Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Saturday Sept. 8 is a big day for fans of plants. Get out and enjoy the last days of summer.
The annual garden stroll is a don’t-miss event for local gardeners. From the West Asheville Business Association (WABA):
The Fourth Annual West Asheville Garden Stroll will be held Saturday September 8th from 11 am to 4 pm. This years gardens will be located in the vicinity of Hall Fletcher Elementary School with a kickoff ceremony at 10:30 am at the elementary school.
The theme for this free event is “garden to table” and aims to showcase some local residents efforts to provide fresh food and beautiful ornamentation from their urban gardens to their family’s and neighbors’ tables. Maps of the Stroll and information about the featured gardens will be available at Hall Fletcher School on Sept. 8th, starting at 11am.
Featured gardens this year are mostly clustered in three groups that could easily be biked to. Strollers are encouraged to park in designated lots, Hall Fletcher Elementary School being one of, and stroll to nearby gardens.
Approximately 15 gardens of all types will be on view in this diverse neighborhood of West Asheville. Tour gardens will include ones focusing on permaculture, traditional, both individual and communal, floral, agricultural, and medicinal. Other yard focused “garden to table” items include fruit trees, berries, grapes, a hazelnut hedge and cranberry bog, hoop houses for winter gardens, an asparagus garden, and chickens.
Enjoy arrays of fall flowers, offset by trellises, birdbaths, and yard art. There will also be interesting infrastructure on display, including large scale water storage, different terracing methods and edgings, as well as various raised bed and path designs.
The West Asheville Garden Stroll is an educational opportunity. Strollers can learn from gardeners’ varied experiences through question-and-answer sessions and first-hand viewing.
The West Asheville Garden Stroll is a non-profit endeavor led by a group of passionate West Asheville gardeners. Opportunities for volunteering, making supporting donations or additional information are available at www.WestAshevilleGardens.com. For more information, contact Karen Loughmiller, West Asheville Branch Library, at 828-250-4750 or [email protected].
Also on Saturday, the West Asheville Urban Plant Walk. From the West Asheville Business Association (WABA):
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 downtown West Asheville. The walk will be co-hosted by Nancy Hyton, Licensed Acupuncturist, Certified Herbalist, and founder of the Center, and local herbalist Mary Morgaine Thames of Earth Dancers.
The cost is $5 for adults and includes a useful handout of the plants we will be talking about on the walk. Kids are free! Sign up in advance at the Center or just come by on the day of the event. You can also call us at 505-3174 or email [email protected] and we’ll put you on the list. For more information visit the Center for Holistic Medicine website.
Burton Street Agricultural Fair
Burton Street Rec Center
This year celebrates the 100th anniversary of the existence of the Burton street neighborhood. This two day event is a wonderful opportunity to eat great food, hear fabulous music and learn more about community development though demos and workshops. There will also be competitions for those with green thumbs, so bring your prize tomato along!
Burton St. Agriculture Fair event page on Facebook
