3070 Memorial Hwy., Lake Lure, NC 28746

Open 7 days a week & always free

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September 2023

A Gateway to Somewhere Beautiful

Cheers to 10 Years!

2013 - 2023

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

Get Excited for September

Summer may be slipping away, but September is an exciting time at the Bridge. Keep reading to see why we're so passionate about monarchs, plan to come to our fall plant sale, and learn more about this year's online art auction, educational opportunities, and much more. You'll be just as eager for fall as we are!

Looking for a unique gift or a memorial for someone special, consider

ordering a brick today!

Thank You!

The volunteers of the Flowering Bridge gratefully recognize the generous patrons who supported our 10th Anniversary Brick Campaign. Our commemorative bricks line the pathways of the Bridge and gardens and can be ordered at any time for $200. The shooting star emblem signifying the 10th Anniversary will continue to be available for bricks ordered through December 31, 2023. The revenue generated from brick sales directly benefits our Education Center project.

Our Fall Art Auction Is Coming

We're excited to announce this year's online art auction, Dogwood Days, which celebrates the beautiful Dogwood blossom, the state flower of North Carolina. The Lake Lure Artists and friends have donated 40 uniquely decorated, one-of-a-kind works of art to support the programs of the Flowering Bridge. See all of the dogwood blossoms up close and personal on the Bridge beginning September 9, or on our website.

Online bidding

opens Friday, October 13, at 9:00 am and will be live through

Sunday, October 22, at noon.

More details and to sign up

to bid will be available on our website later this month.

The above piece represents our state's flower on a backdrop of Carolina blue skies. Stained glass artist Dee Montgomery used sheets of stained glass that were cut and ground to form a mosaic base. Porcelain dogwood blossoms and leaves have been affixed to complete the 3-D effect of the design.

We're Anxious to See Monarchs

Usually starting in mid-September and continuing for several weeks, we see monarch butterflies in our gardens coming through as part of the fall migration.

Fall migratory monarchs are actually the spring monarchs’ great-great-grandchildren, sometimes known as the “super generation.” They will travel more than 2,000 miles to reach their winter nesting site among the fir trees of Mexico's Sierra Madre mountains.

In March, this super generation begins migrating north. Adult females, many who have lived six to eight months, will lay eggs on fresh spring milkweed leaves and then die. The metamorphosis from egg to butterfly takes about four weeks. The new butterflies repeat the cycle and continue the migration to Canada, a journey lasting several months. While we sometimes see monarchs coming through in spring, typically we see many more during fall.

So, as September begins, we start watching for the iconic orange and black wings of these butterflies. Our pollinator gardens are abundant with coneflowers, salvias, zinnias and many other nectar-rich plants providing needed food for all butterflies. When you visit this month, keep an eye out for them. We think you'll find them as fascinating as we do!

The LLFB is proud to be a certified Monarch Waystation and a recognized garden on the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail.

You can help the monarch migration at home by planting milkweed and nectar-rich plants. Milkweed is the only food source for monarch caterpillars. Common, whorled, and swamp milkweeds, and butterfly weed are the most recommended varieties for our area.

Nectar-rich flowers provide adult monarchs with the necessary foods to build strength.

Do not use pesticides and herbicides in your pollinator/butterfly gardens. Likewise, butterflies and bees are susceptible to drift from chemicals applied to other plants and lawns.

Education Opportunities

Winterize Your Garden

September 26 – 10 am

Fall is a great time to prepare your garden for the cold, wet days ahead. Join longtime gardener Maryann Brown as she shares tips with you for winterizing your garden and protecting your plants from winter's cold. This class is free and open to the public.

Classes are held at the Welcome Terrace. In the event of rain, they will be held at the Lake Lure Town Hall, back entrance. Watch our Facebook page for last-minute updates.

Making Seasonal Wreaths

October 24 – 10 am

Create a wreath to take home with you. In this class, you will learn how to make wreaths using natural materials such as kudzu, honeysuckle, kiwi vines, and evergreens, and finished off with a beautiful bow. This class will be 1.5 hours long with a charge of $10 for materials. Class size is limited to 25 with pre-registration required.

Click to register.

Lake Lure Visitor Volunteers for a Day

Cheryl Bice from Greensboro, NC, and her sister spent a week in August vacationing in Chimney Rock and Lake Lure. One day, they had planned to go hiking, but her sister didn’t feel well, so Cheryl, not one to sit still for long, decided to go for a run. Eventually, she found herself on the Flowering Bridge, where she asked a volunteer if she might come back later to help out. Her offer was heartily accepted, and when she returned ready to work, she met volunteer Alice Garrard, who tends the Rose Garden and needed some help.

We want to give a special shout out to Cheryl, who took time from her vacation to volunteer with us. “I’ve visited the Flowering Bridge every day I’ve been in this area,” she said. “I love it.”

Cheryl Bice, volunteer-for-a-day (left), spent several hours deadheading roses and pulling out clumps of bedraggled lamb's ear. Her act of generosity freed gardener Alice Garrard (picture at right) to put on another of her volunteer caps, that of merchandise coordinator and salesperson.

Mr. McGregor Says...

The Pumpkins Are Coming October 10 to November 2!

Hey, kids, listen up! One of my favorite features returns next month. Grab your parents and friends and make sure to visit the Flowering Bridge this fall to see all the Pumpkin People.

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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