Helpful Garden Links

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
If you aren’t familiar with plant hardiness/heat zone maps, they help to determine what temperature range is ideal for specific plant species. You will often see the ideal zone range listed on a plant’s tag or in references.  The Asheville area of North Carolina is listed as having a range from 6b-7b.  Most plants with 7 listed as their lowest range will make it through the winters here (some extra mulch or protection in winter months helps).  If they are listed as 8 or higher, then it is best to treat them as annuals or tropicals. Click the above link to view the updated 2012 plant hardiness zone map; the map has finally been updated from the 1990 version, and there have been significant changes to the temperature zones in the past 12 years.

Pest & Disease Directory - Click here for help identifying garden pests & diseases.
Compost Guidance - Click here to visit the Painters' Tips page for composting guidance
Mulching Guide - Click here for detailed instructions on how to mulch properly
Pruning Guide - Click here for detailed instruction on how & when to prune
Vegetable Garden Guide - Click here for a variety of helpful veggie garden tips.
Herb Gardening Guidance - Click here for details on growing & using herbs.
Soil Calculator - Click here to calculate soil needed to fill your raised beds.
Soil, Mulch & Compost - Click here for a local business that supplies(and delivers) bulk mixes
Kitchen Garden Design - Click here for a basic edible garden design program.
The Major Benefits of Houseplants - Click here for a video about the importance of houseplants

Carolina Gardener - Click here for garden & landscape advice for the Carolinas.
NC Cooperative Extension - Click here to learn how your extension office can help.
Asheville Botanical Gardens - Click here to learn about these beautiful local gardens.

NCSU – Going Native - Click here to learn about growing native plants.
NC Native Plant Society - Click here to learn about local native plant efforts
Native Plant Database - Click here for an extensive native plant database

Links for Old Fort/McDowell County:

Town Of Old Fort, North Carolina
Chamber Of Commerce, Old Fort
McDowell County Tourism

If you are making a drive to visit the greenhouse and would like to get a bite to eat while in Old Fort, there are a few restaurants in the area.  On your way into Old Fort, leaving the greenhouse, you will pass Todd’s Four Oaks Seafood, which offers a variety of casual southern seafood dishes for lunch and dinner.  If you continue into Old Fort on Bat Cave Rd., you will run into Main Street.  Make a right, and you will find The Rail, a southern family-style restaurant (open most days for breakfast, lunch and dinner), and Whistle Stop Pizza, which offers pizza, subs & lasagna for lunch & dinner. If you're looking for something more, the Madison Inn is a popular Inn and dinner destination 10 minutes west of Old Fort off I-40 (http://madisoninn-nc.co), and Black Moutain offers many breakfast, lunch & dinner options at only 15 minutes away. For those of you traveling from the Lake Lure direction or looking for a more picturesque drive back toward Black Mountain, the Straightaway Cafe on Rt. 9 offers breakfast, lunch & dinner options in a unique location.