Contributed
When the Seven Lakes Garden Club visited the Sandhills Horticultural Garden in October, members had two missions: tour the gardens and walk the inaugural Scarecrow Stroll.
The stroll was an initiative by the Garden to bring people out for a visit and to celebrate the arrival of autumn.
Visiting a garden in October may not sound exciting as the brilliance of summer fades, but gardeners are always on the lookout for interesting plants for every season.
Club members learned some fun facts and discovered some interesting plants in the gardens they visited. Late bloomers are a good way to extend the garden season. Marcia Woodfield and Jan Hiltner provided a great tour.
The scarecrow exhibit brought extra seasonal enjoyment to the garden visit. Eight garden clubs contributed scarecrow designs and the SHG staff and SCC Landscape Gardening students and faculty also contributed.
Three of the scarecrows on display were created by members of the Seven Lakes Garden Club.The SLCG scarecrow teams were praised for their outstanding work in producing three amazing entries for the Scarecrow Stroll.
A fall-themed Lady of the Meadow titled “Meadow Lady West” stood in the Hillside Garden. The entry by Kate Zentar, Terry and Tom Rudziensky, John Cermele led by Jo Cermele was dressed for the garden and surrounded by flowers and creatures of the meadow.
Located in the Sir Walter Raleigh Garden was “Southern Bell,” a glorious display of the delicate southern lady basking under a colorful flower umbrella and surrounded by abundant fall décor. This entry by Bob Rose, Gayle Carpenter, Lucia Skelton, Teresa and Peter Hessler, was led by Leslie Rose.
A whimsical, joyful scarecrow named “Northside Joey” delighted children with musical chime arms. Located in the Children’s Garden, this entry by Robbie and Doug Casker was led by Aida Montalvo.
The Sandhills Horticultural Garden is a hidden gem that is part of the Sandhills Community College. The horticultural students spend 50 percent of their class time working in the garden gaining hands-on experience.The gardens are located at Ball Garden Visitors’ Center, 3245 Airport Road, Pinehurst. More information about the gardens can be found at www.sandhills.edu/horticultural-gardens.
