I'm not a fan of yard art. To me, the
phrase “yard art” evokes images of tired bathtubs repurposed as
front lawn container gardens, filled with petunias. Perhaps a
neighboring toilet is its companion, displaying fire-engine red
geraniums.
My yard art snobbery might stem from
my mother, who grew up in a rural area where bathroom fixtures likely
frequented lawns. Maybe my aversion comes from my inability to
decorate our house—I'm missing that gene that coordinates window
treatments and area rugs. Whatever the reason, I've never paid much
attention to yard art.
Until now.
Welcome to Wamboldtopia.
For four days, I abandoned my family
and my endless garden tasks. Instead, I self-indulgently galavanted
around Asheville, North Carolina with the Garden Bloggers' Fling—a
group of approximately 90 passionate garden folks who—you guessed
it—blog about gardens.
A tireless group of organizers arranged
garden tours, receptions, dinners, and most popularly, incredible ice
cream from The Hop. (Holy salted caramel deliciousness. I think a
weekly road trip to Asheville is on my agenda.) While this was my
first Fling, it was the fifth annual event, with the next Fling
slated for San Francisco in 2013.
We bounced our way on a school bus (I
had the ever-popular-as-a-kid, now not-so-kind-as- an-adult back of
the bus hump) to the first garden, where we found...
The Rock Pirate.
An apt name for Ricki Pierce, a man who
creates amazing structures from stone. Arches, walkways, fences,
ponds...all sporting exquisite, extravagant stone work.
If you've ever worked with stone, you
understand—this garden wasn't built in a day.
Yet, the gracefulness of Pierce's
stonework and its seamless transitions into the surrounding landscape
tease the garden guest into thinking: we need this pond in our
garden. (Warning, Peter: new project idea!)
Entering Wamboldtopia is daunting—you
don't know where to look first. Pierce's stonework is a show
stealer—but tucked into every nook and corner is a surprise, some
delightful...
...others disturbing.
Interplaying with the stonework is the
art of Damaris Pierce.
To quote her website, Wamboldtopia is a place
where the “...perfect imperfection of life is allowed to evolve and
flourish in all its mystery.”
Mysterious it is. Skeletons...
...fairy hideaways...
...guardians of the garden...
...gnome adversaries...
...and inspiration abound.
Stumbling upon certain displays can be
unsettling.
(“Mommy, “ asked Kristen when
looking at photos from my trip, “are those really James Sprouse's bones?”
Hmmm. Good question. I'd rather not know.)
Others provide sheer delight.
For plant purists expecting an orderly
display of the latest, greatest hybrids, Wamboldtopia shocks the
senses. Instead, the painstakingly created natural garden provides an
ideal marriage of blooms...
...and bizarre.
From the barren house and yard acquired
in 1999...
...to the lush, funky, provocative,
garden created with passion by the Pierces...
...Wamboldtopia is a labor of love.
Gardeners and artists
can agree to the saying which greets guests of Wamboldtopia:
Wamboldtopia. FIlled with light of
inspiration, passion, and creativity.
More gardens to come...but now, I must visit our
garden. After all, we'll have visitors from the CFSA Farm Tour here
in less than two weeks—oh my.
XO ~
Julie
