Garden & Outdoor Living Tour

Gardens Are a Work of Art

Cleveland County Arts Council’s 2026 Garden and Outdoor Living Tour

Like a painter, a gardener experiments with colors. Should a plant with bright orange blossoms go behind a dark purple bush? Like a sculptor, a gardener will look for plants with interesting shapes. Like a photographer, a gardener considers the changing light during the day.

Join us on Saturday, June 6, 9 am – 4 pm, as our self-guided tour of six lovely outdoor living spaces returns and see the outside “artistry” that has been created.

Tickets ($25) may be purchased online https://ccartscouncil.org/products/garden-tour-tickets or in person at the Arts Council, 111 S. Washington St., Shelby, Mon. – Fri. 9am – 4pm, Saturday 10am – 2pm

You can also purchase them at the individual homes the day of the event (cash/check only). 

Also, that day Paradise Garden Center, a sponsor of the event, invites you to stop in to see their selection of indoor, outdoor, annual and perennial plants, many grown on site. While there, enjoy a slice of wood fired pizza in their outdoor kitchen from 11am – 2pm. Paradise Garden Center is located at 460 Cherryville Rd Shelby, 704-480-1012 and is open 9am – 3pm. All proceeds support the Cleveland County Arts Council.

Tour Stops 

Brian Izatt

Overall Design Character

The design balances formal elements (symmetry, repetition, defined edges) with romantic cottage-style planting (abundant blooms, varied textures, and vibrant color layering). The garden feels intentional and mature, with clear focal points and excellent depth progression from low ground-cover to vertical accents.

The approach to the house is anchored by a classic tiered fountain, which serves as a central focal point. The fountain introduces both vertical structure and a sense of movement, contrasting beautifully with the soft plantings that surround it.

Structural Elements

  • Symmetrical Fire Chief evergreens form a repeating rhythm along the front edge of the bed. Their consistent rounded shapes provide year-round structure and a strong visual border.

  • The wooden railings add warmth and architectural balance, echoing natural tones found in mulch and plant stems.

  • Window boxes filled with vibrant blooms visually connect the house façade to the garden below, softening the brick exterior.

Planting Composition

The beds are densely planted with layered groupings:

  • Bright magenta and purple petunias spill generously along borders, creating a saturated foreground.

  • Yellow yarrow blooms and chartreuse foliage inject luminosity and prevent the palette from feeling heavy.

  • Red and coral fastigiate perennials punctuate the space with warmth.

  • Vertical evergreen spiral arborvitaes near the steps add height and guide the eye upward toward the entrance.

  • Fine-textured fillers weave between larger mounds, ensuring no bare soil is visible, a hallmark of an intentionally maintained garden.

The result is a full, textural tapestry where color blocks are bold yet harmonized.

Bruce Duncan

When we moved into our 1925 Arts and Craft styled home nearly 7 years ago,the grounds consisted of only grass, some stately old oaks and overgrown areas. The most daunting task was to landscape in a way to make it appear much older. The addition of conifers set the stage for this transformation. Although I’m a conifer specialist by trade, my lowcountry roots give me a deep love for old-fashioned southern blooms. My home is filled with flowers and raised-bed kitchen gardens, a sight that often surprises colleagues who expect to find nothing but evergreens.The overall effect is a blending of a mountain retreat, cottage flower beds and country life growing. 

Fox Point Farm

We moved Fox Point Farm to Ellenboro, North Carolina, in 2018. My husband, Tommy Robinson, and I are both professional horse trainers, and we chose this location to be close to the Tryon International Equestrian Center, where we regularly train and compete. Alongside our horses, we also share our farm with a beloved collection of tiny Shetland Sheepdogs.

One of the things that made us fall in love with this property was the protected backyard—a complete blank slate, aside from an abandoned old pool. At our previous farm, we had built a large collection of daylilies and hostas, and we brought a remarkable number of those plants with us, keeping them temporarily in pots as we prepared their new home.

Creating the garden turned out to be far more challenging than expected. It took a full year of clearing stubborn weeds and, with help, building new planting beds over dense, impenetrable clay. Finally, in the fall of 2019, the surviving plants began to go into the ground, and the garden truly began to take shape.

Inspired by the vibrant art and whimsy of late South Florida artist Leoma Lovegrove, we set out to create something magical—a space filled with bold color and personality using plants, glass, art, and unique treasures.

The backyard garden grew quickly and soon evolved into a lush, beautiful—if slightly wild—jungle that called for a more intentional hand. In January 2023, Fredy Briceno joined us in shaping the space, and it has felt like magic ever since.

Together, we have continued to expand and refine the gardens. In summer 2025, we added a large new area beyond the pool, doubling the garden’s size. That fall, we introduced a new conifer bed at the front of the house. By winter 2025, our Fairy Garden had grown significantly, and spring 2026 we unveiled an entirely new Alice in Wonderland-inspired garden.

If you are looking for something truly unique and inspiring, Fox Point Farm offers an enchanting experience you won’t soon forget.

Chris Gibby

Over the past nine years, this garden has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from a barren, overgrown space into a thoughtfully designed landscape that feels both natural and inviting. What was once an area crowded with trees, weeds, and untamed growth has been carefully reshaped by owner Chris Gibby, who took time to study how the landscape naturally flowed—especially the way rainwater moved around the back and side of the home. With this understanding, the garden was redesigned to work in harmony with the land, allowing proper runoff while creating ideal placements for foliage, shrubs, and ground cover. A series of connected pathways now gracefully links the various sections of the garden, guiding visitors through each unique space and encouraging a peaceful stroll through its ever-changing beauty.

Designed with the warmth and charm of a country garden in mind, the space offers a tranquil retreat filled with character and creativity. Numerous water features, along with a small pond, add soothing movement and sound, enhancing the garden’s peaceful atmosphere. One of its most charming elements is a child’s playhouse that has been beautifully repurposed into a garden shed, hand-painted to appear as though it has stood there for generations. This blend of whimsy and rustic design gives the garden a timeless, lived-in feel. Though it continues to evolve, the garden already provides inspiring perspectives on the use of hardscapes, pathways, and simple ground covers to create depth, texture, and visual interest throughout the landscape.Seven Gables

Seven Gables does not present a single formal garden. Instead, the landscape unfolds as a series of natural settings surrounding the home—each shaped over time and reflective of the property’s long history.

Set on just over two acres, the grounds are not arranged as a designed garden in the traditional sense. Rather, they tell the story of the home through its setting: mature trees, layered plantings, and quiet corners that have evolved alongside the house itself. The landscape reflects generations of stewardship, where beauty has grown organically through time rather than through a single design plan.

When we first became the homeowners of Seven Gables, the grounds had grown quiet. Over time, through careful refreshing and gentle tending of the landscape, the property has come back to life. Today, one of the quiet joys of the grounds is the return of nature itself—cardinals flashing through the trees, butterflies drifting through the beds, and the morning air once again filled with birdsong.

Along the way, we also rediscovered small pieces of the property’s charm—original garden statues, chairs, and lanterns that had been tucked away or hidden within the landscape over time. These elements have been thoughtfully restored and placed once again throughout the grounds, offering small moments of surprise and character that connect the present to the past.

As the current homeowners, we see ourselves as stewards of both the home and the land. Our goal has been to care for what is here—maintaining the natural elegance of the grounds while honoring the sense of place that has defined Seven Gables for more than a century. We are especially grateful to Kenny Ledford Landscaping, whose thoughtful care and partnership have helped maintain and reinvigorate the beauty of the property.

As you walk the grounds, we hope you experience the landscape not as one formal garden, but as a collection of spaces that together frame the home and its history—offering moments of shade, openness, and quiet reflection.

Welcome, and we invite you to wander the property and immerse yourself in the elegance, natural beauty, and living history that continue to shape Seven Gables.

Jimmy and DeeAnn Newton

My garden started out with 1 large Japanese maple that was there when we moved in.  My aunt grew them when I was younger and my love then for them has been there since I was a kid.  Over the years I began collecting, have jags my karate students gift some to me and now the collection has grown to over 100  maples ranging in different species, sizes and colors. 

There is also a variety of  accented conifers to complement them. I’ve never had a landscaper, just a good feeling of where things should be placed.  I enjoy planting things, and being responsible to their upkeep.  Between both of my businesses, this how I decompress.  I hope you enjoy what we’ve done with our yard and thank you for the opportunity to share it with you.