NC Writers Network & The Brandy Bar + Cocktails feature author Tony Robles as the next poet in their series “In the Company of Writers.” The program offers a series of personal and conversational dialogues featuring guest writers/poets followed by an open mic forum. These inspirational gatherings will elucidate and entertain those attending. The guest author speaks from 7-8 PM with an open mic from 8 -9 PM. The Chicago blues music of “Hollywood Johnny Cosgrove” (accompanied by Charlie Wilkinson) welcomes you, continues during intermission, and closes the evening. Sign-ups for the open mic are available at the entrance.

Born in San Francisco, Tony Robles now makes his home in Hendersonville. His latest poetry collection, Where the Warehouse Things was published in late 2024 by Redhawk Publications in Hickory, NC. This book focuses on masculinity, set against the backdrop of mechanical parts, tools, and the rough language of men. This, his fourth poetry collection, follows the 2023 collection Thrift Store Metamorphosis (Redhawk Publications). Among his honors, Tony was short-listed for Poet Laureate of San Francisco in 2017, named Carl Sandburg Writer in Residence by the Carl Sandburg Historic Home in 2020 and twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He holds an MFA in creative writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is working on his first novel.

The genus of plants known as Oak (Quercus sp.) is at least as important to civilization as any food crop you can think of, maybe even more so. This class combines history and plant science to explore the history that oak trees and humans share from the end of the last ice age to the present.

Join us as Henderson County Extension Agent Steve Pettis will discuss acorns as a food source throughout history, the age of sail, ancient and modern industries based on oak, the oaks of western NC and much more.

Join us for an immersive experience in the art of grafting Japanese Maples, led by expert horticulturist Fritz McCall, owner of Blue Ridge Nursery and longtime Bullington supporter. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn the intricate techniques of grafting and practice under Fritz’s guidance. You’ll have the opportunity to graft two beautiful maple varieties from the selections (Bloodgood, Inaba Shidare, Sango kaku, Seiryu, Tamukeyama, Viridis, Crimson Queen, and Japonicum) and take your grafted trees home. This class is perfect for both beginners and seasoned gardeners looking to expand their skills. Don’t miss this chance to create your own Japanese Maples and deepen your understanding of this ancient horticultural practice. Participants are asked to bring a sharp knife or Exacto knife.

$55 per ticket-class size limited to 14.

Saturday January 18, 2025.  10:00 a.m.– 12:30 pm

Join Amy Fahmy to understand the planting design principles that she has found most useful in 30 years of residential garden design experience. For both novice and experienced gardeners this class is about placing and growing plants for the most eye-catching effect. You’ll leave class knowing what to buy, and where to plant to transform your existing garden! Jan 25, 2025, 1:00 – 3:00. $20.00. Class limit 40.

Our 2024 Season Awards Banquet will be held back at the WNC Ag Center, in the Virginia C. Boone Building on Saturday January 25th. Please send a email with your RSVP to Diane at [email protected] to let her know how many are in your party.

All RSVP’s must be sent in by Thursday January 16th.

Doors will Open at 4:30
Opening Ceremonies at 5
Dinner at 6
Awards Ceremony 7
Address:
761 Boylston Hwy
Fletcher, NC 28732
Adults – $25
Children 12 & Under – $15

Join us for a spore-tacular time at the Mountain Mushrooms Workshop! We’ll teach you the fun-gamentals—it’s quite the ‘fun-guy’ activity! We’ll also explore the best wild mushrooms to forage in the forest, making sure you’re not in truffle when identifying them. This class is perfect for beginners and seasoned mycophiles alike. Don’t miss out on this morel of a good time!

January 28, 2025, 1:00-3:00pm.

French Broad River Academy (FBRA) invites you to a screening of the No Man’s Land Film Festival (NMLFF), a curated selection of adventure-based short films that celebrate the power, strength, and determination of women in the great outdoors. The films highlight inspiring stories of female adventurers from around the world, and are tailored for student and family viewing. The event is open to the public.

The evening starts at 5:30 pm with a panel discussion by Asheville-area community outdoor adventure enthusiasts, followed by screening of the short films at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Tickets are $15 per person, available for purchase in advance at https://www.fbra-avl.org/no-mans-land/ or at the door. All proceeds from ticket sales benefit FBRA and the school’s outdoor programming for students.

ABOUT NMLFF: Founded in 2015 in response to the lack of women-representation in the broader outdoor media, the No Man’s Land Film Festival (NMLFF) has grown to become the premier adventure film festival for women and gender non-conforming athletes, storytellers, and filmmakers. Learn more: https://nomanslandfilmfestival.org/

ABOUT FBRA: French Broad River Academy (FBRA) is an independent middle school (grades 6-8) in Asheville, NC, with dual riverfront programs for boys and girls. We integrate rigorous academics with outdoor adventure, service learning, and international travel to help our students become confident, compassionate leaders, ready to take on the world. Learn more about FBRA: fbra-avl.org

Pruning is a crucial practice for promoting the health, productivity, and aesthetics of your plants and landscapes. Join us at Bullington Gardens for an informative and hands-on class led by horticulture expert John Murphy. In this course, you will learn essential pruning techniques that can help control diseases, stimulate new growth, and maintain the beauty of your garden.  The class will include a walk and demonstration in the gardens.

John Murphy will guide you through the basics of pruning, including the best times to prune different types of plants, proper tools and their maintenance, and step-by-step methods for achieving optimal plant health and appearance. Whether you are a beginner or looking to refine your skills, this class will provide you with the knowledge and confidence to make the best pruning decisions for your garden. Questions and Answer session included.

Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your horticultural skills and ensure your plants thrive.

February 1, 2025, 2-4pm.

You’ve visited famous gardens and gone on amazing residential garden tours. Remember that sense of magic – like stepping into another world? How did they do it? Join Amy Fahmy to learn how she builds the structure of a residential garden using time honored techniques from the world’s great gardens. With 30 years of experience in renovating old gardens, and designing and building new residential gardens, Amy will share how she listens to clients, identifies priorities and sets affordable goals. Leave with specific ideas for the changes you know will fit your own garden!

Bio:

Amy is a licensed landscape architect with extensive horticultural knowledge. She has gardened for Plant Delights Nursery, Richmond Hill Inn and The Biltmore Estate. She is a certified professional plantsman, a certified permaculture designer, and a registered Landscape Contractor with 30 years of hands-on gardening experience. For the last 12 years she has managed a wide range of fine garden design commissions at Sitework Studios Landscape Architecture Studio in Asheville. She is currently transforming her own garden to include more native plants, and she is attempting to live exclusively off her own vegetable garden

Feb 8, 2025, 1:00 – 3:00pm. $20.00. Class limit 40.

Maintaining the Biodiversity of the Mountains – planting native, removing invasives, restoring habitat and using environmentally friendly landscape management practices.

Western North Carolina is one of the most biodiverse regions of the world. Unfortunately, development and increasing population are threatening the delicate ecosystems of the area. Many of the landscape methods that we utilize have negative environmental repercussions. We can do better.

In this series of classes Steve will discuss how to manage your landscape in the most environmentally friendly way possible using sustainable gardening practices. Also learn about tree health care and maintenance.

By making simple changes, such as choosing native over exotic plants and removing invasive plants, we can begin to restore habitat at home, at our businesses and throughout the region.

By cultivating and protecting healthy diverse habitats for pollinators, for wildlife, for healthy flora and fauna, we benefit the individuals who live in and enjoy these spaces and for our community, as a whole. By creating natural areas in your yard and leaving the leaves each fall you can benefit many kinds of insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals which depend on the native plants and their fallen leaves and seeds for shelter, food and habitat.

Join Steve Pettis, Henderson County Commercial and Consumer Horticulture Agent and host of the Gardening in the Mountains Radio Show and Podcast to learn how we can do things better!

February 11, 2025, 1:00-3:00pm.

Six Hours on the Ridge is back for its 8th year!  Are you up for the challenge?  This annual race features the 6 mile JFA trail with just over 800 feet of elevation gain and fast rolling single track making it the perfect setting for this endurance event. Riders will ride as many laps as they are able within the 6 hour time window.

This race has sold out the past two years so don’t delay sign up today!

THERE WILL BE NO DAY OF REGISTRATION.

The 22nd annual Business of Farming Conference, presented by ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project), will be held Feb. 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The conference will take place at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, Henderson County, NC—which is a location change from A-B Tech, as originally announced. The A-B Tech Conference Center is undergoing repairs after serving as a disaster relief location during Hurricane Helene.

The conference focuses on the business side of farming, offering beginning and established farmers financial, legal, operational, and marketing tools to improve farm businesses and make professional connections. This year’s conference will also have a strong emphasis on resilience planning and resources for post-Helene recovery. More than a dozen workshops will be led by innovative farmers and specialists, including You Can’t Do It All: Hiring and Keeping a Productive Team and Planning for Farm Resiliency. A full list of workshops is at asapconnections.org.

Registration is now open at asapconnections.org. The cost is $75 by Feb. 1 and $95 after, with a discount for farm partners registering together. Scholarships are available for limited-resource and BIPOC farmers. The registration price includes a locally sourced breakfast and lunch. Lunch is sponsored by Farm Burger.

Support for the conference is provided in part by Dogwood Health Trust, NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

The 2025 McDowell County Republican Convention will take place on Saturday, March 1,
2025, at the historic Marion Train Depot (45 Depot Street, Marion, NC).
This event is your chance to actively engage in the political process here at home, across the
state, and even nationally. Gather with like-minded conservatives and join the movement to
make a tangible impact on elections. Mark your calendar and join us!

Ages 5+

Suitable for Beginners to Advanced Birders

This outing takes place at Lake Julian Park from 8:30-11:30 am. Get to know the birds of Lake Julian, one of Buncombe County’s birding hotspots!  We will start with a walk along the shore of Lake Julian and ends with birding on the lake from Lake Julian’s pontoon boat.  Free, Registration Required.  Binoculars are available upon request but supplies are limited. Dress for the weather!

Registration opens 30 days prior to activity.

For more information email [email protected] or call 828-250-4260.

EcoGardening: Principles in Practice (3 Sessions)

with Nina Shippen

ON-SITE  |  Sundays, February 16, 23, + March 2  |  10 am – 1 pm

Ecological gardening is a way of thinking in which gardens are no longer seen as a collection of plants, but as an interdependent community of plants, soils, environment and animals. The class introduces ecology-based methods employed in the design process of site assessment, design, installation, and maintenance. A variety of garden conditions are covered in this comprehensive overview. Gardeners of all levels of interest and ability will find this class valuable for learning ecologically-sustainable practices that can be adapted and applied in a variety of landscapes.

Arboretum visitors will witness some of the most surprising animal behavior in the new National Geographic exhibition, “The Greatest Wildlife Photographs.” The very best wildlife pictures from the pages of National Geographic magazine have been chosen to be displayed in this exhibition. Curated by renowned nature picture editor, Kathy Moran, this exhibition is a celebratory look at wildlife with images taken by National Geographic’s most iconic photographers such as, Michael “Nick” Nichols, Steve Winter, Paul Nicklen, Beverly Joubert, David Doubilet and more. Showcasing the evolution of photography, the images convey how innovations such as camera traps, remote imaging, and underwater technology have granted photographers access to wildlife in their natural habitat.

For 115 years, National Geographic has pioneered and championed the art of wildlife photography, and captivated generations of engaged audiences with a steady stream of extraordinary images of animals in nature. From the very first such image to appear – a reindeer in 1903 – National Geographic Society’s publications have broken new ground and push the bar higher again and again, establishing an unmatched legacy of artistic, scientific, and technical achievement. These are the Greatest Wildlife Photographs. This is included with admission to NC Arboretum.