Calendar of Events

Join us for an amazing day featuring locally grown trees, flowers, shrubs, herbs and veggies, as well as hand-crafted works of art, knife and tool sharpening – all provided by LOCAL vendors! Throughout the day we will feature educational presentations including “Conservation in 2025,” and “Container Planting: Tips and Tricks” which includes a quick and easy way to maintain your garden pruners. All of this combined with live music from Asheville Ukulele Society!
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Help support our WNC communities by supporting its small business owners. Our local growers are thoroughly vetted in sustainable growing practices and are experts in their field. Our local artists are dynamically creative and talented, showcasing kitchen and garden gifts, original paintings and pottery, homemade and organic botanicals, honeys and vinegar, mobile knife and tool sharpening, and more! Join these talented individuals as we welcome Spring back to WNC.

The Farmers Market composting demonstration site, located next to Jesse Israel & Sons Garden Center, opens for demonstrations on May 3, 2025.

The site is staffed by Extension Master Gardener volunteers and provides demonstrations and answers questions from visitors from 10:00am to 1:00pm on five Saturdays, during the growing season, May through September, 2025. The dates for the demos in 2025 are: May 3, June 21, July 12, August 9, and September 13.

There are five different composting methods on display at the site. There is a single bin unit, a tumbling composter, a wood pallet bin and a classic 3-bin system — we also usually bring an example of vermiculture (composting with worms) on most demo day. The site is stocked with informational pamphlets on the how-to and why of composting.

Stop by to learn more about composting at home!

with Asheville Wellness Tours.

Celebrate the ephemeral beauty of flowers during this immersive morning nature retreat! In Japan, the birthplace of forest bathing (Shinrin Yoku), they celebrate the annual cherry blossom bloom (Sakura) with a practice known as Hanami, which translates to “contemplate the flowers.” This experience gently invites us to cultivate our attention and sensory awareness, while noticing the evanescent nature of flowering, both within and around us. Together, we will explore our relationships with native wildflowers, ourselves, each-other, and the more-than-human-world.

Your guide will lead you on a colorful journey through the blossoming spring forest, weaving mindfulness, breathwork, forest bathing and nature therapy together for a restorative morning on some of the trails less traveled at the North Carolina Arboretum. We’ll celebrate the experience in community, enjoying a wild-foraged tea ceremony and snacks. Bring an open mind and an open heart. All are welcome. Presented through Adult & Continuing Education Programs in collaboration with Asheville Wellness Tours.

This program will take place outside and will follow easy trails and paved walkways. Dress for the weather and prepare to be outside for the entire program time.

Explore 22 beautiful greenhouses filled with mixed patio planters, hanging baskets, perennials, houseplants, shrubs, and plant starters. Enjoy live music, food from Smashville Food Truck and Mountain Man BBQ, a craft fair featuring jewelry and home goods, kids’ activities including a scavenger hunt and potting station, plus a mechanical bull! Appalachian Standard CBD products also available. With 600-900 attendees expected, carpooling is recommended. Free admission.

Join us for a powerful evening with Massey Campos, a nationally recognized speaker, preacher, and constitutional advocate. In this timely and engaging presentation, Massey will unpack the moral and biblical foundations of our nation, exploring how faith, liberty, and personal responsibility intersect with the U.S. Constitution.

With humor, passion, and deep conviction, Massey challenges audiences to think critically about our role as citizens and the values that make America exceptional. Whether you’re a seasoned patriot or just beginning to explore your civic responsibility, this event will inspire and equip you to stand for truth in today’s cultural climate.

This class offers a creative, hands-on experience perfect for all skill levels!  Participants will decorate terracotta pots using vibrant paints to transform each one into a heartfelt gift just in time for Mother’s Day.  Feel free to get creative with your design!  Everyone will get seeds to take home with them to plant in the pot once the paint is dry, creating a thoughtful and lasting token of appreciation for Mother’s Day.

Tuesday May 6th, 2:00 – 4:00. $20/$15 for Friends of Bullington Gardens.

The Weaverville Tailgate Market located at 60 Lakeshore Drive, Weaverville, NC 28787 will again host Extension Master Gardener plant clinics on the first Wednesday of the month for the 2025 season!

At each Plant Clinic, Master Gardener volunteers will be available to answers all of your gardening questions and address your related concerns. Feel free to bring plant or insect samples for identification and/or problem resolution.

You can pick-up soil test kits and receive information about in-person programs and activities at The Learning Garden and the Gardening in the Mountains seminars. Please stop by to learn more!

Mark your calendar and get ready for the 2025 Spring Fling Plant Sale, sponsored by the Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Buncombe County, the Asheville-Blue Ridge Rose Society, and Men’s Garden Club of Asheville.

Featuring perennials, 35 different varieties of daylilies, natives, herbs, and vegetables.

Visit the Plant Clinic tent with questions, and don’t forget to drop by the Kid’s Corner.

A Rain or Shine event.
Remember to bring your wagon!!

Garden photography workshop with Camilla Calnan.

Do you want to take better photos in the gardens? Join us for a hands-on workshop where we use whatever camera you are working with to learn tips, tricks, and techniques to take the photos you are hoping to capture. Working from whatever level you are currently and using your phone, point and shoot camera, or SLR camera, we will discover new ways to think about photography to help you grow in your photography.

This program takes place in the classroom and outdoors. Please come prepared to walk on gentle, yet uneven terrain, and dress appropriately for the weather.

This is an in-person program, held at The Learning Garden

Program: Butterfly, Pollinator and Hummingbird Gardens – What’s the Difference?

Presenter: Phil Roudebush, Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer

Program Description: Pre-planned “butterfly gardens”, “pollinator gardens”, “monarch gardens”, “beneficial bug gardens” and “hummingbird gardens” are often available to purchase as mixed seed bundles from garden centers and mail-order or on-line garden catalogues. These terms are often confusing and many of the pre-planned planting schemes will result in colorful gardens that do not adequately support pollinators or other beneficial animal habitats.

This class will discuss what makes up a good habitat and give more specific recommendations for butterfly, Monarch butterfly, pollinator and hummingbird gardens. Resources for obtaining a wide range of appropriate plants will be provided.

After the presentation we will visit a pollinator garden in The Learning Garden; please dress appropriately for the weather. The classroom size is limited so register to reserve your seat!

The talk is free, but seating is limited and registration is required. Please Click here to register via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/butterfly-pollinator-and-hummingbird-gardens-whats-the-difference-tickets-1335472216349?aff=oddtdtcreator

The Learning Garden, located at the Extension Office, 49 Mt. Carmel Road, is offering the public the opportunity to Visit and Learn in the garden on selected Thursdays, February – October. The Thursday in-person programs will consist of eight garden-specific program areas.

If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, call 828-255-5522.

There’s more than one way to design a vegetable garden — and some of the most beautiful and productive gardens use vertical structures to grow! Cages, poles, trellises, even creative builds like bean houses — these structures aren’t just practical, they’re eye-catching and a little whimsical, too.

Growing vegetables on structures is fun. It saves time and labor, makes harvesting a breeze, and helps you squeeze more out of every square foot.

Join Mary Alice Ramsey, a lifelong gardener, as she shares her favorite garden structures, personal tips, and stories from her own garden. You’ll leave inspired to grow upward — not just outward!

Presentation is free, and registration with Eventbrite is required.

Click this link to register on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gardening-in-the-mountains-presents-growing-veggies-on-garden-structures-tickets-1335471263499?aff=oddtdtcreator

If you have questions, contact the Buncombe County Extension office at 828-255-5522.

In this series of classes learn about tree health care and maintenance.

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!

May 22, 2025, 1:00-3:00pm.

Learn how to make altered books and make a page for one of the volumes of Turning the Page on Helene. All supplies are provided free of charge. No previous art experience is necessary.

Turning the Page on Helene is a community-based art project that is using the transformative power of altered books to tell our communities’ stories of Hurricane Helene through the visual arts. The goal is to create a safe space for community members to share experiences of the hurricane as well as their hopes for rebuilding a better and brighter future.

Join us in this hands on class where you will make a hammered sterling silver wide band ring. One of Ignite’s talented instructors will take you through the process step by step including soldering, shaping, hammering, and finishing your ring.

These also make great wedding bands!

You’ll leave with a beautiful ring made to size in our downtown Asheville metalsmithing studio.

$120 person *All Materials Included

*Class times and avialbalility are subject to change. SIgn up in advance online to ensure your time and space.

This is a Weekly Recurring Event
Runs from May 23, 2025 to Jun 27, 2025 and happens every:
Fridays: 1:15pm – 3:30pm Timezone: EDT
Saturdays: 1:15pm – 3:30pm Timezone: EDT

Join us in this hands on class where you will make a hammered sterling silver wide band ring. One of Ignite’s talented instructors will take you through the process step by step including soldering, shaping, hammering, and finishing your ring.

These also make great wedding bands!

You’ll leave with a beautiful ring made to size in our downtown Asheville metalsmithing studio.

$120 person *All Materials Included

*Class times and avialbalility are subject to change. SIgn up in advance online to ensure your time and space.

This is a Weekly Recurring Event
Runs from May 23, 2025 to Jun 27, 2025 and happens every:
Fridays: 1:15pm – 3:30pm Timezone: EDT
Saturdays: 1:15pm – 3:30pm Timezone: EDT

Garden Jubilee, one of the largest gardening shows in Western North Carolina, will be held on Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Memorial Day weekend. With nearly 200 plant and craft vendors lining Main Street, the Historic downtown will be transformed into a garden wonderland. 

Local and regional nurseries, orchards and crafters will offer a wide variety of plants and handmade delights and gardening experts will be on hand to share the latest gardening tips and techniques. 

Let’s dive deep into lavender!  Participants will learn about the history of this plant, discover how it’s used to promote relaxation and wellness, and make their own DIY lavender products to take home.  We will make bath salts, pillow sprays, and tea blends to bring relaxation home!

Tuesday May 27, 2025, 2:00-4:00. $25.00/$21 for Friends of Bullington Gardens.

Calling all young storytellers ages 8-13!
Gallery Tales is a 6-week program where kids explore various art pieces in the gallery to spark their imaginations and create incredible stories. Each week, participants will engage in interactive writing lessons, write unique tales, and gain the skills and confidence to become published authors. At the end of the program, every young writer will leave with their very own professionally published book and the opportunity to share their work and accomplishments with an audience of family and friends at a special Kids Open Mic Showcase!

Pricing Tiers:
Standard Tier: $397 (Includes all program materials, publishing, and showcase support)
Supporter Tier: $500 (Covers program materials, publishing, showcase support, and helps provide scholarships for other young writers)
Scholarship Option: Available to ensure every child has the opportunity to participate.

Limited spots are available for this unique program that celebrates art, and creativity, and inspires young writers to shine. Sign up today!

About the Gallery Tales Instructor:
Kate Wargo is a passionate educator with a decade of experience teaching in elementary classrooms. Holding a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, she brings her expertise in child development and creative learning to every program she designs. Kate is deeply committed to nurturing the whole child, blending art, writing, and community to create meaningful and transformative experiences. As an advocate for bringing the soul and love back into writing and supporting children’s mental health and well-being, she strives to create safe and inspiring spaces where they can discover their voices and shine as confident, creative storytellers.

As spring transitions to summer, we see changes in the plants around us.  Naturalist and botanist Alexandra Holland leads this walk at the Arboretum, pointing out the array of late spring wildflowers in bloom and discussing seasonal differences in the landscape. Learn some basics of wildflower and tree ecology and identification while taking in the beauty of the season.

This program will take place outside and will follow easy trails and paved walkways. Dress for the weather and prepare to be outside for the entire program time.

Join us in this hands on class where you will make a hammered sterling silver wide band ring. One of Ignite’s talented instructors will take you through the process step by step including soldering, shaping, hammering, and finishing your ring.

These also make great wedding bands!

You’ll leave with a beautiful ring made to size in our downtown Asheville metalsmithing studio.

$120 person *All Materials Included

*Class times and avialbalility are subject to change. SIgn up in advance online to ensure your time and space.

This is a Weekly Recurring Event
Runs from May 23, 2025 to Jun 27, 2025 and happens every:
Fridays: 1:15pm – 3:30pm Timezone: EDT
Saturdays: 1:15pm – 3:30pm Timezone: EDT

Join us in this hands on class where you will make a hammered sterling silver wide band ring. One of Ignite’s talented instructors will take you through the process step by step including soldering, shaping, hammering, and finishing your ring.

These also make great wedding bands!

You’ll leave with a beautiful ring made to size in our downtown Asheville metalsmithing studio.

$120 person *All Materials Included

*Class times and avialbalility are subject to change. SIgn up in advance online to ensure your time and space.

This is a Weekly Recurring Event
Runs from May 23, 2025 to Jun 27, 2025 and happens every:
Fridays: 1:15pm – 3:30pm Timezone: EDT
Saturdays: 1:15pm – 3:30pm Timezone: EDT

Come learn about the biology and natural history of fungi in the Southeast and beyond. This talk will highlight the interconnections between fungi, animals, and plants. Todd will also discuss some of the region’s best edible species along with where and how to find and identify them.

Join us on this birding walk around the NC Arboretum gardens and trails in search of our most colorful residents. We will go over best practices for using binoculars, recommendations for purchasing your own binoculars, and popular field guides to use. Bring your own binoculars but if you do not have a pair we have some loaner binoculars available to use during the program.

This program will take place outside and will follow easy trails and paved walkways. Dress for the weather and prepare to be outside for the entire program time.

Join us in this hands on class where you will make a hammered sterling silver wide band ring. One of Ignite’s talented instructors will take you through the process step by step including soldering, shaping, hammering, and finishing your ring.

These also make great wedding bands!

You’ll leave with a beautiful ring made to size in our downtown Asheville metalsmithing studio.

$120 person *All Materials Included

*Class times and avialbalility are subject to change. SIgn up in advance online to ensure your time and space.

This is a Weekly Recurring Event
Runs from May 23, 2025 to Jun 27, 2025 and happens every:
Fridays: 1:15pm – 3:30pm Timezone: EDT
Saturdays: 1:15pm – 3:30pm Timezone: EDT

The Blue Ridge Bonsai Society presents its 2025 BRBS Bonsai Exhibition at The North Carolina Arboretum Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8 from 10am – 5pm in the Education Center.

This year’s exhibition will feature guest artist Chris Baker, Bonsai Curator at the Chicago Botanical Garden. Chris will be giving a demo/program, multiple workshops, and a commentary on club member trees displayed in the show.

Join us in this hands on class where you will make a hammered sterling silver wide band ring. One of Ignite’s talented instructors will take you through the process step by step including soldering, shaping, hammering, and finishing your ring.

These also make great wedding bands!

You’ll leave with a beautiful ring made to size in our downtown Asheville metalsmithing studio.

$120 person *All Materials Included

*Class times and avialbalility are subject to change. SIgn up in advance online to ensure your time and space.

This is a Weekly Recurring Event
Runs from May 23, 2025 to Jun 27, 2025 and happens every:
Fridays: 1:15pm – 3:30pm Timezone: EDT
Saturdays: 1:15pm – 3:30pm Timezone: EDT

Join us for a special Father’s Day Mug Painting event! Create a unique gift for Dad while having fun. All ages welcome. Supplies provided. Don’t miss out!