In Bloom: Discover native gardens on a wildflower walk
Apr. 13—From the soft crunch of leaves to the gentle burble of the stream, a trek through the Corneille Bryan Native Garden is a serene encounter with hundreds of native species.
Visitors are invited to observe the spring blooms while gaining insights from volunteers during guided wildflower walks Wednesdays at 1 p.m. through May 8 at the garden on the grounds of Lake Junaluska Assembly.
Ann Tiner is a volunteer at the gardens and previously a master gardener and has long frequented the Corneille Bryan garden. Last week was her first time giving a guided tour.
"I just love it. The more you know, the more you want to know," Tiner said. "Literally every two or three days, something changes."
The garden was created in memory of Corneille Downer Bryan, an artist, lover of nature and member of the Tuscola Garden Club. She was the wife of Bishop Monk Bryan of The United Methodist Church who chose the project as a memorial to his late wife, combined with Maxilla Evans' desire for a place where her lifetime collection of wildflowers could be preserved.
Plants there include oaks, black walnuts, sourwood and magnolias, along with an understory of silverbell, azaleas, hawthorn and others. Spring wildflowers include trout lily, bloodroot, trilliums, Virginia bluebells, Jacob's ladder, woodland phlox and many more.
The tours, and visitor questions, generate a wealth of information about native species. Participants discover facts such as bloodroot being used by the Cherokee to dye baskets, and that box turtles spread seeds for mayapples.
The garden is home to 500 native species, tended to by horticulturist Janet Manning, among other volunteers. The garden's 'special species' include Carolina hemlock, native to only the mountains of four states, and pinkshell azalea, native only to N.C. high mountains.
Those who tend the garden will not plant invasive or nonnative species there and in fact try to weed out the invasive ones, said Sarah Workman, a volunteer who is also chair of the Native Plant Garden Board.
"We have some (nonnative plants that) come in from people's yards that are ornamentals, and we take them out," she said.
The stream bed located within the gardens is a natural rock formation that creates a small waterfall descending the length of the garden, with its water flowing toward Lake Junaluska and under North Lakeshore Drive.
Janet Stone-Erdman walks through the Lake Junaluska campus frequently and attended her first wildflower tour last week, snapping photos of plants and observing things she otherwise missed during her usual stroll.
"I appreciate this campus (Lake Junaluska) and all the activities they have for the citizens, or visitors or whoever, and the garden tour I highly recommend. It's a very beautiful tour of this hidden jewel," Stone-Erdman said.
The garden will host 'Birds in the Garden' sessions with local birding expert Howard Browers on two Fridays, April 26, and May 17, each at 7:30 a.m.
"This is our own little bit of natural forest habitat of the southern Appalachians," Workman said. "It's a real gem here in the heart of the property of Lake Junaluska, it's well loved and open to the public."
Space is limited on all the walks, so register for a specific walk at cbnativegarden@gmail.com. Meet at the bottom of the garden off Stuart Circle. In the event of inclement weather, the walk will not be held. For questions, call 828-452-5840 or email CBnativegarden@gmail.com. See what is blooming or learn more about the Corneille Bryan Native Garden on Facebook.
