Hey Garden Fans,
Just "got back" from The 2012 Cullowhee Native Plants Conference, and as with every year, I return all fired up and inspired about native plants and their use in the landscape. I say that I am "Away" at this conference because every year around 300 of my fellow Native Plant Nerds come from all over the Southeastern US to travel to Cullowhee and spend 4-5 days botanizing, networking, and celebrating the beautiful and diverse wildflowers, shrubs, trees, mosses, lichens, liverworts, and fungi of these beautiful Southern Appalachian Mountains where we live. Check out The Cullowhee Native Plants Conference  or find us on the Cullowhee Native Plants Conference Facebook Page. Next year is our 30th Anniversary for the Cullowhee

Now, why would I be featuring this conference about native plants here on the Cullowhee Community Garden Blog? Well, I am glad you asked. Two of my greatest passions are Organic Community Gardening, and Native Wildflowers. With the Cullowhee Community Garden Project, I get to combine these two loves into one location. Our intention is to use many native plants in the landscaping installations connected with the Jackson County Greenway (Find More Info Here). We will also be actively removing Exotic-Invasive plants, and enhancing the many wonderful native plants already onsite.

Native Plants are also very beneficial for organic gardening, in general. Native plants, once established, will not tax your water resources. They are wonderful attractors of and shelter for pollinators and other beneficial insects. Plus, as opposed to non-native plant species, they are even food for beneficial insects like predators and pollinators that are so very necessary for a successful and thriving organic garden. Learn More About The Benefits Of Using Native Plants Here


One of our visions for the property where The Cullowhee Community Garden will be located, is to plant many different species of native wildflowers, shrubs and trees and to enhance the many native plants already onsite. We will also be performing active removal of Exotic Invasive Plants using manual and cultural methods, instead of the usual treatment using toxic synthetic herbicides. While Exotic-Invasive Plants are damaging to the environment, and cost countless dollars each year to our economy, I don't know of a single exotic-invasive plant species that is linked with birth defects. Now, the herbicides used in many management plans, on the other hand...