Our goal is to bring quality plants, garden supplies, and expertise to the Mitchell County and surrounding areas with a focus on customer service.

About Us

In 2026, Ryan and Faith Byrd bought Lakeview Mercantile and Gardens from Darla Harding and started Lakeview Gallery and Gardens. As long-term employees of the previous iteration, the Byrds sought to retain the traditions and practices of the founders while taking a modern approach to the plant and garden market. They also opened the Toadshade Gallery, which features artists who live in or have a connection to the area.

Ryan, the head grower and a Spruce Pine native, cultivates the classic vegetables alongside new and funky varieties. He brings extensive knowledge and passion for the rare and unusual tropical houseplants that are typically only found in specialty stores. Faith, a Massachusetts transplant, has been connected to the local art community since moving down to assist two potters back in 2019. With Ryan growing the plants and Faith selling them, they are an unstoppable team!

Lakeview Gallery and Gardens owners, Faith and Ryan Byrd, holding a happy black and white dog during an outdoor wedding celebration in front of a brick wall.
Owners of Lakeview Gallery & Gardens, Faith and Ryan Byrd smiling and taking a selfie with Utan, King of the Crocs.
A group of ten people, including current and former owners of Lakeview, posing together outside in front of a sign that reads 'Lakeview Gallery & Gardens' on Oak Avenue, with some plants and greenery at the front.

The History

Opened in 1963 by Jimmy and Rita Phillips, Lakeview Nursery and Garden Center brought locally grown vegetable plants and flowers to Spruce Pine. With the help of Jimmy’s mother (Mama Bill), the Phillips provided expert advice, popular varieties of tomatoes and peppers, as well as annuals and other garden plants to Mitchell, Avery, and Yancey counties. Rita and their daughter Darla added a florist department, which operated from 1983 to 2008.

Jim and Rita retired in 2008, but due to popular demand, they remained “retired while working” up until Rita was diagnosed with cancer in 2012. As a result of Rita’s health issues, the Phillips made the difficult decision to close Lakeview in 2015. However, in 2017, Darla and her husband Jeff Harding bought the building from her parents and reopened the doors as Lakeview Mercantile and Gardens. They transformed the side addition into a mercantile featuring toys, clothing, a Christmas corner, and other small gifts. Rita was able to see the business she started with her husband reopen before passing away from cancer in April 2017. Jimmy continued to spend time at Lakeview after Rita passed—on his Papaw chair in the corner or the rockers out front—chatting with customers and offering helpful advice to anyone who needed it. Unfortunately, Jimmy had a bad fall in 2021 and passed away soon afterwards.

Darla continued to keep her parents’ legacy alive through Lakeview while she and her husband raised two young girls they had adopted and served as the mayor of Spruce Pine (until 2023, when she did not run for reelection). Then, in September 2024, Hurricane Helene swept through western North Carolina and left behind a path of destruction. Mitchell County and Spruce Pine were some of the most hard-hit areas. While the retail location was spared any physical damage, the growing operation (always referred to as “the Farm”) for Lakeview was destroyed. The only thing that was able to be saved was the metal hoop framework. Fortunately, with the help of Rebuilding Hollers, Samaritan’s Purse, and other donations, the Hardings were able to rebuild the greenhouses that Jimmy and Rita started back in 1963.

Lakeview founders Jimmy and Rita Phillips outdoors wearing winter jackets.
Rita Phillips sowing tomato seeds into seed flats.
Exterior of the original Lakeview Nursery shop with hanging baskets of colorful flowers and gardening supplies displayed outside.
Lakeview shrub bed with various potted perennials , shrubs, and small trees arranged on the ground and on stone borders. There is a gravel path running through the garden and a person tending to the plants in the background.
The exterior of a brick building decorated with fall harvest decorations including pumpkins, flowers, and scarecrows, with outdoor seating, a parking lot, and an American flag on the right side.
Lakeview's growing greenhouses after hurricane helene, with broken pots, deep mud, and debris on the ground.
Another after helene photo, showing deep silt and mud in a barren greenhouse.
Lakeview's large off-site growing greenhouse after the hurricane helene rebuild, full of young plants.

Hours & Location

Address

665 Oak Ave, Spruce Pine NC 28777


Hours of Operation

Monday - Saturday
9am – 5pm


Contact

828-765-9133

management@lakeviewnc.com

Hanging flower baskets inside a greenhouse filled with colorful blooming flowers, including pink, red, and purple geraniums.
Rows of potted young plants at a garden center or nursery, with hanging flower baskets above and informational signs on the plants, set outdoors on a sunny day.
A flower shop with various potted plants and flowers displayed outside. There are trees, colorful flowers, decorative garden items, and a yellow flag with sunflower design is seen in the background. The shop has wooden architectural accents and is se
Close-up of yellow flowers with dark centers, some in bloom, in a garden setting.
A lush array of leafy green vegetables, including lettuce, collard greens, and possibly kale, grown together in a garden or greenhouse.
Display of colorful flowers and plants at a garden center with a sign that says "Pottery" and another sign that says "Honey for Sale."
A close-up of a tomato plant with three unripe green tomatoes hanging from its branches among lush green leaves.
A concrete bear-shaped garden sculpture surrounded by pink, purple, and white flowers in pots outside.
Hanging flower baskets with purple, pink, and white blooming flowers on a wooden pergola in a garden or plant nursery.
Colorful leaves on a plant with a blue sky and trees in the background.
Close-up of pink rhododendron flowers with some water droplets on petals and dark green leaves.
Close-up of vibrant pink crepe myrtle flowers with green leaves and a blurred background of a building and sky.
Close-up view of green coniferous tree branches and leaves.
Close-up of bright pink and red bougainvillea flowers with small white centers and green leaves.
A garden scene with three white Japanese-style concrete lanterns surrounded by potted green plants, including small evergreen shrubs and trees, on a bed of brown wood mulch.
Close-up of peach-colored and yellow coneflowers with green centers surrounded by green leaves.
Purple flowering plants with green leaves against a bright blue sky with power lines.
A garden scene with various flowering plants in pots. In the background, there is a concrete bear sculpture. A large pot of mixed annual flowers is also visible.