by Madison V. Fisler
July 16, 2014. Terry and Wayne Brewer are two local business owners who don’t mind taking their work home with them. Their company, Mountaineer Landscaping, has been keeping High Country lawns and gardens beautiful for years, but if you want a real look at the talent and eye for life that this dynamic duo has, look no further than their own home garden.
The ladies of the Linville Ridge Garden Club and the Linville Ridge Photography Club got the chance to do just that last week, when the organizations were invited to the personal home of Terry and Wayne Brewer to enjoy the beautiful gardens and features housed on the grounds.
“Our property is a display garden, our entire home is a display garden,” said Terry. “Anywhere we have lived we have had display homes. It allows our customers to come by and see our work. A lot of customers aren’t informed about the names of plants and what looks best, and this gives us an opportunity to show them what we can do.”
When the Brewers first moved onto the property, which overlooks Grandfather Mountain, the backyard was empty. Wayne Brewer soon got to work to put in a concrete deck to take in the breathtaking view of the mountains surrounding the home.
“It looks right at the mountain, so it is an incredible view!” Terry said. “We have an in-ground pool in the backyard too. On the other side is the perennial garden. It is just wonderful to go out there in the evening after a hard day at work and just enjoy the peace and quiet and solitude. We are very secluded up here.”
Wayne Brewer was raised on the Toe River, where in the first home the Brewers enjoyed a gazebo and a pond in their front yard that was fed by the river.
“We had a gazebo and koi and of course there were flowers and hedges. When we moved on top of the ridge here there was no water. It was difficult to not have water here after having it for so long. But my husband does a lot of fantastic water feature work and it has helped us to build our business. He put a beautiful water feature in the front yard one summer and it has just made the yard.”
Terry describes her gardens and grounds as a place of tranquility and beauty. It is also a place where great considerations have to be taken with the plants chosen to live there.
“We built the landscape around the waterfall which gave us a lot of opportunities. Because of the extreme wind we get here we had to make some smart choices. We are at 4,100 feet, the road up here is even called Windy Hill. It took a lot of planning, and deciduous plants do better in extreme weather and in the wintertime, we went with those. It is a better situation than with evergreens that might get burned in the wind.”
Terry moved to her true love of plants after spending many years in the real estate business.
“I was a real estate agent and my husband really needed more help,” Terry said. “As I was toying around and learning how to do flower beds, he realized that I was pretty good at it. His business had grown to the point where he really needed someone to do flowers. I started studying all winter long and placed every plant on every property that we did, every single flower. I knew exactly what to do with all of them.”
While Wayne opened his business in 1985, Terry joined him in 1991 and they have been working together side by side ever since.
“We really enjoy working in the yard together,” Terry said. “It is our home. It is our place of peace and rest and solitude. It is a little haven in the hecticness. You can just feel the presence of God and just relax and enjoy it, and enjoy one another.”
One of the things the Brewers love most is sharing their gardens with others. During the garden party last week, they got the chance to do just that.
“It was a lot of fun and we all had a really great time.”
The participants echoed Terry’s sentiments, sending her cards with thanks and gratitude.
“Your gorgeous garden has been the talk of the mountain all week,” read one. “How lovely to see three generations working together in what is both your passion and your business.” read another.
After years of working together side by side, the Brewers could not be happier. And the duo looks forward to hosting many more garden parties in the future.
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