Wharton Memorial Foundation
Wharton Garden
309 N. Bridge Street
BEDFORD, VA 24523
United States
The Wharton Memorial Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) organization in Bedford, VA whose mission is to honor and continue the gardening legacies of Mrs. Louise Bibb Wharton and Mrs. Eloise Gregory, to encourage interest in horticulture through the creation and maintenance of public gardens, and to promote the development of North Bridge Street as a cultural and historic area through gardening, restoring historic structures and supporting the programs of the Bedford Central Library, the Bedford Historic Society and the Bower Center for the Arts.
The Wharton Garden is located in the town of Bedford, Virginia between the Bedford Central Library and The Bower Center for the Arts. It includes the Children's Literacy Garden, made up of several vignettes with an Alice in Wonderland theme , the Reading Walk, the Pollinator Garden, the Playhouse, a pergola and performance stage and coming soon ~ the Wildflower Demonstration Garden!
Also, the Wharton Memorial Foundation has lovingly restored and maintains the Wharton Cottage, built in 1848 in the Carpenter Gothic style, which is now Town Kitchen & Provisions restaurant.
- The newest Wildflower Garden will have many native plants and also a stream! This garden will represent various ecosystems, reflective of the natural world.
- The Wharton Garden has been the location of many weddings, prom pictures, Easter phot-shoots and birthday parties!
- This public garden in between the Bedford Library and the Bower Center for the Arts is an ideal location for outdoor programming for both of these entities.