Education has always been an integral part of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge. Whether it is teaching a class on topics such as pruning, container gardening, drip irrigation or simply answering a question from a bridge visitor about a plant that is growing in our gardens. Educating the public has always been part of what we do on the Flowering Bridge.
We are now going to make changes to education on the bridge. Classes in the past have been limited to warmer weather and weather conditions. If it rained, we would need to change locations to a local building at the last minute. We also have not had the equipment or educational materials to create a better program. The changes to our education program will now allow us to grow our program into what we really would like and be beneficial to the community.
Our first change will be the construction of our new building. This will allow us to have education classes year round with a building that has heating and air conditioning for a more comfortable learning experience. Our new building will have a handicap bathroom, small kitchen area for refreshments, office, a large room for indoor classes and outside shaded porch area for additional classes. There will also be a small gift shop where you can buy hats, seeds, plants, t-shirts, and other garden related items. The new building will have seating and tables for attendees which we have not had in the past. When we have tours, visitors will enjoy watching a video on the story of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge before starting their tour of the gardens using our audio video system with internet capabilities. The inside of the building will have lots of horticultural display items, posters, small library, plants and much more.
The classes we offer will also change. We will have more classes all year round, special guest speakers, art classes, puppetry and horticultural classes for children and adults. You will also see lots of hands on activities which is a great way to learn. Pollinator Week events and Earth Day events will be larger with more activities for all ages and lots of educational material for children and adults.
If you are interested in classes, please visit our website for a listing of classes and events for 2023 or stop by the Welcome Terrace at the Bridge and check out our new Education Display board.
If you would like to donate to help build the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge Education Center, please visit our website. Our website is https://lakelurefloweringbridge.org. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Debbie Clark is a retired Master Gardener, Co-Chair of the gardens and the new Education Chair for the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge.
.
