The Garden Conservancy Open Days Tour 2009

The Garden Conservancy Open Days tour will be held once again in the Raleigh area. For two days, six gardens will open to share a peek behind their private gates. Gardeners and non-gardeners will enjoy special access to these works of nature’s art just in time for fall planning and planting.

CARY
The Thompson Garden
Garden of Kathleen and Walt Thompson
119 Ravenna Way
Cary
As close as the curb, delight begins. Paths beckon to enter, but proceed slowly to take in everything — the threadleaf Japanese maple, plant vignettes and accents.
At the arbor, take in the view of a garden gently sloping with curvilinear borders and paths outlined with recycled concrete, displaying an excellent example of applying recycled materials to create garden walls, paths and edging.
Garden beds are planted with perennials, tropical and native plants. The sound of the pond provides a soothing respite and attracts various wildlife visitors that continue on down the paths into the woods to the community lake.

RALEIGH
The Paisley Garden
Garden of Julia Kornegay and Alfredo Escobar
5237 Leiden Lane
Raleigh
A groovy garden to be sure! Paisley patterns present well to the visitor, who can meander the paisley beds and into and out of the woodland gardens, never far from the sound of water from the stone-bordered pond, a stream and the waterfall comprising the heart of the garden.
On a corner 1-acre lot, Julia and Alfredo create a fashion-forward design (or is it nostalgia?) with a front yard vegetable garden — providing tomatoes, potatoes, onions — and a sweet English knot herb garden.
The borrowed landscape makes this property seem larger than it is. With plenty of seating dotted throughout, take the time to sit a spell and enjoy the views.

Rose Cottage
Garden of Sharon and Jim Bright
115 N. Bloodworth St.
Raleigh
The journey through the quaint and mesmerizing gardens of Rose Cottage begins at the carriage step: Antique roses, perennials, annuals, flowering trees and shrubs, plus pretty parterres define the space that serves to halt the hectic pace of life.
This new home, built to historic specifications, sits comfortably in Raleigh’s downtown Historic Oakwood district. The gardens arose out of an old graveled parking lot left barren by a house fire long ago. The couple transformed the grounds into a lush and tranquil oasis of color and fragrance — inspired by Monet, but realized with Sharon’s keen eye for color and Jim’s talents.
In the very back, bountiful vegetable beds, a secret garden, a compost operation and a little garden cottage functions as a convenient shed.

Helen’s Haven
Garden of Helen Yoest and David Philbrook
3412 Yelverton Circle
Raleigh
Helen’s Haven is the garden I share with my family. The design took into account the needs of three young and active children. Even so, the stone path through the center on the main back border, built by Phil Hathcock of Natural Stone Sculptures, is often overlooked as a transition point when the kids are chasing an errant ball. But that’s OK; this is their garden too.
Low boxwood hedges were used to create a formal atmosphere to complement the architecture of this Georgian Colonial-style home. These hedges also map out the space for the kids to play. Within the hedges are informal plantings of perennials and annuals to attract butterflies, birds and bees.
Helen’s Haven is a certified wildlife habitat and a certified Monarch Watch Station. Using waterwise design principles and watered with harvested rain, the organic garden demonstrates environmental practices resulting in a colorful, lush space.

WAKE FOREST
Entwined
Garden of Jayme Bednarczyk and Phil Abbott
1025 Traders Trail
Wake Forest
The home and garden’s name is Entwined, aptly named by Jayme and Phil as their place of, “hopeful dreams entwined with patience and time.”
The gardens were built at the pace of one passion at a time. Amidst the trees, roses and perennials, with drama focused to the lake, visitors turn back to a villa. Strong European influences are present in the design decisions; terraced beds on the sloping land add to the drama of a home in the heart of a garden.

Falls Revival
Garden of Jeff Bottoms and
John Martin
12160 Falls of Neuse Road
Wake Forest
From the road, visitors view a tapestry hedge buffering the busy street. On the other side, in an historic valley in Wake Forest, rests a garden — a collector’s garden — with a foot in the past and an eye toward the future. Nostalgia, tradition and modern design meld to make this garden shine.
A casual cottage-style garden, with some very unusual plantings, pique interest, with visitors wanting to know more and where to find them. And you can. Toward the back of the property is the nursery, with a wide range of exotic and unusual plants, many found in the gardens.
During the tour, the on-site nursery will be selling plants and sharing proceeds with the JC Raulston Arboretum.

Postscript
For the past five years, it has been a pleasure volunteering for the Garden Conservancy Open Days tour. This year marks my last year leading this great tour and fundraising event. I’m happy to announce the Garden Conservancy tour will continue on in 2010 under the direction of the JC Raulston Arboretum. Please contact Anne Porter at the Arboretum if you are interested in helping with next year’s tour at, 919-513-3463.

About The Garden Conservancy
The Garden Conservancy is a national organization with a mission to preserve exceptional American gardens for public education and enjoyment. The Open Days Program serves as the primary educational outreach for the Conservancy.
Founded in 1989 by American gardener Frank Cabot, the Garden Conservancy works in partnership with individual garden owners and public and private organizations, and uses legal, financial and horticultural resources to help secure the future of hundreds of gardens across the country. North Carolina is fortunate to have two Garden Conservancy preservation projects: Montrose in Hillsborough and The Elizabeth Lawrence Garden in Charlotte.
The Open Days tour allows proceeds to be shared with another nonprofit. Helen Yoest, regional representative of the Raleigh area tour, named the JC Raulston Arboretum as the shared benefactor.
Tickets can be purchased in advance at the JC Raulston Arboretum by calling 919-513-3463 or directly through the Garden Conservancy, www.gardenconservancy.org. Tickets can also be purchased during the days of the tour at the individual gardens or at the Bobby Wilder Visitor Center at the JC Raulston Arboretum, 4511 Beryl Road, Raleigh. Tickets are $5 per garden or a book of six tickets for $25. Garden Conservancy members get a further discount of just $15 per book of six tickets.