5th Season Gardening announces closure of Banks Ave. location, opening of West Asheville warehouse to retail sales

The 5th Season Gardening Company has announced that it will close its Banks Avenue location in the South Slope neighborhood of Asheville after 16 years. The gardening supply retailer — which sells everything from hydroponic and indoor growing systems to organic gardening materials and home brewing supplies — will shut the doors on its 45 Banks Avenue shop on Friday, December 23.

“[The South Slope’s] busier, louder, and, for better or worse, no longer a good home for our little gardening store,” say 5th Season founders Richard and Ashley Quinn, and longtime local managers and co-owners Mike and Kristin Weeks. “With that in mind, we’ve decided to close the Banks Avenue store at the close of business December 23. Just as the city has evolved, so must we.”

In its place, 5th Season has two new locations to meet customers’ indoor growing and gardening needs: In 2015, the company opened a larger retail outlet next to Whole Foods on Tunnel Road in East Asheville, which features a craft beer bar, an expansive array of homebrewing and gardening products, a plant nursery and a classroom for workshops and brewing seminars.

In addition, the Quinns and Weeks expect to open 5th Season’s West Asheville warehouse, located at 21B Westside Drive, to the public early in 2017. “Last year we opened a giant store in Asheville Market, next to the Whole Foods on Tunnel Road. In addition to the largest selection of indoor gardening products anywhere, we introduced a vast home brew supply shop, a craft beer bar, a plant nursery, and a whole classroom full of brew-on-premises equipment,” they say in the official announcement. “Of course some of our customers don’t want all that. So, for the first time in our history, we will be opening up our West Asheville warehouse to the public.”

See the official announcement from 5th Season Gardening Co. below:

From 5th Season Asheville:

Fifth Season South Slope To Close After December 23rd. West Asheville Warehouse to Open to Public in January. 

Asheville sure has changed a lot since we opened our little hydroponics supply store on Banks Avenue 16 years ago, the first in Western North Carolina. For most of those years, we were the only business on the block, and we spent a lot of time answering the questions: “Where are you, again? Banks Avenue? That’s in Asheville?”

We don’t answer those questions anymore. Banks Avenue is in the bustling South Slope, surrounded by bars, breweries, restaurants, and traffic with even more on the way. The area has evolved. It’s busier, louder, and, for better or worse, no longer a good home for our little gardening store. With that in mind, we’ve decided to close the Banks Avenue store at the close of business December 23. Just as the city has evolved, so must we. Thankfully, we’re already on our way.

Last year we opened a giant store in Asheville Market, next to the Whole Foods on Tunnel Road. In addition to the largest selection of indoor gardening products anywhere, we introduced a vast homebrew supply shop, a craft beer bar, a plant nursery, and a whole classroom full of brew-on-premises equipment. People who have been in the hydroponics industry since its early days have told us our store is the best in the industry, unparalleled, like nothing they’ve ever seen. We’re proud of it and want to invite our Banks Avenue customers to come for a visit. Why not stay a while and check our state-of-the-art grow room. We’ll make you a cappuccino!

Of course some of our customers don’t want all that. They want a quiet place to shop away from all the chaos of a busy shopping plaza, a place loaded up with all the indoor gardening products, pallets of soils, big bags of fertilizers, and everything else they might need – a place like Banks Avenue before the South Slope. So, for the first time in our history, we will be opening up our West Asheville warehouse to the public. Located at 21B Westside Drive, our warehouse store will focus on indoor gardening customers of all sizes, big soil buyers, and our loyal farm customers. We plan to have this location open for regular hours shortly after the New Year. Check the website for details.

Yes we’re sorry to see our Banks Avenue store go, Asheville’s indoor and organic gardening trailblazer for 16 years, and our home. But that sadness can’t compare to the incredible excitement over where we’re headed, our big beautiful store on Tunnel Road and our old school West Asheville warehouse. No matter which Fifth Season you prefer, we look forward to serving you for many years to come.

We hope you’ll stop by and see us before we close the Banks Avenue store for good at 6pm on December 23rd.

Sincerely, 

Mike, Kristin, Richard, Ashley and the Fifth Season Asheville Family
 

SHARE
About Max Hunt
Max Hunt grew up in South (New) Jersey and graduated from Warren Wilson College in 2011. History nerd; art geek; connoisseur of swimming holes, hot peppers, and plaid clothing. Follow me @J_MaxHunt

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.