LAKE LURE, N.C. — Nearly two months after Helene destroyed the 30 gardens of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge (LLFB), the grounds are slowly returning to their former glory.
Volunteers from across the Carolinas recently spent 3 days clearing silt and mud. Forty Spokes of Hope volunteers from North and South Carolina, along with LLFB volunteers, dug out mounds of sand on garden paths, cleared debris, and pressure-washed the paths.
These volunteers also sifted through the sand looking through sand looking for more commemorative bricks and other garden artifacts.
Over the course of several weeks, 398 of the original 724 bricks have been recovered and placed in their original locations. The commemorative bricks honor or memorialize a loved one, a friend or a beloved pet. Volunteers say a stone mason will soon mortar the salvaged brigs into place.
The beloved Rainbow Bridge was also washed away from the garden grounds by Helene's floodwaters. LLFB says there are no plans to rebuild the bridge that honored pets because the gardens are still in the recovery phase. Volunteers say it will be some time before the rebuilding phase begins because many unanswered questions and decisions must still be made.
Other gardens on the property were also destroyed including the Peter Rabbit Children's Garden, the Pollinator Garden, a Secret Garden and a Heather Garden.
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