Annual Black Mountain Garden Show and Sale coming up

• The annual Black Mountain Garden Show and Sale is coming up from 9 a.m-4 p.m., Saturday, May 16.
• The annual Black Mountain Garden Show and Sale has 21 seasoned vendors offering their products.
• The annual Black Mountain Garden Show and Sale is held on the grounds of the Monte Vista Hotel.
• The annual Black Mountain Garden Show and Sale offers plants and garden art from 21 vendors.

Trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, vegetables, herbs and native plants will tempt gardeners attending the annual Black Mountain Garden Show and Sale.

A gardeners' paradise held once a year, this year it is 9 a.m.-4 p.m. May 16 at the Monte Vista Hotel, 308 W. State St., Black Mountain. Libba Fairleigh, show and sale coordinator, is excited about this year's event.

"Some 15 different committees of the Beautification Committee have worked close to a year to get this year's show and sale ready for area plant lovers," she said.

The annual sale started in 2005 when the late David Boreman and Maggie Krogh, founders, joined forces.

"He invited me to a meeting, and we talked about how to make the sale bigger and draw people to our town," Krogh said. "He and I researched vendors, made lists and contacted them in person and with letters. We got permission to hold the first sale in the Sutton parking lot. We weren't sure we could get vendors or folks to come. The first year, we had 10 vendors and a good size crowd."

Today there will be some 21 seasoned vendors, of which only five are new this year.

This year's event has workshops where gardeners can learn about composting, container gardening, handcrafting hypertufa pots and the medicinal uses of common culinary herbs.

Joe Laudenslayer has worked the event with the Beautification Committee for five years. He helps vendors find their locations.

"This show gives area nurseries a different venue to show their products," he said. "It draws a lot of people each year, and I see some shoppers come two and three times on sale day."

Jeff Seitz of Appalachian Creek Nursery and Landscape has participated in the Black Mountain Garden Show and Sale for 10 years.

"It is great public relations for a business like mine," he said. "I'll have cottage roses again this year, perennials, annuals and lots of shrubs. I'll also have the shade-loving Red Twig Dogwoods in chartreuse."

Burton Edwards of J&B Herb Farms in Roxboro will be back this year.

"I've been coming for 10 years, and I love the town of Black Mountain and the customers that shop with me year-after-year," he said. "It is a one-day event that makes the 200-mile trip well worth it. I am a certified organic herb farm and also sell heirloom tomatoes and garden art."

Kathy Kelly is returning for the third year to hold a workshop on making hypertufa pots (the workshop is at 12:30 p.m.).

"I am a gardener and know the gardener's mind, so the show is a lot of fun for me," she said.

Martha Baldwin looks forward to the annual sale and plans to shop for unusual trees and plants along with the traditional ones.

Farleigh says the Beautification Committee works to make sure the vendors are comfortable and have what they need. Mary Leonard White and Kemper Boreman greet the vendors when they are first setting up their displays at 6 a.m.

Throughout the day they ply them with coffee from Dynammite Coffee and sweets made by Beautification Committee members.

The Clothes Line Sale is new. Beautification Committee members will sell their talents. Several people will sell 10 hours of weeding. Another member will sell the planting of 50 bulbs, and someone else will do a lasagna dinner.

They will be listed for a flat price on separate sheets on a clothesline.

Susan Chabot has made a quilt that will be raffled during the afternoon. Tickets can be purchased from committee members and at the Monte Vista.

Bronte Lamm says she would not miss the annual garden sale.

"It is a phenomenal array of plants that grow well in our area, and it is held at a classic property site," she said.