Art in its organic outdoor form is on display for the Cleveland County Arts Council’s 2022 Garden and Outdoor Living Tour.
The event will take place on Saturday, June 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The self-guided tour includes seven outdoor living spaces and “outdoor art.”
Locations on the tour include:
Pine Hall, Andrea Potts
224 Fairway Drive, Shelby
Andrea and Patrick Potts bought Pine Hall in June 2016.
Earl and Montrose Mechum built Pine Hall in 1973. Many of the house’s features were salvaged from historic homes throughout North Carolina, including the log cabin now called the Love Shack in honor of second stewards, Frank and Virginia Love.
Pine Hall Gardens is a traditional Southern garden with hundreds of species of plants including boxwood, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, gardenias, laurels, azaleas, roses, foxgloves, hollyhocks, irises, hostas and more. Pine Hall Gardens are dedicated to the memory of Patrick Potts who, with his wife, had a vision to restore this house and gardens.
Jim and Pat Parr
1322 Vista Drive, Shelby
Thirteen years ago, Jim and Pat Parr moved to Shelby from the Shawangunk Mountains of New York. The property soon had a number of issues that needed attention: invasive plants, water flooding, too much turf, lack of plant variety, too few birds and insects.
The couple first studied fauna and flora and then worked for 10 years to create a sustainable native habitat. The property is now a certified native plant habitat. They added trees, shrubs, a butterfly pollinator garden, a vegetable and herb garden, a shade garden, and perennial flower beds throughout the property.
Phil and Sandy Dee
400 Woodhaven Lane, Kings Mountain
Phil and Sandie Dee bought their farm and home in Kings Mountain in 2008. Sandy knew right away that she wanted to find a way to work with Mother Nature. After many years of growing vegetables and herbs for the market, she discovered flower growing in 2018.
They also grow blueberries and herbs and raise laying hens for eggs. Phil and Sandie’s home and farm feels miles away from Cleveland County.
Sandie’s bouquets can be purchased for a $20 donation to the Arts Council.
dr Kevin and Rhonda James
143 Lakemont Drive, Shelby
James’ backyard is also a garden that has been planned (and planted) for more than 25 years. Moss Lake is the backdrop for the wheelchair accessible gardens. The outdoor fireplace, the water feature, the personal putting green and lots of flowers and plants offer something for every season.
Matt and Lauren Borders
2908 Hollis Road, Polkville
The Borders describe their property as a pastoral setting with the focus of plant material being a collection of trees, an arboretum like in nature. The driveway through native dry white oak/hickory forest opens onto grassland surrounded by managed pine forest. The South Mountain wilderness dominates the view across a hay field to a small grocery garden and Dutch style wooden barn, with Hinton Creek forming the northern boundary of the property.
Mowed upper and lower loops create walking paths to view the trees planted at the edges of the hay meadow.
The slightly different kindergarten, Paul Owen
2810 Hollis Road, Polkville
In 2005, multi-award winning daylily grower Paul Owen relocated from Pennsylvania to Polkville and found a “slightly different” place to grow/display thousands of daylilies. The nursery he created will be open to visitors during the tour.
As part of the tour, Owen has registered a new, unique daylily variety to be offered as a gift for anyone who donates $100 or more to the Arts Council by June 4th.
Happy Little Accidents is a new 2022 daylily created specifically for the Cleveland County Arts Council’s efforts to keep the arts alive (and good!) in our county. Each inflorescence has up to 20 flowers, so established clumps easily bloom for a long time. These plants are available to a limited number of guests who should reserve them.
Garden center paradise
460 Cherryville Road, Shelby
Paradise Garden Center, an event sponsor, invites buyers to stop by to see their selection of indoor, outdoor, annual and perennial plants, many of which are grown on site.
There is also pizza from the wood-fired oven in the outdoor kitchen from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m
Want to go?
Tickets can be purchased for $20 from the Arts Council, 111 S. Washington St., Shelby, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are also available online at ccartscouncil.org. They can also only be purchased in the individual houses on the day of the event for cash or a cheque.