Photo (c) Arborcrest Gardens
Wing Haven invites you to join us for a day of camaraderie and fellowship while we tour three beautiful gardens in Boone and Ashe County: Arborcrest, Maple Ridge and Rhodwood along with a private seated luncheon at the historic River House Inn & Restaurant.
Transportation, light breakfast, seated lunch, beverages and snacks included. Limited to 27 guests.
Wear comfortable shoes for walking and dress for the weather.
Price Per Person: $350 Member and $375 Non-Member
Wing Haven will maintain a waitlist in the event the trip sells out. No refunds after Friday, August 30 unless we can fill spot from waitlist.
TRIP AGENDA
7:30 a.m. Welcome: Registration and Name Tags, Coffee and Refreshments
Park Road Shopping Center
7:50 a.m. Depart Charlotte
10:15 a.m. Arrive at Arborcrest Gardens for self-guided walking tour
Boone, NC
10:30 a.m. (Optional) Guided 1.5 hour vehicle tour. Guest Add-On $15
Arborcrest Gardens
Acer japonicum ‘Vitifolium’ (Fullmoon Maple) with ‘Autumn Moon’ Chysanthemums (c) Arborcrest Gardens
A garden after Elizabeth Lawrence’s heart. Arborcrest Gardens differs from most other botanical gardens in that it has been conceptualized, designed, funded and managed by one person Dr. Ron Stanly. During the early days of his landscape and vegetable gardening in Boone, the doctor kept meticulous records of his methods and of the performance of the plants—building a valuable database for local landscape design (now totaling more than 15,000 species and varieties!).
Started as a small vegetable garden and a landscaped ornamental garden covering about five acres, then gradually expanded to 26 acres, the amazing Arborcrest was established in 1989 as a non-profit botanical garden, set up for horticultural research. Plants in the garden are labeled with the scientific name, cultivar and common name. Arborcrest Gardens is situated near the base of Howard's Knob in Boone and contains a beautiful diversity of plants. We will enjoy a peaceful stroll around the 2.5 miles of paved trails throughout the gardens or for an additional $15, you may sign up for a 1.5-hour guided electric vehicle tour.
12:00 p.m. Depart for Lunch at River House Inn
1:15 p.m. Private Seated Three-Course Luncheon at the River House Inn & Restaurant
Grassy Creek, NC
River House Inn & Restaurant
Photo (c) River House Inn & Restaurant
Deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Virginia and Tennessee, within the spectacular bowl of Walnut Hill and overlooking the North Fork of the New River is the charming historic River House Country Inn & Restaurant owned and managed by Gayle Winston. Learn more about the Inn and hear Gayle tell her story in this short PBS video. The beautifully renovated 1870s Inn sits within the property’s 160 acres of walking trails and wildlife. Together, we will enjoy a seated three-course luncheon specially prepared and featuring Chunky Gazpacho or Butternut Squash (depending on the weather), Shallot Gruyère Quiche with Green Salad and Fruit, and Crème Brûlée*. Elegant but unpretentious, the River House restaurant is known for its great food and ambiance.
*options available for those with dietary restrictions
2:30 p.m. Board bus to Maple Ridge
Lansing, NC
Maple Ridge
View from Maple Ridge
3:05 p.m. Enjoy the 360 degree views and lovely gardens of Maple Ridge, the mountain home of Robert Shore and Brian Caldwell. When Robert and Brian purchased the property 11 years ago, it was totally undeveloped, with no infrastructure whatsoever, not even a road. At an altitude of 3,750 feet, it’s the perfect condition to grow plants that they had never been able to grow in any of their gardens in Charlotte. One of the first categories was dahlias. Now, dahlias are in three of their garden areas, representing various colors and shapes.
Once the main house was built, Robert and Brian designed and installed foundation plantings around the house, including a massive sweep of lime light hydrangeas which are now 12 feet tall. Following, a cutting garden was planted behind the house where they planted their first dahlias. After this, they started a perennial garden that borders the circular river stone car park in front of the house.
On a trip to England in 2019, visiting gardens every day, they saw a stone staircase at Hestercombe Gardens that inspired them to build a similar one on their property. Today, the staircase invites you to enjoy a meadow garden, full of plants and hardscaping built with stones and boulders, many of which were found on their property. With the help of friend and garden designer, Jay Sifford, Robert and Brian created a space where intentionally planted grasses naturally transition into the indigenous ones. Also in this garden are various conifers, heathers, succulents, lavenders, and other perennials.
4:00 p.m. Depart for Rhodwood
West Jefferson, NC
4:30 p.m. Tour of Jay Sifford’s award-winning Rhodwood garden.
Rhodwood
Rhodwood (c) Jay Sifford
We are fortunate to be invited for a personal tour of Jay Sifford’s private award-winning Rhodwood Garden. Garden designer, speaker and writer Jay Sifford as seen in Fine Gardening and Southern Living, is the Perennial Plant Association 2024 Award of Merit Winner, 8X Best of Houzz Design & Service Winner and Named 'North Carolina's Most Outstanding Landscape Designer 2021' by LuxLife Magazine. Jay believes that a garden should be an immersive environment laced with magic, art and story, a place where people, plants and wildlife interact in meaningful ways, and a stage upon which people can live out the best versions of their lives.
Crafting A Mountain Home Called Rhodwood video
5:30 p.m. Depart for Charlotte
7:30 p.m. Arrive home Charlotte
Park Road Shopping Center
This tour will be an easy to moderate walk on varied terrain.
Available exclusively to Wing Haven Members early. Open to the public starting August 16.