching to get out into the garden.

For years, my little horticultural company, Wellspring Gardens, set up at the Washington (D.C.) Home and Garden Show and then at the Maryland Home and Garden Show, in Timonium, Maryland. For several years I did both shows, and then decided to rent space at just the Maryland show.

There were many other local venues where I sold plants, such as Green Spring Gardens Park (Annandale, VA), Towson Gardens Day, Brookside Gardens Herb Fair, the Carroll County Farmers’ Market, the Leesburg VA Garden Festival, and the Garden Festival at Ladew in Monkton MD. These events were held rain or shine. So much fun…and so much work! Most of these occurred before the weekly farmers’ markets started up for the season.

Liberty Hall

A few hundred exhibitors set up throughout the show, either selling directly to customers or setting up consultations for home improvement. Since time was limited, I didn’t spend it in this section. But when there’s a house to fix up, this is the place to be. Here you can view products and speak with contractors.

King’s Greenhouse

King’s Greenhouse’s booth was located near the front entrance of the home and garden show, with the home improvement contractors. They had lots of plant material that could be planted outdoors now, including pansies and Heuchera cultivars (coral bells) in various colors, shrubs, and indoor plants. Hardening off the plants first will prevent damage to their foliage.

Kingsgardencenter.com. Phone: (704) 821-7507.

And food vendors were located in a couple of places, so shoppers need never go hungry. I took home a hot dog for Mother (she’d been begging for one) and we shared a really good cheese pastry.

Freedom Hall

Landscape companies set up full-scale gardens in this section of the show, complete with large trees, flowering shrubs, perennials, bulbs, and flowers. There are waterfalls, ponds, pergolas, she-sheds, and a chicken coop! I like to visit this area first, before it becomes crowded. Belgard is one of this home and garden show’s sponsors, so their paving materials feature prominently in the landscape displays.

Here are some of the booths I visited:

Ikebana International, Charlotte, Chapter 49

At the entrance to this section was an exhibit with Ikebana flower arrangements designed by members of Chapter 49. Those who are interested in this ancient Japanese art of flower arranging may attend meetings, held on the first Thursday of September, October, November, February, April, and May. Meetings are open to the public and are free to attend. Marcia and I had a lovely conversation, some of it on the subject of flowers!

www.ikebana49.org.

: Arrangement by Diane Titlestad, Ohara school.

: Arrangement by Virginia Matthews, Ohara school.

All Natural Streams Landscaping, Billy Provett

Owner Billy Provett always does a fabulous job with his water gardens. The sound of splashing water, the lure of nighttime illumination, and a restful garden ambiance create a magical place…right in your own back yard!

This pondless waterfall cascades down a slope and into a basin filled with rocks. A pump recirculates the water, sending it back to the top of the stream. This is perfect for a family who would enjoy the sound of water but not the high maintenance of a fish pond. People’s Choice Award.

www.naturalstreams.com. Phone: (704) 577-4306.

Southern Showplace Landscapes, B. J. Fisher

A beautifully illuminated coral-bark maple, seen through the stems of a birch tree (photo, below), got everyone’s attention. So did this firepot, atop a large stone sculpture with water trickling down its sides. Environmental Award.

www.southernshowplace.com. Phone: (704) 699-0815.

Plant Man, Elton Liles

Another beautiful water garden, with a blooming camellia on the right. An important detail is using stone of similar color and varying sizes. Note that in the waterfall, flat horizontal stones make an effective fall. The void behind the cascade magnifies the rich tones of the water spilling into the pond. Best in Show Award.

www.plantmancharlotte.com. Phone: (704) 219-0160.

Southern Stonescapes, Daniel Flynn

Every landscape is improved by adding some hardscape, whether it’s a gazebo, a paved patio, a boulder outcroppping (with a pond?), or simply a large pot. Landscape the front yard for curb appeal, and personalize the private spaces.

I love this old lichen-encrusted bench. A great way to personalize your garden is to use items that might be gathering dust in the basement or the shed. Best of Outdoor Living Space Award.

www.sstonescapesunlimited.com. Phone: (704) 309-9117.

Bushwackers Landscaping, Chad Little

Part of this display includes an assemblage of stones, plumbed up the center to create a gentle cascade of water spilling over the edge, into a pondless reservoir. Just what thirsty songbirds need in our hot summers!

www.bushwackerslandscaping.com. Phone: (704) 463-0174.

Old Hickory Buildings of Monroe, Tim Beane, Betty Beane, Amanda Beane

A few sheds were on display, one with a couple of chickens! In the back of the shed was a door that led to a covered outdoor run, where the chickens could enjoy some sunshine and pick in the grass whatever it is that chickens pick.

Another looked like the perfect get-away to finish that book, with a cup of coffee and the dog for company. Uh-huh: She-Shed! Or use it for a comfortable potting area, regardless of the weather outside.

ohbofmonroe.com. Phone: (704) 289-5147.

The Market Place in Independence Hall

I encourage you to visit and shop at these home and garden shows. I know how much work goes into setting up and preparing enough material to keep the booth well-stocked. This one ran for two 3-day weekends, and that requires a tremendous effort to produce inventory!

All kinds of products are available for purchase from the vendors. You can find a couple of companies selling plants, of course, and also artwork, antiques, clothing, housewares, birdhouses, goodies for the kitchen, pottery, wood products, tools, and furniture. Much of it is garden-themed, and some of it is not. And you can order sod and compost, a security system…or book a vacation to get away from it all.

There are fewer plant booths than we gardeners prefer, but that’s nothing new. That’s a perennial problem at home and garden shows such as this one. In February and early March, the weather is a gamble, especially in the colder region back in Maryland. But we had so many more “green” booths! There was the bonsai man, and a few herb vendors, several selling early flowering plants (pansies, ranunculus, forced spring-flowering bulbs, hellebores), perennials, houseplants, the African violet lady, the Plumeria person, and carnivorous plants. I hope this show’s organizers will try to bring in more plant vendors.

Guest Speakers

Just when I needed a break, the YouTube gardening video “sensation” Laura LeBoutillier (“Garden Answer”) and Proven Winners’ director of marketing Marshall Dirks conducted a lively talk to an engaged crowd. Ty Pennington (“Trading Spaces”), Julia Collin Davison (“America’s Test Kitchen” and “Cook’s Country”), and Matt Fox (HGTV’s “Room by Room”) also gave presentations this year.

Several other speakers conducted programs and DIY workshops with topics ranging from aquaponics to bees, cooking to curb appeal, dog training to cake decorating, and chalk paint to herb gardening, among others.

These are just a few of the many booths I visited in Independence Hall:

Juice Plus Tower Garden®, Cathy Melesh

You can harvest an impressive amount of produce from this ingenious hydroponic (soilless) system using a vertical growing “field”, where many pockets hold various plants.

A reservoir on the bottom (photo, right) pumps nutrient-rich water to the top of the tower, where the plants’ roots inside absorb what they need. LED lights supply illumination for herbs and greens (or houseplants) indoors.

Or, used outdoors without the lights, you can grow your own salad all summer long!

Bonus: Cathy’s sister, helping at the booth, was a customer at the garden center where I used to work. Small world!

cathymelesh.towergarden.com. Phone: (704) 560-0994.

The Card Gallery, Abby D. Morgan

There really are some of us who still write letters…yes, on paper. So, when I saw these laser-cut pop-up greeting cards, I had to take a few home with me. There wasn’t a pop-up children’s book that I could resist, when my kids were little, so…

http://alexnbo.com/thecardgallery.pdf. Phone: (919) 593-7270.

Oakdale Greenhouses, LLC

A wide variety of plants—Serissa and juniper bonsai, hanging plants with roots enclosed in a ball of moss and twine (Kokedama), succulent gardens, air plants (large and small Tillandsia) in hanging glass globes and other bromeliads, Nepenthes, houseplants both unusual and common—it’s all here!

Every year I end up buying a few. This year I bought a succulent I’d never seen before. It grows in a rosette, like an Echeveria, and it has thick blue-gray leaves with small burgundy dots. And I bought a tiny Ficus pumila quercifolia, with variegated leaves. You’ll find inexpensive 2″ starter pots and larger dish gardens and terrariums.

https://oakdalegreenhouses.com. Phone: (704) 596-4052.

: Nepenthes, a carnivorous plant.

: An open glass terrarium.

DirtWorks Pottery, Dan Triece, with Ben Vanpelt

I love pottery. In front of me is a glazed blue coffee mug I bought almost 30 years ago, when my brother and I went to a craft show in New Paltz, New York. No, not from Dan. But this illustrates how these items become members of the family, integrated into our lives…mine anyway. There’s something about bringing home a piece of art that was handcrafted by a “real person” instead of by a machine.

Dan and I chatted while he fashioned tiny ceramic vases on the potter’s wheel. They will have to be glazed and fired, of course, but there were hundreds more ready to sell. I bought two of them, deep blue. As soon as I returned home, I filled the vases with a few violas plucked from the garden. Perfect! Mother and I can enjoy them while we’re working the jigsaw puzzle.

Also for sale were bowls of all colors and styles, platters, vases, bread dishes, artistically styled pitchers with curved handles, small teabag rests…just beautiful! Phone: (336) 873-8979, Seagrove NC.

https://www.facebook.com/Dirtworks-Pottery-429257577168804/

BBC Expressions, Billie Colley

If you like color, take a look at these uniquely painted table tops. Billie paints on plywood rounds, from 22″ to 28″ in diameter. And then they’re coated with a few layers of protective epoxy, a process that takes weeks for completion. But they’re not for outdoor living…treat them as works of art, which they are, and keep them indoors.

I was mesmerized— by the color combinations, by the sinuous swirls, by their simple-but-precise beauty! A cherry base is normally attached when a table is purchased, except when on display at shows.

Certainly this must be a skill that Billie has honed over the years. Born in Turkey and raised in Britain, all these influences must have contributed to her aesthetic. But, no! Although she really enjoys painting and designing mosaics, architecture is her trade, and this is a relatively new endeavor!

The top row photographs are close-up details of 3 tables. The center bottom photograph shows pendants employing the same technique. On the bottom right is the table top that first drew my attention. Gorgeous!

Billie at work, and explaining the technique to some customers.

Website for jewelry: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BBCExpressionsGifts. Phone: (704) 256-4000.

Come for a Visit

The next time a home and garden show comes to town, take advantage of the opportunity to talk with the vendors. It’s a great introduction to the projects you might want to get underway this year. The owners and personnel representing the companies are eager to help with your questions and to provide solutions to those nagging problems that never seem to get properly fixed.

And don’t forget to pick up that weird plant or the piece you fell in love with, for the finishing touch…because it might be gone tomorrow. Happy Spring!

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Trick-or-Treaters Will Like This Halloween Twist

Oct12

Halloween Is Coming Up

I’d like to relate the story of a 29-year tradition that took root in our family. But first, some background.

After leaving Morgantown, West Virginia, we purchased our first home in Monrovia, Maryland. The first order of business was to build a greenhouse for the vegetable transplants, succulents, and other houseplants that I sold to florists and garden centers, and at the occasional plant sale held in the front yard. This was several years before the phenomenal rise in popularity of the farmers’ markets.

Fast-forward a few years to September, 1984, and we were on the move again, this time to a smaller property in Rockville MD, 30 minutes south. All the light fixtures and other horticultural paraphernalia came with us…along with our young daughter, Brynn, and our first Rhodesian ridgeback, Aureus.

The plants…hundreds of them!…found temporary quarters in every window or in the back yard, until the dozen or so 4′ fluorescent light fixtures were set up in the basement. But I didn’t need all the duplicate plants for the business at this time of the year, and they could easily be propagated if I did.

Returning home with bags of little Butterfingers, Mars bars, Nestle crunch, and Smarties, I had a lightbulb moment.

**What if we offered plants to the trick-or-treaters?**

My husband, at the time, said, “That’s un-American.” But I wasn’t going to stop offering candy altogether. I intended to give trick-or-treaters a choice!

Despite doubts, I went ahead with the plan. A folding table under the porch lights held a few flats of small thornless succulents (like those in the photo, below), spider plants, and Moses-in-the-boat (Rhoeo spathacea) in 2″ or 3″ pots. White rope secured to the shrubs guided the trick-or-treaters along the sidewalk to the front door, and prevented shortcuts through the garden.

Spooky noises from a tape cassette echoed around the foyer, as glow-in-the-dark spiders crawled all over my t-shirt. And the great plastic pumpkin brimming with treats sat inside, on a bench by the door. Brynn went out trick-or-treating with her Dad; a few years later, her brother, Logan, would join them. Okay, we’re all set.

The First Knock on the Door

In our neighborhood, trick-or-treating took place during the early evening hours, and participating homes kept their porch lights on. Parents accompanied their young children, or they waited nearby at the curb.

I greeted our first visitors, and followed up with “Would you like a plant or candy?” I think I detected some quizzical remarks under their masks and make-up. After giving a succinct explanation to Snow White, a pair of dice, and a foil-covered cardboard robot, important decisions were about to be made.

“Can we have both?”

“No, you have to choose one or the other. You can have candy, which is gone in a few minutes, or a plant, which can last for years. It’s entirely up to you.”

It often happened that when the first of a group of trick-or-treaters chose a plant, then, like a contagion, the rest of the group followed suit.

Once in a while, the young ones would have a change of heart, and I happily accommodated. It’s never too early to teach kids how to make a decision, but I didn’t want them to go away disappointed…not on Halloween!

The middle-school-aged kids and the few high-schoolers often chose the plants, and were surprisingly fascinated by this new twist on trick-or-treating.

They paused while I gave more detailed instructions for care, and even asked the names of the plants. So, I found small white labels and a Sharpie pen, and wrote common and botanical names for each of the plants.

There’s Always One

Tiny fingers gingerly grasped their bounty. I saved small bags and newspaper for the occasion, but most were content to carry the pots. They excitedly passed them to their parents, who responded with “Thanks! What a great idea!” I was thrilled that they were thrilled.

About 15 years into this tradition, a young boy started coming. His father remained at the curb, chatting with friends and neighbors. When he realized what was going on, the father shouted toward his son, “Take the candy. Take the candy!”

The cute little boy handed back the plant he had chosen, and took a couple of chocolate bars instead. In this instance, I was willing to make an exception. He was the only trick-or-treater allowed to take both a plant and candy, and usually traveled alone, so I didn’t have to explain anything to his friends. This happened for a few years, and always played out the same way: “Take the candy!”

A Wider Web

The morning after the first Halloween, I took my daughter and the dog for a walk around the neighborhood. I noticed a green pot in the gutter, and a plant not far away in the middle of our neighbor’s lawn. That was one of mine!

Then we saw two more down the block in someone’s front yard. After gathering the bits and pieces, I had to decide whether to continue doing this in the future.

Hmmm… Actually, this was a no-brainer. Only a handful of plants were discarded, but dozens were given away! And to miss out on the opportunity to introduce young people to the world of plants? No way!

As the years went by, hippies, clowns, and Frankenstein monsters said they had given their plants to Grandma or to favorite teachers. Some kept their spider plants and philodendrons for 5, 6, or 7 years, and some told me that their hens-and-chicks (the hardy succulent, Sempervivum) were spreading all over the garden.

Several mentioned that they had used the story of the “Halloween Plant Lady” as a subject for classroom assignments. I had no idea this little tradition would have such an effect, and for 29 years, trick-or-treaters continued to surprise me.

Second Generation of Trick-Or-Treaters

And then I began to hear tales from our Halloween visitors that their Moms or Dads used to come to the Plant Lady’s house! The parents, former trick-or-treaters, parked their cars down the block and sent their kids up to the end of the cul-de-sac for their own plants!

This tradition lasted until 2013, when I moved to North Carolina. But I will do it again, some day. (***Update***: I did move to a rural town in NC, but, alas…no trick-or-treaters. 12/16/21)

Plants for Trick-Or-Treaters

Hens and chicks.

Houseplants and Houseleeks

As more children were born into the neighborhood, and into the one across Shady Grove Road, more trick-or-treaters showed up. We used to chuckle about something being in the water… Some years we had only 15 or 20 kids coming to the door, but in its heyday, Halloween brought well over 100 visitors for their treats.

The older children, middle- and high-schoolers, were more inclined to take a plant than the youngest visitors. Some told me they chose plants every year. Over the 29-year period of time, between half and two-thirds of the trick-or-treaters chose plants! Incredible!

Jade plant.

Since I was in the business of propagating and selling plants, with a little forethought, it was easy to come up with enough material. Plants that propagated quickly:

wandering Jew (Tradescantia)
spider plant (Chlorophytum)
Moses-in-the-boat (Rhoeo)
Swedish ivy (Plectranthus)

These took a little longer to root:

jade plant (Crassula, photo, right)
miniature Kalanchoe
Philodendron
Pothos (Epipremnum)
dwarf snake plant (formerly Sansevieria, renamed Dracaena)
Hens-and-chicks, also called houseleeks (hardy perennials and always popular)

When I began selling plants at farmers’ markets in 1988, I added herbs and other edibles to the Halloween table. The mere mention of “pizza!” got them interested in oregano. And dinosaur kale—kale!—was chosen by some. Parsley and thyme were more favorites, and young basil plants (indoors in warm sun) were given away only on warm Halloween evenings.

Flowering Plants

Blue violas grow in pots or in beds, and love cool weather.

I grew violas (smaller cousins of the pansy) in market packs, and cut them into single-plant sections. Our trick-or-treaters loved the idea of using the flowers in a salad. The plants were especially bright and colorful, and grew well in the cool weather. These biennials were planted outdoors in autumn, went dormant or semi-dormant in winter, and re-emerged in spring.

Crocus.

For March and April home and garden shows, I forced hundreds of pots of spring-flowering bulbs. They were potted up in autumn, and rooted during cool to cold weather, blooming in the spring.

So, I bagged up a few bulbs (Crocus, Puschkinia, Muscari, and the more expensive miniature daffodil ‘Tête-à-Tête’) for the more adventurous, or patient, trick-or-treaters. They loved the fact that these perennial bulbs would come back year after year. (Like they did.)

For the last Halloween in Maryland, in an effort to clean up the yard in preparation for selling the house, I gave away potted perennials, such as Hosta, Helleborus (Lenten rose), Sedum, and seedling Japanese maples. I have every reason to believe that some of those plants are still thriving in our trick-or-treaters’ gardens, or maybe in their parent’s gardens.

So, is it time to start a new tradition in your family?

Gardeners out there might give it a go, or maybe you have something else to offer trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood.

Time for me to fire up the old broom and get some flats of violas for the winter garden.

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The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

Sep25

2018

Updated 10/28/2024

A Trip To the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

Yesterday, US 64/US 74-Alt/NC 9 delivered me to the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge. The weather forecast predicted a hot Saturday here in Charlotte. So, I decided to take another trip to the mountains of western North Carolina. There’s rarely a plan or an itinerary of any sort, but I always end up somewhere.

I have been there before, once a couple of years ago to walk the length of the bridge, and many times as a drive-by viewer on my way to…somewhere. If I had stayed home, I would have felt compelled to plant the potted vegetables that were quietly pleading, “Plant us…Plant us!”

View from the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge.

A Little History

This “Gateway to Somewhere Beautiful”, it’s called, opened in 2013, after a new bridge had been built 2 years earlier, right next to it. The original 1925 bridge and now this pedestrian walkway span the Rocky Broad River, which feeds Lake Lure, an easy stroll along the Town Center Walkway. (Parts of the movie “Dirty Dancing” and other movies were filmed here.) Stunning stone backdrops surround the lake, where you can enjoy water sports, dine, or simply sit back and take it all in.

The Visitor Center, between the lake and the garden, houses a small museum with artifacts and informative historical displays. You can trace the history of the Hickory Nut Gorge from the time of the Cherokee and Catawba Indians. Read about the area’s involvement in the Civil War and the Gold Rush, to today’s economy, centered around agriculture, industry, and tourism.

The garden has been designated a Monarch Way Station by Monarch Watch. And the National Wildlife Federation includes it in its Certified Wildlife Habitat program. It is known as “Historic Bridge Seven” in the Register of Historic Places.

Path through the gardens, with scenic backdrop.

A short drive down the road is Chimney Rock State Park (“The Last of the Mohicans”) and the always bustling Chimney Rock Village. Here you can enjoy shopping and outdoor dining while being mesmerized by the sound of rushing water cascading down the rocky incline. Did I mention how scenic this area is? Spectacular!

The beautiful Rocky Broad River.

Back to the Garden

A paved pathway takes visitors through a succession of gardens. There’s an herb garden, a fragrance garden, and one that highlights tropicals. And a miniature train garden, succulents, and roses. Annuals are planted here and there, providing vibrant color and nectar for the bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.

Perennials and woody plants are the backbone of this garden, and each section has a plant list to help identify individual specimens. This garden is open all year, inviting opportunities for new experiences every time I visit.

Expanding gardens spill out over the ends of the bridge span, offering more potential garden space. The parking lot is at one end, near the huge maple tree (2019—now a stump!). Planted near the other end of the garden is a Franklin tree, which no longer exists in the wild. You can stay on the level curvy paved path or explore several side pathways.

There is no charge to visit, but do leave a donation in the box near the lake end of the walk. Contribute $200 (today=?) and have an engraved brick placed along the path. This garden is planted and maintained entirely by a group of hard-working volunteers.

Everywhere you go, you will see whimsical additions to the landscape. There are bird baths with good-luck coins (cameras are watching, the signs say), and repurposed painted doors. That’s a nice touch along a path as the garden transitions into another style or simply to add a splash of color.

You’ll see metal sculptures from inconspicuous to the can’t-miss Opuntia, houses for birds and bees, and an old chair with the seat replaced with a sack of soil and succulents.

Wildlife

: Gulf fritillary butterfly.

: Chrysalis on elephant ear.

: Red-spotted purple butterfly.

The bright orange butterfly is a Gulf Fritillary. Males are bright orange, and females are slightly browner. The caterpillars feed on passion flowers (Passiflora), and adults take nectar from butterfly bush (Buddleia), lantana, zinnia, and other flowers.

Where water drained from one of the raised beds, a butterfly called the Red-Spotted Purple paused for a mineral drink. The larvae of this butterfly feed on several species of trees, including amelanchier, aspen, birch, poplar, and wild cherry. Adults find sustenance from dripping tree sap, rotten fruit, carrion…and dung. Sometimes they sip nectar from spirea, viburnum, and privet flowers. Birds avoid the red-spotted purple because it mimics the poisonous pipevine swallowtail butterfly. But I wonder if that’s the only reason.

This chrysalis (photo, above) clings to the back of an elephant ear leaf. Tropical Colocasia plants add dramatic presence to a garden, with huge green or purplish-black arrowhead leaves.

Another butterfly skipping around the lantana and the basil flowers was the Clouded Sulfur butterfly. Small lizards (green anoles) scurried off when disturbed.

A tall perennial sunflower, Helianthus, for late blooms and bumble bees.

A cultivar of the perennial native sunflower (Helianthus) was a favorite of the bees. This stately plant grows to 7′ tall and offers bright color in sun to partial shade when little else flowers there at this time of year.

A water hose thoughtfully left on the edge of the sidewalk filled a bowl for thirsty dogs. It was a hot day! Heading back to the parking lot, the metal archway misted cool water on visitors who chose to take this route. That felt great.

So, What’s Blooming Now?

Perennials

Pollinators at work on the goldenrod, Solidago. This is not the plant responsible for hay fever.

Camera in hand, I clicked away as others smiled hello or asked “What’s that?” There were visitors from New York, and several from other countries. A lovely woman from Hickory commented on the turquoise-winged wasps all over the goldenrods (Solidago) and was curious to know the name of another yellow flower. It was listed on the nearby clipboard as Rudbeckia fulgida, a small-leaved black-eyed Susan. It’s native to the eastern U.S.

Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida.

A popular seller at the Maryland markets where I sold plants was Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida, a better choice, in my opinion, than the ubiquitous ‘Goldsturm’. I’m not sure if the specimens on the bridge were R. fulgida, as indicated on the plant list, or R. fulgida var. fulgida. The latter black-eyed Susan, a slightly glossy-leaved variety of the species, starts blooming a week or two later than ‘Goldsturm’, but it continues non-stop until frost.

And it is not susceptible to that unsightly black mildew that often covers leaves of ‘Goldsturm’. Sure, the flowers are smaller, but, to me, it is the superior variety.

Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’.

Reblooming bearded irises (“Update”, below) were budding up for an encore presentation, and chrysanthemums filled in the gaps. Tall, white Japanese Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ lit up the partly shaded recesses of the metal archway.

mum and glass sculpture, Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

Burgundy chrysanthemum echoes similar color in glass bead sculpture.

More Perennials

New England asters, Gaura, pink turtlehead (Chelone obliqua), garden phlox (Phlox paniculata), and Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ were finishing up their blooms. Ripening seedheads of coneflowers (Echinacea) and black-eyed Susans attract hungry birds, especially the finches. Now there’s a lesson for visitors to the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge—keep the seedpods on the plants for the birds!

Heuchera, also called alumroot or coral bells, is bulking up foliage for what I’m sure will be an impressive display next year. Cooler temperatures bring out a vibrancy in the heuchera foliage that rivals fall tree color. Hummingbirds visit the airy flowers for their sweet nectar.

Also growing in part shade was toad lily (Tricyrtus), with orchid-like purple spotted flowers. It won’t grab your attention as other brightly colored flowers will, but, viewed up close, it has its charms. The fact that it blooms at the end of the growing season and in mostly shady conditions merits placement along a woodland path.

Annuals

Ruellia, sometimes called Mexican petunia.

There’s great botanical diversity on the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge. The brochure states there are over 700 species of plants in this garden!

A few heat-loving annuals are blooming overtime, such as lantana, scaevola (fanflower), ruellia, cuphea, and zinnia, attracting butterflies and bees. Coleus varieties, partly shaded by the maple tree, will stay in leaf until cold weather or frost claims them.

While perennial gardening offers many benefits, the annuals deliver an abundance of color and the opportunity to grow something different every year.

Violas in our front yard flower through the winter.

In our front garden, near the sidewalk, I planted biennial violas a few weeks ago. Smaller cousins of the pansy, violas bloom all winter and spring in this USDA zone 7b location. They will succumb to late spring’s high temperatures.

The deer are fond of violas, so I spray the plants with a deer repellent every 3 or 4 weeks. These plants will “bridge the gap” in this garden between fall and spring.

Shrubs

Many of the plants on the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge have noteworthy features in the fall. When landscaping your property, look for not only flowers, but also ornamental bark, attractive twigginess or structure, fragrance, fall color, fruits, and benefits to wildlife.

Beautyberry

White Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana, overhanging Rudbeckia fulgida.

Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), with branches gracefully bending under the weight of their fruits, is an easy shrub to grow. The birds feed on the ripe berries, distributing their seeds. Robins, mockingbirds, and thrashers will eat the berries when their favorite foods are no longer available.

There are both purple- and white-berried Callicarpa americana shrubs on the bridge. This beautyberry is a multi-stemmed shrub growing 4′ to 6′ tall. It’s native to the southeastern U.S., from Texas to Virginia, in USDA zones 6 to 10. Cultivars of the related Callicarpa dichotoma and other Asian species range from 3′ to 10′ tall.

Purple beautyberry, Callicarpa americana.

I used to cut back the purple beautyberry (C. dichotoma) in our Maryland garden to only 6″ or 12″. Because flowers, and therefore berries, form on new growth, this approach keeps it more manageable in the landscape. In fact, delaying the pruning until mid-spring (instead of late winter to early spring) will cause it to leaf out a bit later, keeping the plant even shorter and less “wild” looking.

Beautyberry is undemanding in a casual mixed border. This plant vigorously self-seeds, although birds consume many of the fruits.

Colchicum autumnale ‘Waterlily’.

Planted near purple beautyberry in the Maryland garden, a fall-blooming bulb called Colchicum autumnale ‘Waterlily’ perfectly echoed the berries of the shrub. It is poisonous, so use with caution.

Mosquito Repellent

Fresh leaves of American beautyberry, Callicarpa americana, contain a substance that is said to repel mosquitoes and other biting insects.

I haven’t tried the beautyberry, but catnip (Nepeta cataria) always did an excellent job keeping mosquitoes away from me. Simply crush a leafy stem and rub it on your skin, adding a few drops of water to help distribute the natural repellent. If I reapply the solution soon after the first one dries, mosquitoes keep their distance all day. Prepare a concentrated solution a cup at a time and store it in the refrigerator, where it can last for a few weeks.

Strawberry Bush

Native strawberry bush, Euonymus americanus.

Another shrub sporting curious-looking fruits is “hearts-a-bustin”, or strawberry bush. Euonymus americanus, native to the eastern U.S. (zones 6 to 9), is a suckering shrub, growing eventually to about 6′ by 6′. Inconspicuous flowers develop dark orange-red fruits in autumn, providing food for birds, but they’re toxic to us.

The untamed nature of this shrub is well suited to a wild native garden or on wooded slopes. Deer feed on the foliage and twigs.

This plant is susceptible to crown gall and, like other Euonymus species, to euonymus scale. But it does have interesting characteristics if you’re looking for a native plant to add to a woodland garden. Strawberry bush tolerates clay or sandy soil and growing near black walnut trees.

The Franklin Tree

Franklinia tree, F. alatamaha, at the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

The Franklin tree, Franklinia alatamaha.

A Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha) grows near the lake end of the path. This medium sized tree is related to Camellia and Stewartia, in the family Theaceae. It has late season white flowers, vibrant red fall color, and ornamental striated bark. It needs well-drained, acidic soil, and dislikes compacted clay and wet conditions. Don’t plant it where cotton has been grown.

Franklinia has the reputation for being difficult to grow, but if you live within zones 5 to 8 and welcome a challenge…

Pennsylvania botanists John Bartram (1699-1777) and his son, William (1739-1823), “discovered” this plant in 1765. They collected specimens, saving the species from extinction, and named it in honor of their friend, Benjamin Franklin. All existing Franklin trees originated from specimens collected over 200 years ago, near the Altamaha River in Georgia. Unfortunately, it disappeared from the wild at about that time.

Styrax Japonica

Japanese snowbell, Styrax japonica.

Another tree, one of my favorites, is the smooth-barked Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonica). This is a finely branched medium-sized tree with fragrant dangling delicate white flowers that appear after the spring rush is over. Some of the seedpods can be seen splitting open (photo taken Nov. 3), revealing brown seeds inside.

The species has a lovely broad umbrella-shaped canopy, but newer cultivars tend to be more upright. It grows in zones 5 to 8. A pink-flowering cultivar is available.

Time To Go

On the road again, Route 64 climbs to a cool 2500′ elevation as it continues winding through small towns and apple fields toward Hendersonville, where I sometimes have a hefty tuna sandwich on marbled rye before heading home.

I’d like to see the garden’s winter light display, so I might return to see that. But the fall color in the mountains of western North Carolina will probably draw me back in a month or two. Most likely, the trip will include a stop at the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge.

Update: November 3, 2018

A pair of painted gourds.

On a quest for pictures of fall foliage in the foothills and lower elevation mountains of western North Carolina, I was reminded instead of the consequences of recent storms: broken limbs, toppled trees, and some rockslides…but no photo ops of fiery maples or golden hickories. The power of nature!

Today’s trip to the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge presented a few new subjects…

The rich purple reblooming irises didn’t disappoint. Several plants were in full flower, and some had more buds yet to unfurl. Blue fall-blooming asters welcomed busy honey bees, and purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) still had some flowers. Clusters of yellow quilled petals crowned a robust Rudbeckia subtomentosa ‘Henry Eilers’.

Reblooming iris.

: Fall-blooming aster.

: Late blooms of Rudbeckia s. ‘Henry Eilers’.

Throughout the garden, seasonal decorations nestled in among the plants and structures. Pumpkins of various shapes and colors, painted squashes, sequined straw-stuffed figures… Soon these undoubtedly will give way to wintry themes and holiday lights.

A local company called Mark of Excellence, Inc., had just completed building this new information kiosk (photo, below). Mark, like all other contributors to this garden, volunteered his services for the enjoyment of all visitors.

Even though it’s November, you can see that the growing season is hardly at an end! Visiting public gardens, parks, farmers’ markets, and garden centers during off-peak times of the year will tempt you with some of these season-extenders.

It doesn’t take much to get me outdoors, but give me some plants to fuss over, admire, or photograph…and, well…dinner will be a little late.

Information station at the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

The new information station.

Hurricane Helene

This section added 10/7/2024:

Mark Huneycutt documented what he has seen, and here’s one of his videos:

I walked to Chimney Rock for answers… Hurricane Helene Aftermath – YouTube

Added 10/28/2024:

Asheville is Worse than We Realized – Can They Rebuild?

Thank you again.

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The Garden Jubilee, Hendersonville NC, 2018

May29

2018

Tillandsias planted in sea urchin shells, Sinbad Tropical Air-Plants, Supply NC.

One of my favorite things to do in Charlotte is to…leave Charlotte! It’s a lovely city, but sometimes I just have to get away to the mountains. It’s cooler there. I’m reminded of the lyrics by The Moody Blues, “…the trees are drawing me near…”

The Garden Jubilee

This past weekend, Henderson County, Lowe’s, and “Our State” magazine sponsored their annual Garden Jubilee Festival in beautiful downtown Hendersonville, NC. So, after checking the weather forecast, I decided to head out to the mountains on Sunday morning. Neither distance nor downpour would dissuade me from going.

Briggs’ Garden Center.

I used to sell plants at venues such as this one. And, even though my garden space is very limited, I can probably squeeze one more little succulent onto the windowsill.

This was not my first visit to Hendersonville. When I moved to North Carolina a few years ago to help my mother, most of my belongings went into storage nearby. Sometimes I travel here just to visit my life in the container, and pick up a tool or a few pots…if I can reach them. I love this area of the state, and someday might call it home.

(***Update***: Finally made that move! But not here; instead, I found a home in Wilkes County. 12/15/21)

And what a fine day it was! We’ve been in a stormy pattern this past week, throughout the Carolinas, and, although it was a bit humid, it didn’t rain. This makes vendors very happy. How enjoyable to “talk plants” for a few hours, and to show appreciation for the effort that goes into making this event a success.

Who’s There?

Plants from Sweet Valley Bonsai Nursery, Conley GA.

There were more than 200 vendors selling perennials, native plants, Japanese maples and other trees and shrubs. And colorful annuals and combination pots, carnivorous plants, lots of herbs and vegetables, and air plants. Nature-inspired jewelry, woodcraft, worm castings, and bonsai. Lawn furniture, tools, yard art, framed art, pottery, hand-made soaps, orchids, and, of course, succulents.

I bought sugar-free red raspberry jam, a small pot of Haworthia tessellata (a succulent with netted markings), some annuals, and bluets! I haven’t seen bluets (Houstonia caerulea) since I lived in West Virginia! It’s a tiny perennial with fine foliage and little blue flowers on the tips of the stems. Not sure if it’ll tolerate the heat here, but since when has that ever stopped a gardener from trying?

Bare root Iris rhizomes offered from Appalachian Iris Garden.

Then there was a bare-root iris called ‘Masai Warrior’ (photo, above) that had to come home with me. This is one group of plants that I never imagined becoming addicted to, but which I am becoming addicted to…

When I’m in the area, I always stop by the Mast Store on N. Main Street for a supply of (hard to find) butter rum Lifesavers and (hard to find) Necco wafers. I picked up some postcards and a new blouse, too. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, and a bakery for something to enjoy on the ride home and for Mother.

A Good Day

Bird feeder artfully constructed from driftwood by Carter Creations, Haleyville AL.

Yes, it was a good day. Not only for the show, but also to see what had been planted in the raised brick planters all along N. Main Street. Anyone needing ideas on how to spruce up the landscaping around a shopping district should take a look at how Hendersonville did it—complete with trees, fragrant blooming shrubs (including Hydrangea, Fothergilla, Itea), grasses, annuals, artwork, and some really big boulders! Who wouldn’t want to live there?

Carnivorous plants, Sarracenia, from S and J Greens, Surry County NC.

All photographs were taken with permission from the vendors at the garden jubilee.

Bluets, here one year, gone the next. Alas, too hot.

(***Update*** : The little pot of bluets made it through the winter, although it wasn’t much of a challenge, and is in full bloom (photo, above). During last summer’s heat, the pot was heeled into the garden, where the plant did not receive hot afternoon sun. 3/22/19. Unfortunately, it succumbed during the hot summer in 2019.)

And…not so sure Neccos are still available…boo-hoo… I’ll look when I return for the next garden festival.

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How I Got To The Farm In My Yard

Apr16

2018

The Farm In My Yard

Years ago, I had a conversation with a woman in the detergents aisle at the local grocery store. We were having a lovely chat about gardening, and, after some time, she suggested that I write a book. Who wouldn’t love to be published in the field of one’s toil and passion? She asked what the title would be, and I readily responded “The Farm In My Yard”.

I must confess that this was an idea that had been bouncing around in my head for a while, but with the demands of both work and family, there was no time to devote to the project.

Flats of plants, at sunrise, almost ready for the markets.

Working From Home

For most of my career as a self-employed horticulturist, all I had to do was to step outside the kitchen door and go right to work, growing thousands of plants (the “Farm”) on only a fifth of an acre of land (the “Yard”), tucked at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac. That’s just the kind of commute I like!

The farmers’ markets and garden festivals (okay, I did have to drive there) where I sold potted herbs and vegetables, annuals, perennials, houseplants, and dish gardens required that the plants be grown by the seller. I couldn’t simply buy them wholesale and then resell them. Where’s the fun in that?

herb gardens and forced bulbs at the garden show

Herb gardens and forced spring-flowering bulbs were garden show favorites.

The Infrastructure

I set up a potting station in the garage. Flats of transplants went to benches of 2 x 4’s on cinder blocks or around the yard. Sun-lovers grew in the front yard, and shady perennials, such as Hosta, Tiarella, Helleborus, and various ferns, preferred the back yard.

Cuttings rooted and seeds germinated under a dozen or so 4′ fluorescent light fixtures in the basement, and more in the spare bedrooms, as needed. Add talk radio and a pot of coffee and I could work happily, undisturbed, for hours, around my children’s schedules.

In the busy late winter to spring months, I transplanted homegrown seedlings and plug trays (flats of 50-300 young plants purchased from wholesale suppliers) until daylight faded. And then I’d move the operation to the kitchen counter, where I could work for several more hours.

Over the decades, more of these markets began operating year-round instead of just seasonally. Full displays required constant plumping of inventory throughout the year. There was always something germinating, or rooting, or being potted up. Always an opportunity to play in the dirt, on the farm in my yard.

Wellspring Gardens' booth at garden show

Wellspring Gardens’ booth at the Maryland Home and Garden Show, Timonium, in late winter.

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Mabry Mill

Getting to Mabry Mill

Caution

Camera’s Ready

Building Mabry Mill

The National Park Service

Farther Up the Road

Biodiversity

From the first superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Stanley Abbott:

2020: The Year That Wasn’t?

A Visit to Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

The Orchid Conservatory

Theme Gardens

The Carolina Thread Trail

Stickwork by Patrick Dougherty

Information

Tornado!

Aftermath of the Tornado

Roots or Consequences

Pancakes

Time for a Tree Check-Up

Trees for Shade

Alternatives to Towering Trees

Landscape Considerations

A Short List of Small to Medium-Sized Trees

Do Your Research

The Union Market, a Local Favorite

Ready for the Holidays?

For more information

Introduction to South Mountains State Park

The Visitor Center

Sounds of Nature

Going For A Walk

Death and Birth

Mushrooms and Other Fungi

The Old Mill of Guilford, in Oak Ridge, North Carolina

History

Before We Were The United States

The American Revolution

British Successes

The Tide Turns

Surrounded

And Surrendered

The Mill

In Modern Times

Products

This is a privately owned operation, so your patronage is kindly appreciated.

Fifty years ago today, NASA successfully landed the first manned expedition to the moon.

The Space Age Begins

Moon Voyages: The Soviet Union and The United States

The Luna Missions

Alan Shepherd

John Glenn

Wally Schirra

More Firsts

Successes and Tragic Failures

Apollo 1

The Space Shuttles

Testing His Wings

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter" src="https://www.wellspringkim.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/moon_1563748777-300x289.jpg" alt="moon" width="300" height="289" />

Armstrong, “The Eagle Has Landed”: 7/20/1969

Preparation

Apollo 11

Moon Walk

Time To Go

More Accomplishments

More Apollo Missions

Apollo 17

The Smithsonian Institution

And Other Missions Beyond

Once More for John Glenn

The Barringer Crater

And Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9

My Friend, Deri

An Early Summer Visit To The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

The New Information Station

Daylilies Galore At the Flowering Bridge

Peak Bloom at The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

Roses

Hibiscus

**Fifty years ago today, NASA successfully landed the first manned expedition to the moon.**

Caristo Jewelry Designs, Asheville NC

All Things Canvas, Bryson City NC