Overhill Gardens’ Native Plant Nursery Annual Autumn Open House
Tuesday, October 1st, 2013 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Friday and Saturday, October 18th and 19th
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Come on out and plan to check on the largest, most diverse selection of native plant choices in East Tennessee! The road trip you take to our nursery will charm you with glorious color and texture peppering the hillsides, prototypes of what await you at Overhill Gardens. By purchasing from our abundant supply of fall blooming plants, you’ll be contributing to the appetite and well-being of the vital wildlife; they need these seeds and nectar as they prepare their bodily systems to get through winter, whether here or migrating to other areas.
Choose from flowering perennials, woody flowering shrubs and trees, vines, grasses, and fruit bearing edibles. As our once abundant natural habitat has diminished during these past decades, suddenly there arises a compelling urgency for the homeowner to re-establish their local native landscape so we can once again recreate that thriving multitude of songbirds, butterflies, and buzzing critters. You all know these facts, and our vision is big. As a community of landowners, how comforting would it be to transform our little pocket of terra firma into a countryside that again cares enough to preserve our natural inheritance?
How many monarchs did you see this summer? Not many, right? Their very dependence on certain plant families has sharply dwindled. But by repopulating our area with the right plant species, we can all do something to change that picture.
In August, our nursery began to see a significant increase in the diverse butterfly population as we provided them with the right host plant to meet their needs. Although still under a handful of monarchs have been spotted, their cycles have not peaked as yet, since their fourth generation does not become evident until this month! We urge every homeowner to identify a spot in their landscape for a Butterfly weed, Joe Pye weed, a hardy Aster, Thoroughwort, or Goldenrod!
Many of our plants are seed grown, which we personally gather, thus endeavoring to mimic the local conditions that optimize their prosperity. That way the plants will assuredly bloom when the local wildlife most needs it. Ergo, if you acquire any of our plants for your yard, you can anticipate a great increase in your habitat population. From the glistening reds and blacks of the winterberries and chokeberries to the neon purple beautyberries, a surge of attractive small birds will become daily visitors throughout the fall and winter… without spending money on costly birdseed. Furthermore, by depending upon organic solutions for any of our growing challenges, there is no threat to wildlife from our tenderly treated nursery collections.
In our designed gardens, we draw exclusively from our nursery’s palette of plants and enlist the homeowner to visit the nursery to actually see what it is they will be getting or wanting.
Now friends, if you are seeing too many Bradford pears, that invasive exotic tree prone to weakness and breakage, it is one big reason why we are not attracting pollinators and habitat friendly critters. This tree does nothing to bring in our friends!
The Fringe tree is a great replacement for the Bradford. It is a fragrant delight and also hosts the rustic sphinx, a glorious moth, as well as major bird activity. A delightful alternative!
Certain trees also provide host plants for the grand Luna Moth: Sweet gum, Alder, Birch, and Sumac. What a thrill it will be to witness this resplendent creature in your garden!
With this taste of the Overhill experience, you are encouraged to experience it firsthand, on a stellar day in October on the 18th or 19th. There will be homemade delights and a free plant raffle!
Overhill Gardens
1404 Citico Road
Vonore, TN 37885
(423) 295-2288
www.overhillgardens.com
