3070 Memorial Hwy., Lake Lure, NC 28746

Open 7 days a week & always free

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October 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.

October is Boo-tiful!

Pumpkin People

See them all beginning

October 10 through November 2.

Are You Ready to Bid?

Online Auction Begins October 6

This year's online art auction, Dogwood Days, celebrates the beautiful dogwood blossom, the state flower of North Carolina. The Lake Lure Artists and other artistic friends have created 41 unique pieces of art on dogwood blossom cutouts. All of these stunning pieces of art are now on display throughout the Bridge gardens or you can see them on our Facebook page or website.

Online Bidding

Place your bids from

Friday, October 6, at 9:00 am through

Sunday, October 22, at noon.

Check our website for more details about each piece and to sign up to bid.

All proceeds from this

auction will benefit our

Education Center project.

He Captured Us With His Camera

This past June, we lost one of our founders, Mike Lumpkin. "I met Mike at the community meeting in 2011 discussing building a flowering garden on the old historic bridge," says Board Chair Kathy Tanner. "Sitting next to Mike and listening to his questions and thoughts, my thought was 'I sure hope I get to spend time with this man.' How lucky we are that he made us a major part of his life."

His wife, Lee, told us, "His love of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge came not from gardening, but from his passion for photography and birds." With others, he participated in the early planning for the gardens and took his turn with a shovel. But his contributions in the ensuing years reflected his skills with a camera and microphone. Since the beginning, Mike was the official photographer for the LLFB, capturing stunning images for both our website and Facebook pages, newsletters, and promotional materials.

"Mike's television reporting background came in handy when he voiced the first mobile phone tour of the Bridge gardens," says Lee. His computer savvy helped set up our original online presence and his command of the language was important as he proofread our first newsletters that Lee edited.

Mike was a US Army veteran, serving in South Korea, where he began his on-air career with the American Forces Korea Network. After his service, he traveled on the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia to Europe, beginning a lifetime of love for travel. After receiving a degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee, he worked for WTVC in Chattanooga and KRLD in Dallas before starting a new career with BASYS systems, a role that took him all over North and South America teaching journalists how to transition their work from typewriters to computers.

"The flowers pose so patiently, as if they're waiting for their closeups. Bring the blossoms and butterflies together and you have a photographic combination made in heaven."

– Mike Lumpkin

"I followed Mike's wife as editor of the newsletter," remembers volunteer Eleanor Bails. "I would occasionally email him looking for a particular photo, and he was always able to locate the perfect one."

"Every time I saw Mike at the Bridge, he had his camera equipment with him and was happily snapping photos that would share the beauty of our gardens with folks near and far," says volunteer Charlotte Gardner. "Mike and Lee have been dedicated supporters of the bridge from the start, and those of us who had the pleasure of knowing him will hold him dear in our hearts forever."

What's New in Education

Education Center Update

We are excited to report significant progress on our LLFB Education Center project. We are working hard to address parking issues, and in September the Board of Directors voted to move forward with the Task Force's proposed layout and a recommendation to utilize a blend of a prefabricated building shell and a general contractor to complete the construction. The Task Force is now focused on completing all necessary permits and applications for the project.

Stay tuned, we hope to have big news next month related to breaking ground!

Making Seasonal Wreaths

October 24 at

10 am

Join several of our volunteers as they teach you how to make wreaths using natural materials such as kudzu, honeysuckle, kiwi vines, and evergreens, 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.

This class will be held at the Welcome Terrace. In the event of rain, it will be relocated to the Lake Lure Town Hall, back entrance. Watch our Facebook page for last-minute updates.

Click to register.

Author Donates Books About

the Rainbow Bridge

So many people have visited our Rainbow Bridge as evidenced by the number of collars and tags hung on it. Maybe you have seen some of the media coverage on our local TV stations or read stories online about this very special place.

Recently a story about our Rainbow Bridge aired on the Weather Channel. The story was forwarded to Chris Grayling, an author who also runs Paws To Love Me, an animal rescue. Chris reached out to us about her book, Cambium and the Life of Lanagan Murphy, a novel about the Rainbow Bridge, and she generously gave several copies to us. Proceeds from our sale of her book will be donated back to the Flowering Bridge in Chris's name. This book can be purchased by coming to the Bridge when volunteers are working on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

We often hear lovely comments from visitors about all the brick books scattered throughout our gardens. Artist and volunteer Becky Melton reproduced the Cambium book cover on a brick book for us (at right). Look for it at the Rainbow Bridge.

"Within the pages, you will discover why and how the animals leave – and

return – to their blissful haven. The book provides a sense of peace to everyone who has ever grieved over a departed pet. But more so, the reader will

come to discover that our dogs and cats actually chose to come to us specifically, to assist in our human experience of learning and growing."

– Chris Grayling

Mr. McGregor Says...

Hey, kids, listen up! Get your spooky on this month and come see the pumpkins at the Bridge. You can make it even more fun if you wear your Halloween costumes!

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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