3070 Memorial Hwy., Lake Lure, NC 28746

Open 7 days a week & always free

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Our mission is to maintain gardens that are enjoyable, inspirational and used to educate people about gardening and its health and environmental benefits.

June 2023

A Gateway to Somewhere Beautiful

Cheers to 10 Years!

2013 - 2023

We've Got a Busy June Ahead!

School's out, the sun is shining, and the days are getting longer. Summer always promises a busy time, and we certainly have lots going on at the Bridge that you won't want to miss.

Keep reading to find out more about fairies, how you can buy a 10th Anniversary commemorative brick, and our Pollinator Day activities.

Every Season is a Fairy Season

June 6 – September 5

Bricks bought during this special promotion will include a "shooting star" symbol commemorating our 10th Anniversary. Bricks must be ordered and paid for by July 31.

Say It With A Brick

Special Promotion

June 12 – July 31

Are you looking for a special item to help us commemorate our 10th Anniversary? For a limited time, we have a very special deal for you! Beginning June 12, you can receive an exclusive discount of 20% when you buy a commemorative brick. That means you pay only $160 for your brick during this promotion. These bricks line the pathways through the gardens and are a lasting tribute celebrating a milestone or special person.

Please see our website for more information and to order.

Happy Rose Month!

See these beautiful flowers now in full bloom

Our rose garden, like the other 11 raised gardens on the Bridge, was planted in April 2013. It thrived in the rich soil and nonstop sunshine, so much so that by 2020 it had become overgrown. The plants in front were so tall, they shaded and blocked the view of the roses behind them.

Planning a reconfiguration of the rose garden began in 2021, and in spring of 2022, volunteer Alice Garrard got to work. She moved a couple of ailing plants from the back of the bed into other gardens to recuperate. She then planted 10 low-growing ground cover roses in the front of the bed and a new climbing rose and clematis at the central trellis. One of the new roses she planted, Fourth of July, is shown above.

Alice lovingly tends this garden and you can find her there on most Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you have a rose question, make sure to stop and see her!

Before and After!

(Above) By 2020, many of our lovely roses were sickly and hidden from view due to overcrowding.

(At Right) Always a popular spot for photos, our rose garden today is once again ready for its close-up.

Graham Thomas, in rich shades of yellow, is a vigorous upright English climbing rose.

Another English rose is Lady of Shalott, which takes its name from a Lord Tennyson ballad.

The flowers of the Ringo All Star start out melon-orange with deep red centers and change to lavender and pink as they age.

June ushers in a season of blossoms, none more enchanting than roses. Plan to visit us during

National Rose Month, when our roses will wow you with their colorful blooms and fragrance!

Prairie Rose, a native climber, is found throughout the eastern part of the US and as far west as Nebraska and south to Texas.

You can see the stunning Mme. Alfred Carriere climber now in full bloom in the Atrium.

The Oso Easy®️ Pink Cupcake delivers mounds of blooms up until frost and is a favorite among rose owners.

Help Us Celebrate Pollinators on June 24

Make plans to bring the whole family to the Bridge on Saturday, June 24, from 10 am – 1 pm when we celebrate pollinators. This popular event promises lots of fun for all ages! Pollinator Week is celebrated internationally each June to address the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations.

We will have a children's art activity creating a Bee Hotel, a live ladybug release, lots of educational materials, story tellers, puppetry, scavenger hunts, plant and gift sales, and much more. Read more about special events in the box at right.

Did you know?

The LLFB is a certified Monarch Way Station. Monarchs have a remarkable long-distance migration, close to 3000 miles. In many cultures Monarch butterflies are symbols of change, transformation and hope.

Without our pollinators, life on our planet could not survive. Come see us and learn how you can help protect these essential creatures!

Learn about Monarch Butterflies!

Joyce Pearsall from Monarch Watch will be present to provide lots of great information about these beautiful butterflies. Help local Gerton resident Sara Fletcher release monarchs on the Bridge.

Have a gardening question?

Stop by our Gardening Q&A table for answers.

Learn about the importance of honey bees!

Susan Brand, a NC beekeeper, will chat with you about honey bees. She will have a live bee demo box at her information table and honey to sell from Mama B's Pure Honey.

Photo: Laura Weber,

Charlotte, NC beekeeper

John Vining Joins Our Education Team

"...I feel like more education is needed so gardeners will understand and install more native species and native plant cultivars in their home landscapes."

John joined our Earth Day celebration and discussed turf with passers by. Pictured are, from left: Kathy Tanner (LLFB Board Chair), John, Charlotte Gardner, Debbie Clark (Education Team Chair), and Lynn Lang.

We are very excited to welcome John Vining to our Education Team. With more than 30 years of horticultural experience, John brings a wealth of knowledge to this team, our volunteers, and visitors. And he loves to share it!

He is a retired Extension Agent for Polk County and says that his greatest strength is in ornamental plants, natives, and invasive plant species. But he also has vast experience in fruits, vegetables, and turf. As county director, he used to advise commercial growers and homeowners on pest problems, plant culture and general plant care.

Watch our Education Board located on the Welcome Terrace and this newsletter for more information about when John will be teaching.

Not Your Typical Garden Party

We Cheered to 10 Years!

In celebration of the LLFB's 10th Anniversary, our June 2 event lived up to all its promises. Partygoers were delighted with the delicious buffet dinner provided by Green River Catering and decadent desserts prepared by our volunteers. They also enjoyed music by local musician Johnnie Blackwell, the silent auctlon and raffle items, and the chance to celebrate with old friends and meet new ones. We cannot say THANK YOU enough to everyone who attended and supported this event. Because of YOU, we are that much closer to our goal of building an onsite Education Center.

Moe Bay (left) and Mary Jaeger-Gale (right) fundraising co-chairs spearheaded all details.

Guests were thrilled with all the silent auction items.

We gratefully appreciate the generosity of our sponsors.

"I had the idea, but you had the vision," Bill Miller told Board Chair Kathy Tanner. Because of Bill's idea to transform an old bridge into a pedestrian walkway, thousands of people have enjoyed the Bridge and beautiful gardens during its first decade.

Our Board Members...Then and Now

You can find more pictures from this FUNraising and FUNDraising event on our Facebook page.

Mr. McGregor Says...

Hey Kids...here's some fun facts about bees that you might not know. Bees have five eyes and six legs. Male bees in the hive are called drones, while the females (except the queen) are called worker bees. The queen can lay up to 2000 eggs per day. And did you know that bees fly about 20 mph? Honey bees are the only insects that produce food for humans. I bet you all like honey!

Friends of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge is a volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations to help preserve and maintain the Bridge gardens and to support our new Education Center are always appreciated – and tax-deductible.

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