Hurricane Helene 

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene forever changed the landscape of our beautiful gardens. The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, which connected the west and east gardens, sustained much structural damage. The flood waters washed away the west riverbank, leaving no structure connecting the bridge to the land on the other side.  Most of our 30 themed gardens were washed away or buried under massive amounts of sand. The famous Rainbow Bridge, where visitors left beloved pets’ collars, was completely washed away.

With help from about 40 volunteers with the nonprofit organization Spokes of Hope, we were able to recover a few garden areas on both the east and west ends. These volunteers, from both North and South Carolina, worked alongside some of our own volunteers for several days clearing sand and debris, power washing remaining garden paths, and helping lay down mulch for future garden areas.

In spite of this devastation, the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge volunteers remained dedicated to the mission to maintain gardens that are enjoyable, inspirational and used to educate people about gardening and its health and environmental benefits. The planning process is ongoing, so stay tuned. There is more to come!