Montford Rec Center Front End Fluff

 On Sunday, February 24th about 20 fruit nuts gathered at the Montford Rec Center to give the edibles there some love and attention.   In no time at all the Frond End Fluffing, laughing and playing began.   

 There was a good showing of Junior Members at the event.  We grilled up some super tasty Hickory Nut Gap hotdogs for lunch.  There are now more than thirty edibles planted at the site. From 15 year old plums to freshly planted paw paw's.  If you are in the neighborhood stop and by and check out your edible park!

West Asheville Park Party

We couldn't have had a nicer day to celebrate the fourth year of the edible planting in the West Asheville Park.  The original trees put on a tremendous amount of growth last year and are looking fine.  

Greet and Meet

Fruit nuts loving the trees

Three European hybrid Hazelnuts looking fine

The Hazelnuts had there first crop last season with the potential for a great harvest this year.  The Mulberry is now about 15 feet tall and has a huge amount of fruiting wood, just have to beat the birds to the berries.  The two American Persimmons and two Paw Paw's that were planted last year received extra attention and now have big "eye brows" (or berms) to help water to infiltrate the root zone and promote growth.  All plants were treated to a good weeding, scoops of mineral amendments, a generous heap of compost, and a layer of mulch.  

Elder's hanging with the Elderberries

Lunch and some cornhole

We took a break for lunch, played some cornhole and were treated to a talk about Native Edibles.  The majority of the plants here are native which is a testament to their success.  Natives are more resilient because they are locally adapted to the soil and climate of a particular bio-region.  Ramin then told the group about the signs being made by first graders at Francine Delaney New School just down the road.  They will be installed by club members and the students on March 1st at 1pm.  Tomas then gave a demonstration on how to properly split locust rounds into stakes, which will be used to hold the new signs.  

Tomas splitting  locust stakes for signs that were made by first graders at Francine Delaney

Fig Magnolia Park front end fluff

Sunday, January 27th proved to be an amazing day for the fruit trees, nut trees, berry bushes and fruiting vines located at the Fig Magnolia Park in Montford.   These plants received amazing TLC from the community.  A group of 25 fruit nuts spent the day freeing the root zones of all the plants of the dreaded bermuda triangle grass, amending them with "magic fairy dust" aka mineral amendments, applying a generous ring of compost, adding a fat layer of wood chips on top and finally giving them some pruning love.  All in all the trees thanked us with promises of a very productive year to come.

Diospyros virginiana,American Persimmon
var. John Rick 

Learning the Non-Patented "Front end Fluff"
 method of tree care.

Fluffing the Illinois Everbearing Mulberry,

Morus alba x rubra

roller-blader checking out the nut display

All present had the pleasure of laughing, playing, and getting to know each other a little better.  We learned about the value of building community while building the soil around the plantings.  We shared knowledge on how to organically maintain the health and vitality of edibles in the urban landscape. 

Hot Dogs in the foreground, jr. fruitnuts and Scott in the background

This is the stuff the fruit and nut club is made of, people.  Come on out and see for yourself this coming Saturday, February 9th at the West Asheville Park.  

All star Jr. Fruitnut's

Muscadine Grapes, Blueberries and Hardy Kiwi's!

Serviceberries looking great

North Asheville Tree Care Skill Share

A few weeks ago, on a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon, a group of 20 Fruit Nuts gathered at the Montford Recreation Center with one thing in mind......wheelbarrow race!  So after we got that out of our systems we began a fun filled day of learning and implementing the front end fluffing the mature edible planting at the center.  We built burms around the base of all the trees to catch rain water and direct it toward the root zone.  We followed that with a dose of magic fairy dust aka organic slow release nutrients that we forked into the ground around the trees to get it to the roots.  The trees also received a generous helping of the infamous "Eli Sludge" (anaerobically digested goat manure) and compost from Crowell Farms.  We then placed a layer of cardboard down to hold back any grass or weeds that were thinking about trying to take nutrients away from our trees.  On top of the cardboard we placed a generous helping of leaves that we gathered from around the site, followed by a heaping pile of every trees favorite thing MULCH!!

Compost Delivery!

Thank you to Asheville Greenworks and their group of volunteers for helping to load, deliver, and unload compost donated by Danny's Dumpster!

 On Sunday, February 26th a group of 20+ Fruit Nutz arrived at the West Asheville Park to maintain the Edible Planting on the hillside just beyond the outfield of the baseball diamond.  We were greeted by healthy trees, a warm breeze and shining sun.  What a beautiful day to move some mulch!!

There is a wonderful diversity of fruit and nuts at the site including; hazelnuts, mulberry, peach, paw paw, elderberry, strawberries and a smattering of pollinators plants tucked into the beds.  There are some freshly painted signs made by students at Rainbow Mountain that look absolutely fantastic.  If you have yet to see this site, get on over and check it out!


We played a number of games throughout the day including; move the mulch, pull the weeds, transplant the strawberries, and or course HAYRIDING!!!!  If you have yet to experience hay riding, it is a climate change activity that can be done in place or sleigh riding.  All you will need is a piece of cardboard, a grassy hillside, and a friend to push you.

After the fun and games it was time for a little teaching session on water, a prevailing topic at this site.  The Club is in the process of working with the city to gain approval to implement a rain garden and swale that will capture and divert the water that is currently rushing down Morris St and eroding the hillside that leads into the park.   Sherry Ingram taught the group about the importance of capturing rain water and allowing it to percolate into the soil and provide much needed moisture to plants and trees.  Urban areas tend to use storm drains to divert water directly into streams and rivers which can cause  many problems such as flooding and pollution of waterways.  Bill Whipple then presented his plan on how to implement the rain garden and swale.  Dylan Ryals-Hamilton then taught the group how to use an A-Frame Level (Permometer) to find the contour of the land and flag out the projected path of the swale.

After getting our learn on we had to get right back to what this group is becoming famous for, having a good time.  So with cardboard in hand we hiked to the top of the hill for another round of hay riding.  What a day!  After we gathered up our tools and wished the plants farewell we headed over to Ramin's house for an after event potluck and scion swap.  Another wildly succesful Fruit Nut's Event for the record books.

We even had some press coverage for this one!  To see the article in the Mountain express follow the link:

http://mountainx.com/article/40739/Volunteers-working-with-Asheville-city-staff-on-runoff-in-park#

Elderberry Swap, Potluck and Tree Care Skill Share

Just a reminder that this Saturday is the First Fruit and Nut Club event of the year!  We will be meeting at the Montford Rec Center on Saturday, January 28th at 11:00 a.m.  Come prepared to learn the ins and outs of caring for fruit and nut trees this time of year.  Bring a sack lunch, gloves, pruners, a pitchfork, shovel and wheelbarrow if you have them.  If you can make it please RSVP to Tom Knaust at tknaust@gmail.com.  

There will be an after event Potluck dinner at my house at 15 Conestee Place starting at 6:30 P.M.  At the potluck we will be doing an Elderberry Stake Swap.  The idea is that we will all bring different varieties of elderberry and swap them.  Then go home and drive them into the ground where they will root and grow, increasing the diversity of elderberries in the places we live.  To harvest "stakes" simply cut 18inch or longer sections of elderberry.  Be sure to make an angled cut on the "bottom" of the cutting so we know which end to drive into the ground.  I hope to see you all on Saturday!