I would love a pizza baked in this oven!! So cool. Asheville has so many interesting gardens tucked in small spaces.
Many eating establishments offer locally grown food on their menu. Sunny Point Cafe has a beautiful vegetable garden just outside its backdoor. See the potato blossom on the left side? Same shaped bloom as Borage, tomato, and Shooting Star.
We had light refreshments at this garden. I have to tell you about the most refreshing drink I have had in a long time...fresh ginger and lime, a ginger-lime-ade. I enjoyed it so much.
From the cafe gardens we traveled to our luncheon destination. Have I mentioned how much I have been enjoying Asheville? The River Arts District was our lunch stop and lunch was catered by 12 Bones, super barbecue! Ice cream was offered by The Hop, yummmmy!! The gardens had some interesting conifers, beautiful plantings, and a peaceful place to sit and enjoy our lunch.
Whipcord Arborvitae, low growing evergreen. Perfect for the front of a garden.
A sweet little Allium added some color with all the evergreens.
Cyclamen leaves nestled in the irises.
As with many of our stops, I wish we had more time to explore this garden and the art studio.
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| Love the rustic sitting area. |
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| The pottery was so lovely. |
It is time to move on to the next stop, NC Arboretum. We were offered a guided tour through the arboretum with Tim Spira, professor of botany at Clemson, author of Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont.
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| Tim showing us a Pipevine bloom |
In addition to the native trees, the native mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia, was in full bloom.
Other sights to take in around the Arboretum---
This pitcher plant seemed to just glow. Sarracenia leucophylla 'Tarnok'
This variety is special because of the flowers being mutants, have a Chrysanthemum look to them. I always thought the flowers were the pitchers. Never read much about them until now.
Finally we went to B. B. Barns Nursery to finish a very full day!
Stay tuned for the next installment of this garden filled trip.
©Copyright 2012 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford.
words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.
Janet, It was great to meet you and compare photos. We had quite an experience, didn't we?
ReplyDeleteIt was super meeting you too! It was an experience of a lifetime.
DeleteSo much done in one day! Wow, seems like a dream at times but a great dream.... Cant wait to see more of your views...
ReplyDeleteSkeeter, It does seem like a dream as I look back. Hard to believe we did so much.
DeleteLovely photos. I especially like the mountain laurel.
ReplyDeleteGloria, thanks, I like Mountain Laurel too.
DeleteWhat a bunch of fun this fling was and to meet you too. It all looks very familiar. A few of us were noting the pitcher plants at the arboretum. I thought one person said the red flowers were the blooms and they were doubles. There were some singles nearby. None of us had ever seen the blooms before. Now I really feel like I must make that bog garden soon as I'd like to try these plants. They were so cool. I wish I had went on Tim's walk as I've heard nothing but good things about it.
ReplyDeleteTina, That bog garden was really interesting....might think about trying it sometime in the future.
DeleteTim's walk was great.
This was one action packed day. I hated that I missed the walk with the prof. I didn't know where the second meet-up was to be. So much to see at the arb. That limeade was delicious as was the biscotti. I broke the bank at BB Barnes Nursery. I could have brought home more if we would have had room to pack it. Such fun.
ReplyDeleteLisa, It sure was!! I had a hard time trying to remember all we did the first day when telling folks at home about it. Check out the fling Pinterest page, I found a recipe that is pretty close to the limeade.
DeleteI'm really enjoying reading about all the great places you went for the Fling. I'm so glad you had a good time, and I hope you can make it to San Francisco.
ReplyDeleteAlison, it was great, I know you would have liked to come. Hope to go to San Fran next year, need to see the costs.
DeleteThat is such a great garden...and so much happened in the day I felt as though I was there...thx for sharing for those of us who couldn't make it...love your views!
ReplyDeleteDonna@GEV I am glad I was able to help you feel as though you were there. Wish you were!
DeleteThat drink sounds very refreshing! I am enjoying the many different interpretations of this year's fling.
ReplyDeleteDarla, it was very refreshing!! There are some great posts on the fling, we all saw different things....funny, we were all at the same place!
DeleteLove all the plants and the pottery...but, that rustic seating. i'm sorry, but I don't think I'd want to sit on it! It's just not inviting me over to hang out. I'd be out there with a can of spray paint for the seating. I'm okay with the table. Love the rustic table.
ReplyDeleteFreda, Daricia and I sat on the rustic chairs, then realizing we both had light colored pants on, we thought better of it.
DeleteSO FUN! I'm excited you were able to go to the fling. Each year I've had a reason not to go - tired and pregnant, a baby too young to leave, etc. Next year I'm thinking maybe I'll be able to go. Do you know where they're having it in 2013? If I get there, I'm going to worry less about taking pictures and just enjoy talking to all the fun garden bloggers. How exciting :-)
ReplyDeleteVW, I was thrilled to be able to go this year, so close to home, couldn't see missing it. You have had your hands full for sure! I know by now you have seen next year is in San Francisco. It was a great combo, perfect photo ops and great people to get to know.
DeleteYou really showed how much was packed into our fun filled event. I like how you presented the day too, I can see why others felt like they were there. I too thought the pitchers were the flowers. Are they a modified leaf?
ReplyDeleteDonna (GWGT), it was packed full of great events. I need to read more about the pitcher plants, in Virginia there wasn't a spot for a bog garden, so this plant is not in my personal data base (brain).
DeleteJanet, how did we survive those crazy, packed-with-fun days? I'm tired thinking about it! Your photos, as always, are stunning. I'm so glad we went on the walk with Tim--it was really interesting, plus he autographed my copy of his book. I'm excited to take his reference out into the woods when we go hiking.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing your great overview of the first day!
Julie, we survived to go another couple days!!! You are very kind, I have a lot of crappy pictures too. I am glad we went on the walk too. I am glad he autographed your book, he did mine as well.
DeleteI've always read that Asheville is an artist community ~ that sure shows in the photos I've been seeing of the Fling. It looks like a grand time. Be still my heart on those pitcher plants. I've been hoping mine would bloom but I know the blooms will not be as showy as these. They are just gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteA nursery is always a good way to end a day (or start it!!)
Kathleen, Asheville is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I really could embrace that city as a place to make my home. (maybe once we are too old to tend our lake house, we will move to Asheville and go Bohemian.)
DeleteThese pitcher plants have me thinking about a place to have some.
This was a busy day indeed! There was so much to see, and seeing some of your photos, I realize again I missed some things--like the refreshments at Sunny Point Cafe. How did I miss that?? I also wish I had taken more time to explore around the Curves Studio; I guess I was too busy eating and visiting:)
ReplyDeleteRose, I missed a lot at Curves Studio after seeing some of the others' photos. We all were so busy trying to fit in as much as possible.
DeletePitcher plants - WOW! There is no comparison with little things we see in stores!
ReplyDeleteThey were incredible. I never have seen the double red blooms before.
Delete