An Excursion To Bullington Gardens

A day trip to Hendersonville took us to Bullington Gardens, the former residence and nursery of Bob Bullington. The gardens are now a horticultural education center in partnership with NC cooperative extension and the Henderson County public schools. It is also public garden open to everyone.

While not a large garden, it is home to a good many mature Japanese maples and a number of unusual mature ornamental trees.

The layout of the front perennial beds looked like some of the original design was still in use.

In it was the third one of this unknown plant I have seen this year. What is it? I like the foliage and they are all about to bloom.

A large Stewartia pseudocamellia was in full bloom. Mine got froze. I noticed yesterday evening mine was still going to have a few blooms.

A more recent introduction, the pink Hydrangea arborescens led into a pollinator garden.

What every gardener should want, a few big piles of arborist wood chips.

This is one very large weeping Japanese maple. There is a person on the left.

A look inside.

The therapy garden was a big paved courtyard with a covered seating area and a vat of pond scum.

Raised beds in a formal layout hosted a colorful annual display.

There is a native woodland garden, a fairy garden for the kids and a large collection of azalea both deciduous and evergreen. Bullington Gardens is definitely worth a visit when in Hendersonville.

The Full Voodoo

Lord God Almighty! There was a powerful stench that filled every bit of air out there this morning. The rains returned and the air was just right to capture the full voodoo. It hovered low in the compound like some poisonous gas.

Some drip flashing was added to the roof lines this evening when the rain finally stopped in preparation for the covering this weekend. Hale Mini got just over an inch of rain without a roof. The plywood floors bubbled a tiny bit. Oh well, it will just have to dry out. A tile floor can hide that.

I have competing odors growing side by side. When everything is just right, these discard lilies can fill the air with the scent of heaven. And you can stick your nose in close to repel the voodoo.

The Erection

In the chicory mornings

A stirring assembled.

A form began to rise.

A friend had two walls and a floor. He needed to make them go away. Everybody knows I need a shed.

He would give me that and help me build it, if I just bought the rest of the parts.

The hardest part is getting started. I sure needed a shed. I couldn't look this gift shed in the mouth. And the weekend was open.

It was erected. The door is under contemplation.

Let me just say, this wasn't how my father and I built my house. After my builder left I went over it with my OCD. Because. The methods may have been wildly different, but this shed has turned out very square and solid. It is a mighty fine shed.

I sat by an open window resting
As lightning and thunder roiled directly overhead
Just as my body insisted I sit
A direct strike landed very close by

There was more intense noise than water.

I have never had a shed to take anyone behind before
The Taj-ma Shack Airbnb
Roof, siding, door, window?
How about tile floors?
What will it be?

My body kept insisting I needed shed rest.
I ambled slowly up to the roadside.
The gardens don't need me.
They are on their own now.

The meadows have entered a peak bloom spike of summer.

Even the roadside vegetable garden doesn't need me right now.
There will be some fine produce.
I set things in motion.
But the vegetables must grow like the wild things.

I go with the flow.

Little House In The Meadow

Click on a picture for the slide show. It is pretty amazing. At least I can show you the pictures.

West Asheville Garden Stroll 2018

The 10th anniversary of the West Asheville Garden Stroll felt like the very first time again for me. I gave up volunteering last year because the Almighty Falls, and well because, I was getting old and going blind. Today was just an unplanned adventure like the very first time.

Ten years later and I am older and more whatever. But I have lived in small towns for so long, now far outside another, that going to Asheville is like going on safari to the big city. It was my turn to be the rubbernecker.

I deviated from a gardens on tour only protocol to taking a picture of whatever captured my eye as I walked the back streets of West Asheville.

Click on a picture for the better slide show to pop up.

This is a small slice of West Asheville. They will never need worry about quirky.