Bee-utiful community and food gardens at Asheville Fling
Wallowing in poppy goodness, the bees and I enjoyed a visit to the Burton Street Community Peace Gardens while in Asheville recently for the Garden Bloggers Fling. Look at this girl’s full pollen basket on her legs.
Like slipping into satin sheets
Dusted with pollen
Off to the next one
A bee’s work is never done.
There were also lilies…
…and interesting foliage.
Mostly though, Burton Street Community Peace Gardens is about, well, community, and providing a shared gathering space. Most of the garden is given over to constructions made of recycled junk, and quite a bit of it was created to make a statement about the wastefulness of our throwaway society, or so it seemed to me. Christopher, the chief planner of the Fling, has written a good post about the point of a largely non-plant, junk-art garden, if you’re interested to know why he put it on the itinerary.
Skulls seemed to be a theme in Asheville gardens, as we’d seen quite a few at Wamboldtopia too.
Later that day we were also treated to a visit to a food garden: the Sunny Point Cafe Garden. It’s quite large, and I wondered if they are really able to use all their produce in the restaurant or if they have a lot of surplus.
Sunny P. Bacon greets you at the entrance.
Rows of edibles
Asheville gardens always seem to include a place to gather with friends, and this one is no exception.
Pretty eryngium, or sea holly
In this small bed, even the silverware has sprouted.
Silverware flowers!
For a look back at the whimsical-Goth garden called Wamboldtopia, click here. Next up: The yard-art garden of Christopher Mello.
All material © 2006-2012 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Love those zoomed shots of the bees in the poppy. Poppies were really abundant in Asheville last weekend, the perfect timing to see them.
Bee-utiful bee shots! I enjoy watching bees work too.
The color in the Sunny Point garden is fun from the bright yellow and blue gate to the purple trellis. The flowers are cool too.
Great bee shots. I think you shot the best here. I missed the poppies. CAn’t believe that. There was so much to see.
You’ve outdone yourself, with those gorgeous bee photos!
Beautiful! Looks like a great trip.
Those are some AMAZING bee shots.
Gorgeous poppy close-ups!
You got some great shots of the bees and poppies! It sounds like the gardens of the Asheville Fling were unique and different.
I know it has been said, but the bee and poppy shots are fabulous, some of your best.
Dear friends, thank you all for your complimentary comments! —Pam
Now, those are macros! Wish I could have been there. Looks like a great time was had by all!
Community gardens are so fun! It’s such a celebration for people to come together in the garden!!!
Pam! Your photography is just becoming ridiculously good (um, the Chihuly post!), and the first photo here. If I ever make it to a Garden Bloggers Fling…I’ll travel light with my pocket camera – your photos are all I need.
Pam, those shots of the bees are fabulous! Some day, I will become a good macro photographer like you! I adored Sunny Point–lots of ideas for our edible gardens! Wish we had time for breakfast there…
Aw, thanks, you guys! So glad you enjoyed the bees! —Pam
Now I have another plant to add to the silver portion of the garden. What is the Latin name of that one? Perhaps, Argentum macropetalum perhaps? Your poppy shots are incredible. They are!
Ha! Isn’t it the perfect art for a vegetable garden? Layanee, I sure did miss you at the Fling this year. It’s just not the same without your sunny presence and wry humor. 🙂 —Pam
Love the bees! Even after being stung by over 2 dozen at once! Yikes but they have a place on this earth. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time that day. I must eat here some day on a return visit to Asheville. The snacks were yummy…