Our day will begin in the parking lot of the Four Points Sheraton, the hotel of record, where we will load the buses for our day's journey. The buses will leave promptly at 9am. Boarding will start around 8:40 am. Don't miss the bus! Our generous sponsors Corona Tools, the Whitegate Inn and Gardener's Hollow Leg are all helping cover the expense of the buses.
Our morning will be spent visiting four gardens in West Asheville. Because these are smaller gardens in suburban neighborhoods our capacity crowd would overwhelm them. The buses will be sent on separate routes cutting our group in half for these four garden.
Wamboldtopia is the garden of artist Damaris Pierce and Ricki Pierce, an artist who crafts in stone. Both of their work is on display at Wamboldtopia and the result is utter enchantment.
Christopher Mello is another Asheville artist and gardener with a quasi public garden due to its prime location in West Asheville. Christopher's garden is his play ground and is forever changing as he experiments with merging the botanical and the sculptural. The garden is directly next to his working art studio shared with several other artists. Shopping opportunities will be available.
Who says community gardens can't be filled with art. Dewayne Barton and Safi Mahaba lead the efforts at the Burton Street Community Peace Gardens. Dewayne has filled a food producing garden with art made from salvaged materials.
Sunny Point Cafe kitchen garden is the epitome of farm to table with produce from the gardens out back going directly to the kitchen of this popular West Asheville eatery.
All of the photos above were taken in the fall of 2009. Much has grown and improved at each of these gardens over the years. Once a gardener's passion is ignited, it is rarely extinguished.
Our buses will rendezvous at 11:45 am and the bloggers will become a capacity crowd for lunch in the gardens of Curve Studios directly across the street from 12 Bones BBQ who will be preparing our lunch. Homemade in Asheville ice cream including vegan and dairy free choices will be served up by The Hop for desert. The gardens at Curve Studios are praise worthy in their own right and are the creation of textile artist Pattiy Torno. Curve Studios is actually a three building storefront for several working artists. Shopping opportunities will be available.
After lunch at 1pm the buses will head to the North Carolina Arboretum. Check out the website to help plan your visit. While there, Timothy Spira, author and Professor of Botany, Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University will be offering a guided wildflower walk around the arboretum. He wrote the book, Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont and should have plenty to share.
The exact details of the wildflower walk, whether there will be one walk or two is not quite pinned down. I'll fill that in when I know more.
The buses will leave the NC Arboretum at 3:45 pm. Boarding will start at 3:30, earlier if you just want to rest. Don't miss the bus!
Next we are heading to one of Asheville's premier nurseries, BB Barnes. The nursery will be hosting light pupus, wine and beverages during our visit. With acres of nursery stock, an orchid and houseplant gallery and a gardeners gift shop, you are sure to want to buy something. A 10% discount will be offered on your total purchase while we are there. I know you people. Bring some money to spend.
The buses will leave for the hotel at 5:30 pm. Don't miss the bus! It is a long walk back to downtown from BB Barnes.
Back at the hotel you are free to disperse and enjoy an evening and dinner on the town.