Monday, September 14, 2009

Random West Asheville - The Walk About

There is one more truly amazing garden to come in the West Asheville Garden Stroll, but first let's have a look at scenes from the larger neighborhood. There was a shuttle bus running a loop on Haywood Avenue that would pick up and drop off the strollers at designated spots along the route. Each time I looked at the map for the next garden, I thought that is close enough, I'll just walk. All the gardens were within a block or two of Haywood Avenue and from one end to the other it was maybe a mile and a half. I'm just guessing really. I walk a lot anyway and this was level ground compared to what I am used to.







Half a block from Gnomon at a busy intersection were some exuberant public planter beds in need of some TLC. Now where I am previously from those Castor Beans are a big giant weed and I would yank those suckers out quick before they could set seed.



As part of the garden stroll effort, one of the sponsors and volunteers, Annie Higgins and crew of Higgins Horticultural Services were busy whipping these beds back into shape. Asheville GreenWorks also donated supplies to this community project.







I couldn't just pass by this bed of tall purple cosmos and zinnias without smiling.



Why won't my cantaloupes get big like this city melon?











In a situation like this you can almost hear these houses talking story. I am getting to know the wider neighborhood.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

This looks like a real town, as opposed to the vast suburban wasteland. I love those bungalows; they are scarce in our citified area now.
I just now was going to make a snide comment about what can be made from castor bean seeds, then thought better of it - who knows if the NSA is screening blogs for keywords??
Thus has our world changed, haha!

bev

Siria said...

Hi Christopher! What a wonderful walking tour of west Asheville in addition to the garden tour. I've never been to that part of town, but you have definitely piqued my interest! I love those little bungalows and it looks like much of that area is going through a transition. Thanks for sharing with us! (loved that melon growing on the stone wall!)

Lola said...

A very serene happy area of bungalows. I sure wouldn't mind living in one of them.
The stroll is still entriqueing {sp} with all the diversity.
Looks like that watermelon in ready for picking.
I had a pumpkin vine grow up over some stacked wood so the pumpkin what laying right on top. Made for easy picking. This was in N.C. Things are much too different here.

Christopher C. NC said...

Bev after 20 years in Hawaii that has zero architechtural history to speak of, this was most fascinating to me. Yea, castor bean will be up there with poppies soon.

Siria it is easy to bypass West Asheville in favor of downtown. It is still on my list to one day just get lost driving Asheville's back roads. The Grove Park Inn neighborhood looked most interesting.

Lola, I for sure know the differece between Florida and NC.

chuck b. said...

Asheville looks like a place with real Southern charm.