Mountain Gardens / Workshops and Events

2012 EVENTS & WORKSHOPS

May 4-6, 2012: Asheville Herb Festival

Jun 1: Open house & free tours in conjunction with:

Jun 2-4: Medicines from the Earth, Black Mtn NC

Dates to be announced:

April: Useful native plants: ID, habitat, cultivation & uses

May: " " " " " " "

late June: Family Farm Tour

early July: Wasabi growing workshop

July: ID, propagation & cultivation of Chinese herbs

early Aug: Southeastern Permaculture Gathering at Arthur Morgan School (about 2 miles from here)

August: Tonic / rejuvenative herbs, growing & using

Check back periodically for special upcoming events

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NEED A SPEAKER?
I am available to teach the following workshops at Community Colleges, for garden and herb groups, conferences, etc.

MOUNTAIN GARDENS: A ‘PARADISE GARDEN’
IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
Mountain Gardens is a single unified project with many aspects: a botanical garden of useful plants, grown ecologically and arranged ornamentally (including the largest collection of medicinal plants in E. US); a demonstration of the potential of simple living in a direct relationship with the environment; an herb shop including a complete Chinese herb pharmacy and 100+ herb tinctures prepared from the garden; a library and research center; a seed business and small nursery specializing in useful plants; a demonstration of alternative (low cost, sustainable) building and energy; an exercise in visionary ecological theater. This 90 min. ( more or less) lecture describes all of the above, their gradual development, interconnectedness, current status and future plans. Slide show illustrates development of the gardens from woodland over a period of 35 years.

GROW YOUR OWN MEDICINAL HERBS:
This workshop has a dual focus: incorporating herbs in your life, and in your environment. General information and techniques of propagation and cultivation are followed by detailed consideration of as many species as time allows, from my valuable handout 120 important, easily grown medicinal herbs. 90 min. - all day.

HERBS FOR AGROFORESTRY:
Useful species (medicinal, edible and craft) suitable
for growing in woodland or shady areas. Introduction to woodland plant communities and selection of appropriate herbs for each. Propagation, cultivation and uses of the plants. 90 min - half day. slides available.

GROWING & USING CHINESE MEDICINAL HERBS:
Mountain Gardens is a pioneer in introducing and growing Chinese herbs. A general introduction to Chinese herbalism, followed by detailed consideration of individual - easily grown - herbs, arranged according to Chinese traditional categories. This workshop could range from 90 min to all day, and will be tailored to the audience. Valuable handouts: Chinese medicinal herbs for American gardens and Easiest Chinese Herbs to Grow (Including 'Weeds') all day workshop

CHINESE HERB PROCESSING TECHNIQUES:
Traditional Chinese Medicine has developed a repertoire of several dozen processing techniques involving stir-frying herbs alone or with various 'adjuvants' (honey, wine, vinegar, clay, rice, etc.) to alter the energetics, reduce side effects, modify obnoxious flavors, etc. of herbs. With the publication of the 3rd edition of Bensky's Chinese Materia Medica, information about these techniques and their uses is now available in English, but there is no substitute for a demonstration if you want to learn how to do it. Handout: "Pao Zhi: Methods of preparing the Chinese Materia Medica" 4 - 5 hours

GROWING AND USING THE TONIC HERBS:
This workshop focuses on Chinese (and several Western and Ayurvedic) "tonic" (longevity, rejuvenative) herbs, with a discussion of the traditional and contemporary understanding of this important category of health-promoting herbs, their potential use in our lives, and propagation and cultivation of these plants in America. 90 min. - half day.

THE (#) MOST USEFUL, EASILY GROWN PLANTS FOR OUR AREA:
(# ranges from 10-100 depending on time allowed).
A brief introduction to the concept of ‘useful plants’ - in our gardens, and in our lives - followed by detailed
consideration of individual species: perennial (and self-sowing annual) food plants, medicinals and craft plants. Focus is on easily grown, multiple-use (including ornamental) species.

PLANT ID WALKS:
(At Mountain Gardens or anywhere)
Identification, ecology, cultivation and uses of edible, medicinal and otherwise useful species encountered. At Mountain Gardens hundreds of species are displayed in a landscape setting and in the immediately adjacent Pisgah Nat’l Forest most of the major native medicinal and edible herbs can be seen in their natural habitat.
But almost any area will include enough species for an interesting walk. 90 min. - all day

MAKING TINCTURES AND OTHER MEDICINAL HERB PREPARATIONS:
Discussion and demonstration of techniques, proportions and apparatus for making tinctures, extracts, decoctions, oils and salves, lotions, medicated syrups and wines, etc. 90 min - 3 hr workshop. A valuable handout provides detailed information on appropriate methods for specific plants.

SEED SAVING:
Techniques for collection, cleaning and storage of seeds. Discussion of the emerging understanding of seed dormancy mechanisms and appropriate nursery practice for germination of difficult species. Specific
information on storage and germination requirements of important useful herbs. 1 - 2 hours.

GARDEN HEROES FOR OUR TIME:
A personal selection of favorite inspirational characters and episodes from garden history, ranging from ancient Chinese garden poets and herbalists through renaissance paradise gardeners and an eighteenth century political firebrand, to contemporary ‘outsider’ artists. 1-2 hours