Gardening events, workshops, tours in WNC in early Sept.

Send calendar items to Bruce Steele at bsteele@citizen-times.com two weeks before the event.

SALES, TOURS & EVENTS

GREENFEST: Sept. 13-19 at UNC Asheville. Includes films, discussions, workshops, investing information, a parkway tour for people with limited mobility, volunteer opportunities, a sold-out farm-to-table dinner and more. Find the full schedule online at sustainability.unca.edu/fall-greenfest-2017.

A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A MOUNTAIN BOG: Exhibit by Asheville photographer Michael Oppenheim at the N.C. Arboretum, Sept. 22-Oct. 1. Open house with the artist 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 22, hosted by Nature Conservancy. Free admission; parking fee $14 per car. Learn more at nature.org/nc or ncarboretum.org.

WINE & DAHLIAS: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sept. 22, Bullington Gardens, 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville. An evening with wine and hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction in the Dahlia Garden, where 600 plants are in full bloom. $100 for patrons, $30 general admission. Reserve a spot by Sept. 18. To learn more, visit bullingtongardens.org or call 828-698-6104.

​BAMBOO WALKING TOURS: 1:30-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Sundays through Nov. 12 at Haiku Bamboo Nursery/Farm, 468 Rhodes Mountain Road, Hendersonville. Next tour is Sept. 24. Gates open at 1 p.m. Learn about bamboo plants, characteristics and environment. Wear walking shoes, no sandals. Cameras permitted. Adults $25, seniors $23, ages 13-18 $15, free for younger. To arrange a tour or to learn more, call 828-685-3053. Visit www.haikubamboonursery.net or find the nursery on Facebook.

FALL OPEN HOUSE: noon-5 p.m. Oct. 1. Homemade refreshments, hot apple cider, artist vendors and more. The Gardener's Cottage, 34 All Souls Crescent, Biltmore Village. Call 828-277-2020 or visit thegardenerscottageasheville.com.

SEED SWAP: 3-7 p.m. Oct. 17, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave. Free. With Vandana Shiva. To learn more, contact carolina@bountifulcities.org or 828-254-0708.

COCKTAILS IN THE COURTYARD WITH JAMES FARMER: 4:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 26. Farmer will be signing his new book, "A Place to Call Home." Light refreshments and a specialty cocktail available. The Gardener's Cottage, 34 All Souls Crescent, Biltmore Village. Call 828-277-2020 or visit thegardenerscottageasheville.com.

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: noon-5 p.m. Gift ideas, homemade refreshments, hot apple cider, artist vendors and more. The Gardener's Cottage, 34 All Souls Crescent, Biltmore Village. Call 828-277-2020 or visit thegardenerscottageasheville.com.

WORKSHOPS & TALKS

BARRY YINGER: 2 p.m. Sept. 17 at a meeting of the South Eastern chapter of the American Rhododendron Society in the Parish Hall at St. John in the Wilderness in Flat Rock. The well-known "plant explorer" will present a program titled “Rhododendrons Need Friends Too.” Free and open to the public. To learn more, visit se-ars.org.

THE MAGICAL WORLD OF MOSS GARDENING: 7 p.m. Sept. 20, Weaverville Garden Club, Town Hall Community Room, 30 S. Main St., Weaverville. Rescheduled from Sept. 12. A free talk and book signing by Annie Martin, moss landscape designer from Brevard and author of "The Magical World of Moss Gardening." Learn about native mosses and how to cultivate them. To learn more, visit mountainmoss.com.

GROWING COLD-HARDY GRAPES IN THE MOUNTAINS: Classes on propagation, planting, training, trellising, pruning and harvesting at Jewel of the Blue Ridge Vineyard in Marshall. All classes are $35 and meet 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and include provided lunch. Topics include grape-based products and processing (Sept. 28), and wine making (Oct. 5 and again Oct. 7). To get directions or ask questions, contact Chuck at 828-606-3130 or Chuck@JeweloftheBlueRidge.com. Learn more or register online at JeweloftheBlueRidge.com.

WNC FARMERS MARKET

OPEN DAILY: Retail shops open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. every day, Brevard Road at Interstate 40. Hanging baskets, landscaping plants, herbs and bedding plants still available. Fresh produce includes local squash, strawberries, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, bell peppers, potatoes, watermelons, cantaloupes and more. In B Building, look for a weaver and an embroiderer and their wares, find an assortment of dips and dressings, a bakery, ramps in a jar, ramp foods and more. Retail shops also have honey, jams, pickles, cheese, wine, fudge, eggs, handcrafted gifts, glazed nuts and other items. Check out the sandwiches and home-churned ice cream at the deli and everything you need for spring and summer gardening at Jesse Israel and Sons Garden Center, including seeds, plants, yard art, pots and more. The Moose Cafe is open daily. Learn more at wncfarmersmarket.org and on Facebook.

Ongoing events from Buncombe County Extension master gardener volunteers:

• BACKYARD COMPOST DEMO: 11 a.m.-2 p.m., second and fourth Saturday of each month, beside Jesse Israel's Garden Center.

BUNCOMBE TAILGATE MARKETS

For exact locations and other details, visit appalchiangrown.org.

• Black Mountain Tailgate Market: 9 a.m.-noon Saturdays.

• East Asheville Tailgate Market: 3-6 p.m. Fridays.

• French Broad Food Co-op Wednesday Tailgate Market: 2-6 p.m. Wednesdays.

• North Asheville Tailgate Market: 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays.

• Oakley Farmers Market: 3:30-6:30 p.m. Thursdays.

• River Arts District Farmers Market: 2-6 p.m. Wednesdays.

• Weaverville Tailgate Market: 2:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

• West Asheville Tailgate Market: 3:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays.

ONGOING

MASTER GARDENERS' HELP LINE: Master gardener volunteers from the Buncombe Cooperative Extension Office are on duty to answer questions 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday and Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday. Call 828-255-5522 or drop by the Buncombe County Extension office at 49 Mount Carmel Road in Erwin Hills. The office is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday year-round, with a staffer on duty. For help anytime, visit www.buncombemastergardener.org. If you have a question about a particular pest or plant, bring samples large enough for identification. Free soil sample test kits available.

LEICESTER GARDEN CLUB: Meets at 1 p.m. fourth Tuesday of the month at the Leicester Library. To learn more, call Crystal Dover at 828-259-9649.