Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Wamboldtopia

The first annual (hopefully) West Asheville Garden Stroll ends where I started it, at the end. The LaZoom tour bus was acting as a shuttle bus for the day. I got on and went to the end of the line to start my stroll. The tour bus hostess was most helpful in getting people pointed in the right direction and noting points of interest along the way.



The garden stroll can be viewed in order, the opposite direction that I strolled it. I tend to stroll through life that way.

Part 1 Here
Part 2 Here
Part 3 Here



Hmm. What is this, a tumbled arch intact? Someone here is playing with stone. This could be interesting.



Then you look up. Holy Moly. It's Wamboldtopia.



This garden space is the love child of Damaris and Ricki Pierce, artist and stone mason creating in collaboration. It must be seen to be believed. Ten years in the making and still a living work in progress. That certainly is no surprise to a real gardener or a certain someone with unfinished stone walls.



The magical spirits of nature have been invited into the garden in a big way.



Talk about your grand entrance.



The perennial problem with chain link fences gets an entirely new approach. It would be interesting to see the finished project.



Grotto extraordinaire.



A house of vinyl siding is transformed.



The tower.



The man behind this incredible stone work is Ricki Pierce, the Rock Pirate.



What can one say when talent, art and dedication enter the garden and take you to a different world, but wow.



Thank you to everyone involved in the West Asheville Garden Stroll, the volunteers, gardeners and home owners who opened their homes for inspection, the West Asheville business sponsors and community of West Asheville. It was a wonderful way to spend the day.

9 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

And thank you for taking us with you on the tour Christopher. All I can say regarding Wambold is that I should have married a stone mason.

chuck b. said...

Very groovy! I like the deconstructed brick path with bits of glass.

Deborah at Kilbourne Grove said...

WOW! I am suddenly feeling very lazy. What an amazing and mind blowing space.

Lola said...

What an awesome stroll Christopher. Some very talented people.
I like the truck. Wonder if I could get by putting something on the front of my truck. lol
Thank you for the stroll---I enjoyed every step.

Anonymous said...

Whoa, I am totally blown away now. I like Lisa's comment; haha! Yes thank you Christopher, that was wonderful.

bev

Siria said...

Wow is all I can say...and thank you for taking the time to post this wonderful day you spent strolling through gardens in West Asheville! It was wonderful!

Frances said...

You did save the best for last, Christopher. So much inspiration here, especially the much hated chain link fence soluntion. I love the pillar posing as a story book tower, my dream house.
Frances

Christopher C. NC said...

I only scratched the surface. If you spend some time at the website Wamboldtopia you will see much more detail.

ryan said...

Very cool. A lot of cool stuff on their website, too.