Saturday, July 27, 2013

Home and Garden Tour

The homes and gardens in Blowing Rock and Linville, North Carolina, are some of the most charming in all of the high country.



On Friday, we visited Blowing Rock for the St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church tour of homes and gardens. The event is one of our favorites, so we try to attend each year.



The first home on tour was abundantly English in both the gardens and the home.



This home is one of seven the family owns.


There were also French and Italian influences on the grounds, in the main house, and in the three guest houses.



The foggy side lawn view includes a glimpse of the Moses Cone Manor on a distant mountain. Grandfather Mountain can be seen on clear days from the front lawn, but it was obscured by fog today.



Later in the day, we took a short drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway to Linville. The buildings in this community are often covered with bark and bordered by thousands of beautiful flowers and trees.



 
The Eseeola Lodge is always a good place to stop for a refreshing beverage and dinner.



 Dahlias are among the most perfect flowers, and they seem to thrive in the climate of Linville.


Window and rail boxes overflowed with colorful flowers.



Even the parking lot is bordered by flowers.






My outfit for the day includes a Travelers Collection
sweater, white tank top, and white side zip ankle pants, all from Chico's. The handbag is from Stein Mart. The Adrienne Vittadini shoes were from T.J.Maxx last year. The sunglasses are Oscar de la Renta from Stein Mart. The lariat style necklace is one of my own designs in silver and rose quartz.


17 comments:

A Lovely Inconsequence said...

Beautiful!!! Does Jan Karon the author of the Mitford series live in Blowing Rock? I believe so.

Emily

Susan said...

Yes, Jan is from Blowing Rock. She is a much beloved author by my whole family.

Priscilla Jacko said...

I wish I could blink and be there, the cool vistas and plants are sooooo beautiful. Jan Karon is one of my all time fav's too

Priscilla

Anonymous said...

I grew up in this area . Such a delight to see!

Donna said...

What a beautiful tour! I saw a couple of things I might incorporate into my modest gardens. Jan Karon is a favorite author..she is so lovely and gracious, as are you, Susan.

sharon said...

So beautiful!

Unknown said...

I love Blowing Rock. What a tranquil place.

Anonymous said...

Fabulous pictures as usual, love the flowers. My Dad loved dahlias, so it was a nice reminder of him. This is the second time recently that you've worn a longer sweater instead of the usual shorter length. You look like you lost 10 pounds - not that you needed to :) I really like the way it looks on you - long and lean. You look model thin and tall - absolutely great!!

Doris Walton said...

I love Blowing Rock. Joe and I used to go over there once in awhile and picnic in the park, go through the quaint stores and once attended church in the old Catholic Church. Nice memories. Thanks for sharing. Doris

meriusa said...


Thank you for showing us Blowing Rock ,gardens,flowers and Mountains on the horizon, stunning landscapes!
Tastefully dressed , you really look
tall and lean !

Patti said...

Thank you for sharing these glorious photos with Visible Monday, Susan. You really glow in white!

Ann, Heather and Sheila said...

Beautiful gardens and you look so pretty and fresh in your blue and white outfit!
Heather from Friendship, Life and Style

bluehuewonderland said...

You are looking great and so are these gardens!

blue hue wonderland

Kathleen said...

This place looks so peaceful and beautiful. And the fresh air!

Unknown said...

Hi Susan..Love your pics of your vac...You look Fabulous
Maureen/Decorate"ME"Age-MaZing Stylist to Boomer Divas like"ME"

DCHomewares said...

Lovely scenery and I must say, lovely outfit as well! You really put it together nicely.

Anonymous said...

Susan you look great. Chico's is one of my favorite stores, as is VintageJewelrySupplies. Blowing Rock is fabulous and so calming. You had a great day.
Barb F.