Garden Journal

Take a hike: Asheville Parks and Recreation will offer a wide range of outdoor adventures this fall. The department’s first Senior Trek of the season will be held Friday, Sept. 14, on the UNCA Perimeter Trail—a 2.4-mile loop—followed by a visit to the Botanical Gardens. The low-impact trekking club offers leisurely paced hikes designed with seniors in mind. Meet at the Recreation Office (72 Gashes Creek Road) at 9:30 a.m. on trip day. Bring lunch, water and proper clothing. Registration, which is required, begins Sept. 10. Note that hikers should be in good physical condition. The cost is $2 per hiker for transportation. For more information or to register, contact Christen McNamara at outdoorprograms@ashevillenc.gov or 251-4029.

Talking to planters: The North Carolina Arboretum will host Speaking of Gardening, an event including garden lectures by four highly regarded garden designers, researchers and nurserymen, on Sept. 7 and 8. Author Dan Hinkley, a consulting horticulturist and designer for public and private gardens across the nation, is this year’s featured speaker. He’ll speak twice during the program, on “The Connoisseur’s Garden” and “Take Two: Making A Garden in Full Sun.” Other speakers are: Hank Bruno, director of horticulture at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga.; Brian Upchurch, owner of Highland Creek Nursery in Fletcher; and Richard Olsen, research geneticist with the National Arboretum. The program fee is $98 for Arboretum Society Members and $117 for the general public. The fee includes seven lectures, a plant giveaway, reference notebook, two lunches and snacks. Preregistration and prepayment are required. To register or for more info, visit www.ncarboretum.org or call 665-2492.

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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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