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3070 Memorial Hwy., Lake Lure, NC 28746
Open 7 days a week & always free
Send questions about this newsletter to:
marketing@LakeLureFloweringBridge.org
January - February 2024
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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. | |
Let's Get Excited for 2024 | |
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It's our first newsletter of this new year and we are planning an exciting 2024 at the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge. We accomplished much last year, and we are excited for a new growing season. Keep reading and take a peek at what's going on and what we have planned!
While the gardens are a little quieter this time of year, there is still lots to see when you visit. See some of our favorite wintery blooms below while you enjoy a serene walk through our gardens on a crisp winter day. Without their leaves, you'll find some interesting plant structures and shapes, and winter flowering shrubs are often very fragrant. Our volunteers continue to work throughout the winter months every Tuesday and Thursday, weather permitting, and are happy to answer your gardening questions. We hope to see you soon.
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Edgeworthia provides interesting winter interest and the flowers have a gardenia-like fragrance. | |
Daffodils (above) are in bloom throughout our gardens. They remind us that warmer days are ahead. Winter cabbages (below) provide lively color to the garden during winter. | |
Birds of a Feather Coming
March 5 - April 30
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We're excited to announce our spring garden feature: Birds of a Feather. You'll find wooden fence sections in the raised bed gardens featuring a different bird (male and female). We are highlighting House Finches, Woodpeckers, Tufted Titmice, Northern Cardinals, and the Carolina Chickadee.
Additionally, each section will include a birdhouse favored by the bird species as well as an educational sheet about that bird.
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Since its installation in 2022, our Rainbow Bridge has become a very popular garden feature for Bridge visitors. We are now offering pet owners an opportunity to purchase a certificate commemorating the placement of your pet’s tribute at the Rainbow Bridge.
The 8 ½ x 11 certificate includes an embossed Lake Lure Flowering Bridge seal and a small charm with the inscription I'll Meet You at the Rainbow Bridge. This charm may be used in many ways as a reminder of your pet. The certificate also includes a space where you may add a small photo of your pet. Your personalized Rainbow Bridge Certificate may be purchased for $20. We are happy to mail it to you with an additional cost of $1.50 for postage or you can pick it up at the Flowering Bridge. Click here for order form.
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Pet owners may leave a collar or tag on the Rainbow Bridge as a tribute to a pet who has passed away. Other items such as pet clothing or toys, leashes and harnesses, laminated photos, or treats take up too much of the limited space on the Rainbow Bridge and will have to be removed. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. | | | |
Volunteer Spotlight: Laura McNeill | |
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You've heard us often say that we couldn't do what we do without our volunteers. This year, we'll be putting faces to names and introducing you to our volunteers. Meet Laura McNeill, who joined our volunteer team last year.
She is a native Floridian, and splits her time between there and her home in Lake Lure. Laura says her ties to Lake Lure date back to her early childhood when her grandparents purchased a cabin along the Broad River on Old Fort Road in 1958. Visiting as a child instilled a love for our beautiful area, and her family purchased a home in Lake Lure in 2020.
Laura is currently serving on our Board of Directors, and you can find her in the Peter Rabbit Garden or graciously helping out fellow volunteers in their gardens.
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"I feel privileged and blessed to be a part of a wonderful group and a volunteer at the Flowering Bridge and hope to be for many years to come." | |
Our volunteer coordinator Lisa Willis (above) works with each new volunteer to find the best fit for you. | |
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Interested in Joining Our
Volunteer Team?
We are proud of all of our volunteers, their diverse talents and creativity, and their willingness to give their time and energies to maintaining the Bridge. Whether you are new to the area, or a long-time resident looking for a way to meet new people and serve the community, consider joining our volunteer team. Not a gardener? No problem! We have lots of opportunities for anyone who wants to help. Did we pique your interest? Check out our volunteer page on our website for more information and complete a volunteer form, stop by the garden on any Tuesday or Thursday and speak with our volunteers, or send us an email.
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Mark Your Calendar for These Classes | |
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We're very excited about the roster of classes we have planned for this year, and we hope you will be, too. This year we will offer classes on Tuesdays and Saturdays. All classes will be held on the bridge from
10 - 11 am and will be open to the public. Workshops will have limited attendance with a fee of $15 paid in advance and preregistration is required and fees are nonrefundable. More information about these classes and additional classes will be available in our monthly newsletters and on our Facebook page. Email us for specific questions and to preregister.
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Saturday, May 18
Tuesday, July 23
Tuesday, August 27
Tuesday, September 24
Saturday, October 26
Tuesday, November 19
Saturday, December 7
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Container Gardening with Edibles
Go Native with Native Plants
Landscape Design Basics
Making Fall Wreaths from Dried and Foraged Materials (Workshop)
TLC for Trees
The Relationship Between Honeybees and Flowers
Making a Live Holiday Evergreen Wreath (Workshop)
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Special Educational Events
Our special educational events will include children's activities
(10 am – 1 pm), speakers, information tables and much more!
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Earth Day Celebration
Saturday, April 20
Did you know? The first Earth Day was held April 22, 1970. This annual celebration is held worldwide to raise awareness of the environmental issues facing our planet and to encourage individuals, schools, businesses and governments around the world to take action to protect the world we live in. The theme for Earth Day 2024 is Planet vs Plastics. Find more information here.
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Pollinator Week Celebration
Saturday, June 22
Did you know? Pollinator Week is an annual celebration observed since 2010 in support of pollinator health. Pollinators are insects and small animals like birds, butterflies, and bees that pollinate plants and make our gardens and world greener. This year's theme, Vision 2040: Thriving ecosystems, economies, and agriculture, inspires and urges us to envision a future where pollinators not only survive but thrive. Find more information about pollinators here.
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Mr. McGregor Says...
Hey kids! We've got lots of fun things planned this year at the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge. Come visit me in the Peter Rabbit Garden and help me keep those pesky rabbits away!
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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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