11th annual West Asheville Garden Stroll focuses on trees, Sept. 14

Press release from West Asheville Garden Stroll:

WHAT: The eleventh annual West Asheville GARDEN STROLL
WHEN: Saturday, September 14, 2019 — from 11am to 4pm, RAIN or SHINE
WHERE: Virginia Avenue neighborhood with a KICKOFF CEREMONY at Rainbow Community School (60 State Street, 28806) at 10:30 AM
COST: The Stroll is FREE
INFO: www.WestAshevilleGardens.com CONTACT: Chas Jansen (chas.jansen@icloud.com)

Have fun, meet neighbors, learn how to raise veggies and chickens, see the diverse sanctuaries people have made in West Asheville – a good combo for a Saturday in September. On 9/14/2019, the 11th annual West Asheville Garden Stroll (WAGS) will showcase gardens in the neighborhood bounded by Haywood Road, Virginia Avenue, Hudson Street, and Pennsylvania Avenue, perhaps the most compact Stroll ever. The Stroll lasts from 11am-4pm, with a special 10:30am kickoff ceremony at the Rainbow Community School (60 State Street, 28806). The Garden Stroll is FREE and ALL are welcome to join in this community event.

This year’s Stroll offers another collection of delightfully quirky, wonderfully West Asheville gardens for your exploration & edification: a permaculture layout (with chickens), a back yard labyrinth, an enclosed oasis, a space very like an arboretum, a Zen outpost, a small intentional community, the collection of a garden consultant, & a place where careful plantings frame an arresting mural. But NEW this year is an additional focus on trees with help from GreenWorks & their Treasured Trees program. Designated viewing locations will provide another perspective on the State Street area neighborhoods in between the featured gardens. Also, strollers will be invited to share their experiences on the WAGS Facebook page, including gardens pictures, favorite trees, and other interesting finds. The 2019 theme is “Together under the Canopy.” Asheville has lost 1,250 acres of trees over the past eight years. WAGS hopes this year’s Stroll will raise awareness about the importance of the canopy and motivate all strollers to plant trees, care for them, and be their advocates.

Another NEW direction in 2019 is a collaboration with Riverlink to improve the French Broad’s River’s water quality through the WAGS Seed Grant program. Bundling the money set aside as a way to give back to the West Asheville Community, WAGS fully funded the construction of two rain gardens in West Asheville, one at the Asheville Primary School, the other at Vance Elementary.

The Stroll kickoff will highlight the many remarkable features on the campus of Rainbow Community School, including specially designed playground areas, outdoor ornaments featuring the craft work of students, an official Treasured Tree, several one-of-a-kind built environments, and other delights! The kickoff itself will have family-friendly songs and a blessing from the stiltwalking Faerie Kin, an enchanting troupe that intends to uplift hearts and minds, as well as raise awareness about important ecological issues.

A Stroll guide with a map and descriptions of the featured gardens will be available throughout the day of the Stroll (11am to 3:30pm) in the covered pavilion close to the Rainbow-Omega Middle School parking area. Local organizations will be on hand to offer resources for gardeners, information on the care of urban trees, and possibly some items for sale. RiverLink will also be represented with a display on the rain gardens WAGS funded this year.

The West Asheville Garden Stroll is a non-profit endeavor led by a group of passionate gardeners and community cultivators. It’s not too late to volunteer to help at this year’s Stroll and we always welcome folks who might like to help organize next year’s Stroll. For info on either of these, contact our current “Principal Cultivator,” Chas Jansen (chas.jansen@icloud.com).