From Dump to Devine -- A Labor of Love

Some people retire to a life of travel or leisure, but Bernice and Armand Thieblot retired to a life of labor.  They began a mammoth, labor intensive project to restore a piece of land in Schuyler, Virginia, that was once a quarry and a dump site.  They bought nearly 600 acres and after many years of hard work, will open a 40-acre botanical garden next April – The Quarry Gardens at Schuyler. 

 The property they purchased in 1991 had once been owned by a soapstone company and several quarries are located on the site.  When the quarry company closed in the seventies, it allowed residents to use the site as a public dump for twenty years.  This means the Thieblots had to remove mountains of washers, dryers, refrigerators, tires, trash and debris to begin the land restoration process.  After visiting Butchart Gardens in British Columbia, which was built on an old cement quarry, the Thieblots were inspired to restore the land around the quarries on their property for a public garden.  Instead of formal gardens, their focus is on native plants.  

Soapstone was the major industry in Nelson County in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Virginia was considered the “soapstone capital of the world.” One company employed more than 2,000 people. Ninety pits were quarried in the area.  Resistant to acids and bases, soapstone was used in commercial labs and school science labs.  Since it holds heat and water, it was also used for fireplace surrounds and laundry tubs. 

The land around the soapstone sites is unique—the alkaline soil is rich in minerals that support a variety of plant communities.  So far 500 species of native plants have been identified in the gardens.  The couple  planted 18 thousand native plant plugs during the restoration process. And like most land in the state, removing invasive species is a never ending battle. 

Bridges, a viewing area and walking trails have been created to make The Quarry Gardens at Schuyler easily accessible.  The visitors center will feature a classroom and a shop.  For information, visit www.quarrygardensatschuyler.org.