Biltmore blossoms Imagine yourself as a guest in George and Edith Vanderbilt's home in 1895. After a decadent meal in the dining room, you step into the The Biltmore's winter garden to experience tropical foliage, stunning orchids and fine-leafed ferns. Many of these same species are on display in the home's recently renovated winter garden, […]
Raised beds for beginners and beyond If you have limited space and big garden dreams, a raised bed is a great place to start. Raised beds can be filled with high-quality soil, are less susceptible to weeds and keep garden projects manageable. Everything from vegetables to flowers can be grown in wood structures designed to […]
From bees to to orchards, Organic Growers School has it all If you've always wanted to grow garlic, set up a homestead, raise goats or save seeds, Organic Growers School has the tools for success. Since 1993, the weekend-long conference has offered a wide array of classes for beginning growers and experienced farmers alike. Last […]
Come learn about the medicinal and edible plants growing in the sidewalks, gardens, and wild lots of downtown West Asheville! This event will be happening Saturday, September 8th from 11:30 to 1:00, rain or shine. It will start at the Center for Holistic Medicine which is located at 779 Haywood Road in the heart of […]
WHAT: Local Master Gardeners will hold a “Plant Clinic” to help gardeners identify plant problems and pests. Area residents are encouraged to bring in plant samples for evaluation. An information table will be displayed in the breezeway area between the two retail buildings located on the south side as one enters the Farmer's Market. Extension […]
At my home, we go through a lot of herbal vinegar. It’s amazing how much. Fortunately, it’s easy to make.
What: The annual Bamboo Festival of the American Bamboo Society’s Southeastern Chapter Where: The festival will be held in the North Carolina Arboretum’s Education Center. When: Saturday, July 16, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. ; and Sunday, July 17, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Sunday. Why: Visitors will learn about the functionality […]
June is National Dairy Goat Awareness Month and the Piedmont Dairy Goat Association has all hoofs on deck. If considered keeping a goat (or three), circle Sunday, June 24 on your early summer calendar: It's Dairy Goat Awareness Day, on the grounds of Spinning Spider Creamery. From 1 to 6 p.m., PDGA members share their […]
it’s a downtown institution: With 11 years under its green belt, the French Broad Food Co-Op’s Wednesday Tailgate Market features such vendors as B&L Organics, Dave’s Raw Honey, Carolina Wild Seafood and Pat Battle’s bread, along with Jake’s Farm, Oakmoon Creamery, Loafchild Bakery, Wildwood Herbal, Jafasa Farm, Zuma, Lady Luck Flower Farm, Carolina Bison, and […]
Ikebana International in Western North Carolina will present a demonstration on “The Honorable Twosome: Moribana and Heike,” on Tuesday, May 29 at 10 am in the auditorium of the Folk Art Center, Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Moribana (low bowl) and Heike (tall vase), designed in variation, may be adapted to hundreds of […]
In the community-garden area behind Oakley United Methodist Church, a new farmers market is taking root. Pastor Shelly Webb has spearheaded the effort to get it started, saying that a primary goal is offering Oakley families access to affordable, healthy food while supporting local farmers and crafters. Webb also envisions the market as a social […]
Kids dig gardening. According to the Mens Garden Club of Asheville, a container-garden photo project for Buncombe County elementary-school students has the kids busy planting, observing and using their imaginations and creativity. Teachers report that participating students keep journals as they design, plant and monitor their gardens — set in such creative abodes as old […]
Interested in backyard composting but need a little guidance? Curious about composting with worms? Attend the next Sustainable Living Workshop. With support from the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, the Hendersonville-based Environmental and Conservation Organization will host a composting-and-worm-bin workshop on Saturday, May 12. The workshop begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Henderson County Cooperative Extension […]
The 23rd annual Asheville Herb Festival will take place at the W.N.C. Farmers Market Friday-Sunday, May 4-6, bringing together the largest annual gathering of herb enthusiasts in the Southeast. The long-running festival attracts more than 25,000 herb lovers and more than sixty professional growers and retailers to Asheville each spring. May is the ideal time […]
A steady stream of kids come to the trash can with lots of uneaten food on their trays, from chili-macaroni leftovers to peaches. Danny Keaton — owner of Danny’s Dumpster, a local recycling/trash-hauling company — gives them encouragement and advice on where to put what. "Pringles cans," Keaton says, "are kind of compostable, if you […]
The North Asheville Tailgate Market, a Saturday morning tradition for those who love fresh produce, baked goods and flowers, will reopen for its 32nd season on Saturday, April 14, on the UNCA campus. The market is open from 8 a.m. to noon and offers plenty of convenient parking. The area's oldest producer-only farmer's market will […]
Chickens? In the city? Sure, and the top reasons for keeping them, according to backyardchickens.com, are: 1. Chickens are easy, inexpensive pets when compared to most other pets. 2. Hens will produce eggs that are fresh, nutritious, not to mention great tasting. Backyard eggs are also much healthier than their store bought counterparts. 3. They […]
“You have to keep in mind why you are pruning your fruit trees,” says local fruit magnate and artist Bill Whipple. “The goal is to let them make more fruit.” To that end, keeping stronger stems, making more space for light and directing the tree upwards, are all good goals, he explains. Whipple also notes […]
If you and your school want to create an educational garden, there’s a grant for that: The Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Buncombe County offers small grants for Learning Gardens. Awards average $250, and applications will be evaluated based on the type of program, educational goals and the number of students that will benefit. Learning […]
An impossibly-steep slope in West Asheville Park has been transformed from tall waving grass to fruit and nut trees and bushes thanks to the work of volunteers — now the volunteers want to harness the run-off to keep the garden going
(Photos by Bill Rhodes)
The N.C. Department of Transportation’s 22nd annual awards recognize the efforts of NCDOT staff.
