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How to help the monarchs (and get your hands dirty, too)
Monarch butterflies are one of the world’s most recognizable species, and with good reason. In just two weeks, they emerge from jade-green and gold chrysalises to become strikingly colored and uniquely patterned adult butterflies that make an amazing 2,000-mile annual...
Top Five Favorites for Labor Day 2016 in WNC
I can’t believe it, but another summer has come and gone here in Western North Carolina. From beautiful summer blooms to evening sunsets along the Blue Ridge Parkway to tubing down the French Broad River, there are so many things to enjoy over the season in this...
The Battle of the Bugs: Green Industry Turns to Beneficial Insects to Fight Pesky Pests
From irrigation to temperature control to disease, there is a lot to manage when it comes to maintaining a nursery, public garden, greenhouse or farm. But what about those tiny insects that often swarm your face during the most uncomfortable, inconvenient moment?...
Meet the Colorman – An Interview with Artist Leo Monahan
A member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, artist Leo Monahan creates works of art that truly stand out. The bold, vibrant colors used in his pieces are just as extraordinary as his medium – paper. His paper artworks, however, are far beyond your typical...
Thirty Years, One Lasting Legacy
As we look back at the many memories and milestones made over the past 30 years, one significant event occurred only four months ago. On April 22, 2016, The North Carolina Arboretum unveiled the first standing sculpture of Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American...
Little Legos, Larger Than Life: An Interview with Artist Sean Kenney
The saying “do what you love” is something we have all heard at some point in our lives. For Sean Kenney, in many ways, it has defined his career. Sean is the artist behind the Arboretum’s newest exhibit Nature Connects®, Art with LEGO® Bricks, an outdoor exhibit...
The Power and Promise of the Arts
I understood that I must not paint that which I saw...not even that which I felt, but that which...was in my soul.” ~ Alexej von Jawlensky On the canvas, the colors flow, just as movement on a dance floor or notes from a guitar. Crossing the threshold into the arts...
Leading the Outdoor Code
“Be Prepared.” To most, it’s a familiar phrase and recognized as the motto of the Boy Scouts of America. Perhaps less widely known but just as crucial to scouting is the last tenant of the scouts’ Outdoor Code: “Be conservation minded.” A local scout, Bennett David,...
Thirtysomething
Around the time The North Carolina Arboretum began its existence in the 1980s, a popular television program entitled “thirtysomething” examined the makeover of baby boomers, from youth to yuppies. It highlighted the many societal changes that the baby boomer...
Top Four Finds for the Fourth of July in Western North Carolina
While there is a plethora of things to enjoy year-round in Western North Carolina, summer is definitely one of my favorite seasons. From arts and crafts festivals to cooling off at a nearby swimming hole to camping with friends, Asheville and the surrounding region...