Ordering for fall vegetable seedlings is now open
M R Gardens' sustainable nursery showcases its plants on select Thursdays to Sundays for the fall planting season, offering native wildflowers, vegetable seedlings, herbs and more. Customers also have the option to order plants online and pick them up at an arranged time/day.
Find the greenhouse at 441 Onteora Blvd., Asheville (in the Oakley community) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the following dates:
August 26 to 29;
September 2 to 5;
and September 30 to October 3.
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| Mistflower - Available at upcoming shows |
M R Gardens also expects to be at the following:
Black Mountain Fall Garden Sale at the Monte Vista Hotel, September 10 and 11;
Botanical Gardens at Asheville next to UNCA, September 11;
North Carolina Arboretum, September 17 to 18. See hours and parking information here.
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| Joe Pye - New arrival! |
Check out what's newly in stock!
If you were at the nursery this spring, some new varieties have been added since you last visited. Check out the following list. Plants that thrive in full shade to part sun are marked with an ** and the rest take full sun to part shade.
Blazing Star, Appalachian (Liatris microcephala)
Bluestar, Shining (Amsonia illustris)
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Coneflower, Pale Purple (Echinacea pallida)
Goldenrod, White (Solidago bicolor)
Ironweed, Appalachian (Vernonia glauca),
also known as Upland Ironweed
Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium fistulosum)
Phlox, Creeping - Sherwood Purple (Phlox stolonifera)**
Sedge, Appalachian (Carex appalachica)**
Stonecrop, ‘Larinem Park’ (Sedum ternatum)**
Turtlehead, White (Chelone glabra)
Wild Pinks ‘Short and Sweet’ (Silene caroliniana var wherryi),
also known as Carolina catchfly
Pick up yours at the upcoming shows or reserve any that aren't posted yet online by emailing megan@mrgardens.net. In addition, please see the plants listed in the Currently in the Greenhouse section in the online store. Note: Three types of Milkweed (including Butterfly Weed) should be ready by the September 30 sale.
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| Nodding Onion in front of Black Eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' and a hint of Great Blue Lobelia. Photo of M R Gardens plants by Vickie Burick Photography |
Quick sketch special!
If you'd like help planning out a portion of your yard that's 50 square feet or less, you can take advantage of a special for a $25 virtual consult through mid-October for customers who'd like help designing with M R Gardens plants. Send to megan@mrgardens.net: Photos and details about the site, including dimensions, sun exposure, soil quality and any other helpful information. Owner Megan Riley will arrange a time to meet up with you at M R Gardens to further discuss your project. If any of your plant selections happen to be in bloom at the gardens, you'll have a chance to view them. Consult price does not include the plants you'll take home. (Note that we can sometimes offer discounts for large orders.)
When not on special, virtual consults are typically $40 throughout summer and early winter. Or Megan can visit you in person during these months at $75 per hour.
Fall is an excellent season to plant perennials because soil is warm yet the days are becoming cooler to not over-stress the plants. Their energy can go toward growing strong roots rather than producing flowers and vegetative growth. Most of the fall vegetable transplants can last through late winter with a row cover.
Native flowers offer food for wildlife as well as attract pollinators and predators of garden pests to keep a balanced ecosystem. M R Gardens strives to be as sustainable as possible, growing in a passive solar greenhouse so that no heat is needed in winter other than solar gain. It is cooled with manual vents and designed so that no exhaust fans are needed. The nursery also uses potting mixes with coconut coir, limiting the use of peat. Want to learn more? You might enjoy taking a tour.
