Garden Journal

Love butterflies?: Reems Creek Nursery thinks of itself as a matchmaking service for people and lepidopterans, and to that end will be offering a free seminar, “Creating a Butterfly Garden.” You can learn why sunshine, water, certain plants and shelter all foster an environment that attracts flutterbutters. The seminar will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 30, at the nursery (70 Monticello Road in Weaverville). Call 645-3937 to pre-register.

Hate mosquitoes?: Now that the drought seems to be waning, skeeters are on the prowl. A few tips for gardeners: cover rain barrels with screen and keep screens clear of debris; ponds can be dosed with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, or Bti – aka Mosquito Dunks – which is harmless to noninsects; dump water from saucers under outdoor flower pots; flush birdbaths twice weekly; and correct drainage problems in your yard that allow rainwater to pool.

Are you grounded?: Gardening is about growing things, and most of us grow things to enhance our lives, to create lovely spaces or for delicious food that nourishes body and soul. Body and Soul Reconnecting in the Gardens is a series of lessons that will be offered on six alternate Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Sunshine Meadow in Asheville’s Botanical Gardens, from June 28 to Sept. 6. Each session features body-based practices. June 28 is Heart-Centering Yoga; subsequent sessions include Tai Chi, Dances of Universal Peace, InterPlay, Sacred Movement, and the Universe Story as Body Prayer. The events are open to everyone and are on a donation basis, supporting the Botanical Gardens and other nonprofits. For more information, e-mail Chas Jansen at cjansen@mtsu.edu or call 768-1449.

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About Cecil Bothwell
A writer for Mountain Xpress since three years before there WAS an MX--back in the days of GreenLine. Former managing editor of the paper, founding editor of the Warren Wilson College environmental journal, Heartstone, member of the national editorial board of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, publisher of Brave Ulysses Books, radio host of "Blows Against the Empire" on WPVM-LP 103.5 FM, co-author of the best selling guide Finding your way in Asheville. Lives with three cats, macs and cacti. His other car is a canoe. Paints, plays music and for the past five years has been researching and soon to publish a critical biography--Billy Graham: Prince of War:

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