GARDEN SYMPOSIUM

First-ever event called a success

Sherry Brunson

The first Spring Garden Symposium is considered a success by any standards.

Cochairwoman Candis Owens was thrilled with the response, not just from Tarboro, but from Eastern North Carolina.

"We had a fabulous turnout," she grinned. "It was beyond my expectations."

Approximately 125 people attended the event, which was a fundraiser for the Blount-Bridgers House, part of its year-long bicentennial celebrations.

The day-long symposium featured two speakers, Horace Whitfield, executive director of the Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo, who spoke on "Planting for the Planet: Principles for designing a sustaining habitat, and Bryce Lane, host of "In the Garden" on UNC- TV, "Latest and Greatest Trends in Gardening."

Tom Miller, historian for the historic Calvary Episcopal Church, where much of the event was held, gave tours of the church, with its beautiful antique furnishings and stained glassed windows, one of which is an authentic Tiffany.

The grounds of the church feature trees from all over the world, thanks to the first rector, the Rev. Joseph Blount Cheshire, who wrote to missionaries for cuttings.

An elegant lunch of fruit, chicken salad, marinated squash and a delicious strawberry shortcake, featuring a made-from-scratch custard that made it taste somewhat like a trifle, was catered in the churchyard by Joe White from Myrtle Grove Plantation.

Pat Jones and a group from the Cardinal Garden Club of Snow Hill, were enchanted by the event.

"We all came down together, it has been a lot of fun," she said. "

Participants were invited to stroll through four private gardens nearby at the homes of Gene and Teresa Muse, Lloyd and Candis Owens, Edward and Susan Roberson, Trent and Ginny Mohrbutter in addition to the Blount-Bridgers House Gardens.

The climax of the day was traditional English tea, served on the grounds of the Blount-Bridgers House.

Carol Banks, a native of England, ordered special flour, with a higher gluten content, from the mother-country, to make homemade scones, which were served with Devonshire cream and jam, for the event. British tea was served in some of the finest china Tarboro had to offer.

Plates of petit sandwiches, tea breads, lemon curd tarts and other poured the steaming brew from a variety of cleverly designed and classicly beautiful tea pots.

Diane Clarcq, Laura Henderson and Kathy Thrush came to Tarboro for the event, and stayed for the tea.

"This is so nice," Thrush said. "I love to come to events like this."

"I am satisfied that we made money," Owens said. "We don't know exactly how much, yet, because we have to pay the bills, but we definely made money.

"We couldn't have done it without all the people who volunteered," she said.

Owens said only a nominal fee was charged to get vendors for the symposium, approximately 13 of which, lined Saint David Street with a variety of plant, sculptures, birdhouses and other interesting wares.

"The vendors were pleased and happy," she said. "One vendor said he sold more today than he had sold in events in three years. The vendors, overall, said they were happy with the sales, attitudes of the peoplep, and the fun of the event, which is good.

"One lady left with the back of her SUV filled with 40 plants. They will pass the word and others will want to come next year. "

Owens was tickled over the reaction one of the groups from Raleigh had to Tarboro.

"They were so thrilled with Tarboro," she said, grinning, "that they wanted to walk from the church to Main Street, just to experience our small town atmosphere. Some people just don't realize what they're missing."

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