Roots & Blooms Learning Library
From the plant-curious and those just starting their gardening adventures… To those of you with seasons of experience under your trowel… You’ll find a wealth of inspiration, information, and guides to help you on your journey to successfully care for and grow your gardens. Happy learning!
Plant Fruit Trees in Fall for a Sweet Start
Why plant fruit trees in the fall? Well, when most people imagine planting fruit trees, they picture a sunny spring day, but fall often offers even better conditions, especially here in zones 7a and 7b. The combination of warm soil, cooler air, and consistent rainfall creates an ideal ...
Fall Lawn Care Tips for a Beautiful Spring Yard
This time of year is absolutely packed with garden chores, but fall lawn care should be at the top of your list. Get all the info you need about reseeding vs. weeding, soil prep, fertilizing, proper watering schedules, raking, and more!
How to Save Seeds from Your Blooms
Save flower seeds from your WNC garden with confidence. Learn when to harvest, how to identify and store seeds, and which flowers are easiest to collect.
Fall Veggie Seeds: What to Direct Sow
Late summer through early fall is a prime planting window for fast-growing, cool-loving vegetables in the Asheville area. Many crops can be sown directly into garden beds and harvested before frost, or protected with row covers to extend your growing season into early winter.
Fall Flower Seeds: The Secret to Spring Flowers!
Fall is the perfect time to plant certain flower seeds that need a period of cold (stratification) to germinate. By sowing in fall, you’re mimicking nature’s rhythm and setting yourself up for an earlier, more abundant spring bloom.
August Yard and Garden: Goals, Planning, Tasks
August is a month of both tending and planning. While the heat lingers, the days are slowly shortening, and that opens the door to fall planting and cool-season crops. Whether you're harvesting veggies, refreshing your containers, or prepping your landscape for fall color, there’s plenty to do...
Uninvited Guests: A Friendly Guide to Common Houseplant Pests
Learn how to spot and manage common houseplant pests, from fungus gnats to mealybugs, with simple tips for keeping indoor plants healthy.
Garden Bodyguards: How to Attract Beneficial Predatory Insects
Attract beneficial predatory insects to your Asheville and WNC garden with native plants, smart pest control tips, and habitat-friendly gardening practices.
How to Use AI to Plan Your Garden, Without Planting the Wrong Thing in the Wrong Place
How to successfully use AI to plan a beautiful Asheville-area garden with confidence. Learn what to ask, what to check, and when to get local guidance from B.B. Barns.
Create a Buzz: Planting Plan to Start Your Own Pollinator Garden
Whether you’re new to gardening or a seasoned green thumb, creating a pollinator garden is a joyful and rewarding project that benefits your landscape and your local ecosystem. Here's lots of info about specific plants, as well as a garden design we've created that you can download!
Why Supporting Our Pollinators Matters
Even a small yard, community garden, or patio planter can become a pollinator haven. Here’s how to make your space more pollinator-friendly—no matter the size!
Why Native Plants are Important
Discover why native plants matter in Western North Carolina, how they support pollinators and wildlife, and which easy-care native plants to grow at home.
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