FROM BUNCOMBE COUNTY
The culture of sustainability is becoming more deeply rooted in West Asheville’s urban landscape with every passing day. The Third Annual West Asheville Garden Stroll on Saturday, Sept. 10, will showcase many new gardens adjacent to Haywood Road – the most walkable/bikeable Stroll yet! The event runs from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., and kicks off at the West Asheville Branch Library at 10:30 a.m. with a short talk by community orchards and gardens advocate Bill Whipple, aka Professor Barkslip.

As urban gardens proliferate in this sprawling and diverse community, gardens of all kinds are emerging: traditional and permacultural, individual and communal, floral, agricultural and medicinal.

Approximately 15 new gardens will be on view in two areas of the Greater West Asheville community: the Vermont Avenue neighborhood and the Virginia Avenue neighborhood. Each area offers unique garden displays where Strollers can expect a Feast for the Senses, the theme of this year’s Stroll. Strollers may also find gardens with plants or art for sale as well as occasional refreshments.

This year’s Stroll features two special opportunities for garden lovers. The West Asheville Center for Wholistic Medicine’s Nancy Hyton and Healing Roots Design’s Keri Evjy will conduct an Urban Plant Walk, pointing out examples of medicinal and edible plants growing all around us. And Greenhill Urban Farm, a Community Supported Agriculture operation and experimental nursery, welcomes visitors to see orchards and berry patches, flower and vegetable beds, and ducks and fish raised inside the city limits.

The West Asheville Garden Stroll is an educational opportunity where gardeners are keen to share the joy of gardening. The Stroll emphasizes the sustainability urban gardening fosters, opportunities to network among neighbors, and inspiration for gardening enthusiasts. Strollers can learn from gardeners’ varied experiences through question-and-answer sessions and first-hand viewing.

Maps of the tour and information about the featured gardens will be available at West Asheville Branch Library on Sept. 10. Our featured gardens this year are compactly clustered, so Strollers are encouraged to walk or bike; Strollers arriving by car are urged to carpool. Centralized parking will be available near the featured neighborhoods at: Grace Baptist Church, 718 Haywood Road; and West Asheville Baptist Church, 926 Haywood Road. Some parking is also available at West Asheville Park at the end of Vermont Avenue.

The West Asheville Garden Stroll is a non-profit endeavor led by a group of passionate gardeners. It is FREE and open to the public. Volunteer opportunities and additional information are available on the website. This rising community tradition welcomes donations!

For more information, contact Karen Loughmiller, West Asheville Branch Library, at 828-250-4750 or karen.loughmiller@buncombecounty.org.Read the full article