FLOWERING BRIDGE, Lake Lure, North Carolina: A Real and Miniature World

52 Places to Go: Week 36

Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, Lake Lure, NC

From roses to succulents, pollinator gardens to art installations, the Flowering Bridge at Lake Lure, in the mountains of western North Carolina, is a wonder of nature and testament to the volunteers who turned an abandoned bridge into a beautiful floral walkway. 

View toward Chimney Rock from the Flowering Bridge

The project began in 2012, when gardens were first planted at either end of the bridge and then in following years on the bridge itself. I visited the Flowering Bridge in August 2021, on a trip with my family. As we wandered the 550 foot path across the bridge, each turn gave us a new view--of the plants and flowers themselves, art objects, mirrors, and ornaments decorating the garden, the Broad River that flows under the bridge, and the wooded mountains that rise above the valley.

Rabbit and tiny fairy angel along the path.

And tucked among the plants was a host of delightful surprises–tiny scenes with miniature figures in a fairy-tale like world. 

Tiny log home with wishing well and fairy perched in a knothole window.

In some, wooden stumps and clumps of moss were turned into tiny forest homes. Other scenes were nestled into open spaces among the plants. Occupants varied from tiny gnomes and fairy figures, to little people and animals.

Mr. McGregor's Garden and Peter Rabbit's family.

Peter Rabbit and his little blue coat.

Each of the thirty garden areas has a theme. Peter Rabbit Children’s Garden features a scene from Mr. MacGregor’s garden, which, if you remember, Peter Rabbit visited when he should have been picking blackberries with his brothers and sisters, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail. If you look carefully, you can find Peter--and his blue coat that he left behind as he escaped from Mr. McGregor who was said to have turned Peter's unfortunate father into a pie.

Bringing home a plant for the garden.

Getting ready for a mini-barbeque.

Among my favorites of the various tiny scenes were two gnomes with a miniature grill outside their tree stump home. Another favorite was a small pickup truck pulling a tiny teardrop camper.The fairy scenes are on display between June 1 and September 7. They change from year to year.

Guides and maps to the garden are available at the entrance.

At the beginning of the walk, informational panels tell the history of the garden walk project and provide guides to some of the wildlife–birds, bees, butterflies–one might encounter in the garden. The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge is a stop along the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail, which begins in Plains, Georgia, at the home of President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter. The mission of the trail is to promote the full life cycle of butterflies common in this area with a special emphasis on the monarch.

Mirror, mirror on the Wall! Throughout the garden, various mirrors reflect both the plants and visitors!

My visit to the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge was at the beginning of August, when summer flowers were in full bloom. The garden is free and open to the public year round.  For more information go to www.lakelureflowergingbridge.org .

A day the beach for tiny garden gnomes.

All text and photos copyright Caroline Arnold at The Intrepid Tourist.