Summer Gets Fresh with Kanuga’s Garden

06.14.2019 - Kanuga Stories

Summer means all things green and fresh. At Kanuga, the season brings exciting developments on our farmstead. During Summer Guest Period, guests can see firsthand the exciting growth with weekly guided farm tours.

Improvements Blossom in the Garden

Since last summer, crews and volunteers have revamped the garden space by adding 46 more raised beds. Now a total of 75 raised beds boast an assortment of herbs, flowers, and vegetables.

The garden was planted with culinary superstars such as asparagus and bok choy and traditional Southern favorites such as pole beans, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, okra, and tomatoes. The herb garden includes basil, chamomile, chives, comfrey, lavender, lemon balm, mint, sage, and thyme.

Planting with Care

“We tried to pick heritage varieties that would have been grown traditionally in Western North Carolina,” said Clint DeWitt, Environmental Projects Manager. “We selected what the kitchens would like to see grown and plants that would work with our crop rotation plan.”

All the plants in the garden are grown from open-pollenated, non-GMO seeds donated by Sow True Seed in Asheville. “We use organic practices so we can be good stewards of the land,” say Clint. “Our goals are to provide good, local, and healthy food choices and reduce our carbon footprint by growing our own food.”

Sharing the Bounty

For those excited to sample the bounty of the garden, the Summer Guest Period Friday Farmers Market will sell portions of the weekly harvest and herb and flower plant starts. “Our plant starts are a great way to take a piece of Kanuga home and an easy way to start a garden at home,” said Clint.