What a
winter!After bitter temperatures and
lingering snow gardeners are “itching” to start working in their yards.Historic Tarboro, now celebrating its 250th
birthday, is full of dedicated gardeners and beautiful gardens.To celebrate spring and educate gardeners and
garden enthusiasts, the Blount-Bridgers House invites you to the 2010 SpringGardenSymposium on Thursday,
May 6 from 8:30 am to 5 pm starting at Calvary
Episcopal Church, 411 E. Church
Street, in Historic Tarboro.
This exciting day
will include lectures by renowned gardeners Pam
Beck,
gardening author, lecturer, and photographer, and Bryce Lane, host of In the Garden on UNC-TV.Ms.
Beck will speak in the morning session on “Let’s Mix It Up - Mixed
Border Design” and Mr. Lane will speak
in the afternoon session on “Do These Go? Creating Beautiful Container
Combinations”.These well-known speakers
will be happy to answer questions from the audience and share their wealth of
knowledge of eastern North Carolina
plants.
Attendees will
also have the opportunity to shop with numerous specialty garden vendors.These vendors will locate along the outside
west wall of historic Calvary Episcopal Church, offering unique plants,
birdhouses, garden decorative items, plant containers, and other items of
interest.This will be a great
opportunity to purchase that item on your “wish list,” or shop for that special
birthday, housewarming, thank-you, or early Christmas gift!
Artfully
decorated tables in the National Register churchyard will welcome guests at a
luncheon catered by Joe White from Myrtle Grove Plantation. This will be a time to meet garden
enthusiasts, share ideas, and enjoy lunch.
Architecturally
significant Calvary Episcopal Church (c.
1833)and its 175 year old plantings will amaze
visitors.This EdgecombeCounty
treasure was built during the ministry of The Rev. Joseph Blount Cheshire in
the stormy years between 1859 -1868.The
Gothic Revival church, designed by William Percival, contains an impressive
array of stained glass windows, one attributed to Tiffany Studios.Mr. Cheshire fenced the yard and planted both
native and exotic specimens, still visible today.The Church welcomes you to meander among the
collection of tombstones, memorials, and magnificent vegetation.
Another special
part of this day will be the garden tour of selected sites in Tarboro and EdgecombeCounty.Not only will the churchyard be open, but also six private gardens, and
the garden at the Blount-Bridgers House and PenderMuseum.Each garden will offer singular delights.
A traditional English afternoon
tea will complete the tour at the evolving gardens of the Blount-Bridgers
House (c.1808) at 130
Bridgers Street.The Blount-Bridgers House, once known as “The
Grove,” was built by Thomas Blount, an important local merchant, shipper, and U.S.
congressman. The House marked its
bicentennial in 2008.This Federal style
National Historic landmark is surrounded by a spectacular Italianate shed porch
that allows visitors to view the grounds.Also on the property is the PenderMuseum (c. 1810) a coastal plain cottage, with decoratively
painted interior panelling and mantels, and local hand-made furniture.The Philips Dependency (c. 1840’s) was
moved to this property in the 1980’s.The
grounds exhibit a central perennial garden with gravel paths and English
benches inside a gated and arched wooden fence.The Edgecombe Garden Club maintains a shade garden near the PenderMuseum.A kitchen garden nestles between the PenderMuseum
and the Philips Dependency.
The grounds of “The
Grove” provide the perfect background for an authentic afternoon tea.Carol Banks, manager of the museum, hails
from England
and is orchestrating this elegant affair.She has ordered the tea from England, as well as the flour to
make her special scones.Petit fresh
salmon sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, and vol-au-vents (a scrumptious pastry
filled with sweet delights) will also be on the menu.A “proper tea,” on the wrap-around porch
overlooking the beautiful gardens, will be a wonderful way to end the day.
Registration for
this much-anticipated day will begin at 8:30 am at Calvary Episcopal Church, 411 East Church Street,
Tarboro, where coffee and sweets will greet attendees.Tickets are $60 for the full day.Half-day tickets are available for $40.Tickets may be purchased at the
Blount-Bridgers House, the Edgecombe County Memorial Library, the Tarboro
Edgecombe Chamber of Commerce, or on the day of the tour at the Calvary
Episcopal Church from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm.You may also call Candis Owens at 252-823-5770 for more information and group rates.If you
are planning on buying a ticket at the door, please make luncheon reservations by
Monday, May 3rd by calling the above number. Proceeds from this event benefit the restoration
of the Blount-Bridgers House gardens.
