Asheville Garden Bloggers Fling: Christopher Mello’s garden has the blues
Blue bottles on blue trees
Blue chairs
Blue flying baby heads
Blue walls
Blue rocks
And ‘Blue Pearl’ poppies, the bluer ones in this group—a new cultivar selected by Christopher Mello, who welcomed nearly 90 garden bloggers into his eclectic, colorful, recycled-art garden on the first day of the Asheville Garden Bloggers Fling earlier this month.
Christopher also invites the public into his garden, particularly with enticing features like his shaggy, circular lawn…
…and corral of shovel heads on rebar stakes…
…which surrounds a gravel pit and a herd of Tonka trucks. What child—of any age—could resist?
There were plenty of pretty flowers and colorful foliage too, especially in shades of pink, purple, and red, like this campanula.
Dusky poppies
Pretty container plantings
And succulents in a recycled metal container
Christopher Mello has a remarkable ability to see possibilities in scrap metal, like this rustic, stylized stream and pond.
A tableau of tiny plants pops up through an old metal grate
Another skull? Oh yes, Asheville’s gardens are teeming with them. It’s a regular boneyard out there.
In Christopher’s no-holds-barred garden, even a dead tree can be the most colorful focal point in sight. He painted this one bright orange and festooned the ends with blue bottles—a twist on the old Southern tradition.
A dainty, chartreuse vine twines its way up, adding additional color.
A new American Gothic? Big thanks to Christopher for sharing his free-spirited garden with us.
For a look back at the Burton Street Community Peace Garden and the Sunny Point Cafe Garden, click here. Next up: A sampling from the Biltmore House gardens.
All material © 2006-2012 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Loved the blue stones and succulents. I missed the mirror. Love your photos of the poppies, they are so pretty.
His bluish poppies were so lovely, weren’t they? There was much to see in this garden. I’m sure I missed a lot too. —Pam
That dainty vine looks like golden hops. I bet it’s dainty now because it’s newly planted, or because it’s early in the growing season, but it’s actually quite vigorous, and will eventually cover the bottle tree. I would have loved this garden, it’s so eccentric. That rusty steel stream is genious!
Isn’t it? This was a creative garden indeed. —Pam
That is crazy in the best sense of the word. The succulent planter with the blue rocks looks like something from another planet! I must say I’m not that bold but all the power to Christopher.
Yes, it’s fun to see what the boldly artistic create in their gardens. —Pam
Wild garden! I love all the blues and, of course, the Tonkas. I’ll have to get my lonely little Tonka a buddy. Maybe not a herd, but at least a friend or two.
I’m sure he needs a friend, Ally. Tonkas aren’t solitary creatures. —Pam
a new american gothic indeed! nice connection pam, well done.
Hee hee! 😉 —Pam
I forgot about the interesting lawn and how much I liked it. I need to catch up on your other fling posts!
I’ve written quite a few, but I still have a Biltmore and White Gate Inn post to go, Jean. —Pam
This fellow is not mello, neither is his garden.
So true! —Pam
I like gardeners who aren’t afraid to try something different. I like Christopher’s rustic stream/pond best. Pretty cool!
It is fun to see all the creative things people come up with. —Pam
Love those ‘Blue Pearl’ poppies and all the rusted metal things. Neat shaggy lawn, too! I don’t imagine we can grow that campanula here, can we?
I wouldn’t think so, Caroline. But I haven’t looked it up to see. —Pam
Pretty strange.
Not your taste, Greggo? I have two more-traditional gardens from Asheville to show you, coming up soon. —Pam
Great photos of a wonderful garden. That ‘dainty vine’ looks awfully hop-ish. If so there is nothing dainty about it.
The calm before the storm, eh? Rawr! —Pam
What a very creative garden!
It really is, Jim. Thanks for stopping by. —Pam