Dad’s North Carolina garden for Bloom Day
Last week I took a quick trip to central North Carolina to visit my dad, who lives in the charming Fearrington Village planned community. (Pics of the Fearrington House Inn garden coming soon.) Many of his neighbors—and this is a neighborhood of retirees—have opted out of extensive and time-consuming front lawns and instead left their pine tree-shaded lots largely natural and mulched with fallen pine straw, planting some evergreen shrubs and a few flowering perennials by the front door.
That’s an easy-care, lawn-free approach for sure, but Dad and his wife wanted a courtyard garden in which to entertain, with seating and lots of flowers. So they hired a designer and had a wall constructed around half of their front yard, creating enclosure, privacy, and protection from deer, and filled it with a lovely mix of evergreens, flowering trees for shade, flowering shrubs like hydrangeas and roses, and seasonally blooming perennials. This is the view from the front porch; you can glimpse the white stuccoed wall in the background. The steps lead to a small guest house on the left that forms part of the courtyard enclosure. An attached garage forms the right-side wall.
The paver path from the gate simply widens as it approaches the front door, creating inviting patio spaces that open up the garden and keep the extensive plantings from feeling claustrophobic. A wooden bench overlooks a raised-edge pond with goldfish, and just past it you can see a double wrought-iron gate, which they used to leave open during the day. However, Dad recently surprised a deer munching his impatiens up by the front porch in broad daylight, so now they keep the gate closed.
Summer is the best season in the garden, with pink and watermelon-red crepe myrtles in bloom, along with Knock Out roses, gaura, coneflowers, and lantana.
The place was swarming with tiger swallowtails.
You couldn’t walk through the garden without them drunkenly flying into you as they fluttered from flower to flower.
A blue dragonfly made a more sedate appearance on a faded lotus flower.
Its coloring and angular lines seemed to echo…
…the dancing man sculpture in the center of the courtyard.
Portulaca flowers in a rusted, white-painted urn—a Victorian touch
Several benches offer places to sit and enjoy the garden.
Hidden in one corner of the courtyard, tucked away behind a tall hedge with an arched doorway cut out of the hedge, is a dining area shaded by a Mustang grape arbor.
Surrounding walls are painted for a burst of color. It was cool enough for us to have dinner here one evening—very pleasant.
Recent rains had filled this empty urn, and confetti-like crepe myrtle blossoms floated on the surface.
Happy Bloom Day, and I hope you enjoyed the tour. I posted about Dad’s garden last summer too, so just click for more pics. For more Bloom Day posts, visit meme hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens. And remember, it’s Foliage Follow-Up tomorrow!
Update: For a look at the shops, patio gardens, and, yes, Oreo cows of Fearrington Village, click here.
All material © 2006-2012 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
I can see great gardening is in your blood! What a charming garden. It is probably a pleasure to be in.
It is definitely a pleasure to be in, Ruth. They enjoy it all year. —Pam
Glorious. Really glorious! Two of my favorite features are the dancing man statue and the dining spot. I hope they/you spend many happy hours sitting on those benches!
I think they do, Rebecca. That dining spot used to be a hot tub that rarely got used. This is much better for them. —Pam
This is an inspiration for no lawn. Love the brick paving. Happy GBBD.
The paving is very nice, isn’t it? It leads you through the garden in gentle curves. —Pam
OMG, Yes. It runs in the family! Great pics !
Dad loves a garden, but he isn’t much into gardening himself. He and his wife have a designer who comes out to maintain it. It’s a good collaboration. —Pam
What a charming courtyard. I hope you had some fabulous meals and pleasant conversation around that lovely table.
Indeed we did, Layanee, and the weather cooperated nicely, for August in the South. —Pam
Love your Crape Myrtle and butterflies! Your gardens look so cozy and inviting. I enjoyed visiting!
Not mine, Lee—it’s my dad’s garden. But thanks for visiting my blog! —Pam
What a beautiful garden! Those crape myrtles are absolutely gorgeous, and such a lovely place to enjoy an evening get-together with your family. I can see where you got your gardening genes, Pam!
The crepe myrtles must have been at peak bloom. They really were lovely. Thanks for stopping by, Rose. —Pam
What a fantastic garden, Pam. Your Dad is smart to hire a very creative designer. Its folks like him that keep us in business. Visited Fearrington Village to dine one lovely summer evening and it’s gorgeous there. I’m not far away so stop by for a visit when you come into town next time.
I’d love to, Carolyn. Thanks for the invitation. Time was short on this visit, but maybe next time! —Pam
Nice, so different. But that blue wall behind the green heavily grown dining area…perfect.
That seemed like a southwestern touch to me, David—a colored stucco wall. Something you see all the time, but without the lush vegetation, right? —Pam
What a beautiful place to live. Freda and I went there for lunch when I stopped by her place in May. Her son’s wedding was there in June. Your Dad’s place is just lovely!!
Fearrington IS very beautiful—so bucolic, yet with all the comforts of dining and a great bookstore to boot. I’ve never eaten at the inn though—must do that one day. —Pam
What a beautiful garden and I love all the butterflies and dragonflies! I have visited Fearrington Village and love it! My sister lives just down the road in Chapel Hill. I did a post from my visit in spring. Can’t wait to see your post and how it looks in summer.
And I’ll have to look for your post to see how it looks in spring, SM. Lovely, I’m sure! —Pam
This is so lovely. It must be the perfect place to sit and relax. And, having someone take care of it for you….genius!
Ha—yes, I feel that way at this hot, sticky, lack-of-rain time of year too. —Pam
How serene – and soooooooooooo not surprising that your dad opted for a yard sans grass! How great y’all share so much in common. 🙂
Gardens are just more fun! Both of my parents believe that, so no wonder I do too. 😉 —Pam
Thanks for taking us to visit your dad for bloom day Pam. Was he surprised to have us all drop in? See you tomorrow.
I don’t know, Ricki. He’s not a regular reader, but I’ll let him know about it sooner or later. —Pam
So beautiful and such color. I think your dad did the right thing in creating a little piece of paradise.
Yes, so do I, Jenny. —Pam
Dad hired a designer, when he had you?
Les, he wisely hired a landscape architect for the bones of the garden and a local designer who knows the plants and continues to maintain the garden. Local is best! —Pam
What a beautiful place your dad has created! And you obviously take after him. Love the dragonflies and the Crape Myrtles!
Thanks, PP. I’m glad you enjoyed the tour. —Pam
Love the garden, especially all of the little rooms tied together with fabulous hardscaping. And there’s just so much color!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Lori. I always do too. —Pam
What an amazing garden! Truly a work of art! That statue is such a beautiful focal point!
They do have a beautiful space. Thanks for stopping by, Candy. —Pam
So serene…love that path!
It’s the key to the success of the whole courtyard, isn’t it? —Pam