Highlands, North Carolina

I just returned from a work retreat in Highlands, NC. Highlands is located in one of only two rain forests in the United States (the other one being in Oregon). The entire landscape of the town and surrounding area was lush and green. It wasn’t just nature gone wild, though, the town of Highlands is beautifully landscaped loosely based on English garden ideas and using many native plants.

 

This was a sweet rock fountain in a natural-ish area of a garden. 

The house we stayed in was surrounded by manicured lawns, rock walls, evergreen trees, and boxwood pruned into rounded balls. It gave the garden the feeling of being enclosed. A couple of my co-workers mentioned that the garden would make a nice place for a reception.

 

Isn't this lawn gorgeous?Understated and classy. I think I could play croquet out here.

 

 

I really like the rock garden border. I may want to do a border of this type in front of my cement girl.

 

 

Don't you want to explore this secret garden?

 

 

 My bedroom had a copy of the book The Gardens at Kew written by Allan Paterson and photographed by Andrew McRobb. A superbly illustrated book published to celebrate Kew’s 250^th anniversary. I had not time for serious reading, but each evening before going to sleep I would leaf through admiring the luxurious photos. And dream.