Sun and Shade Demo Garden, Buncombe County

This Sun and Shade Demonstration Garden was designed, installed, and is maintained by Extension Master Gardener Volunteers.  The garden started out by converting a 9’ by 40’ northeast facing strip of grass bound by a building and parking pavement into a well designed, colorful, wildlife friendly space.  The garden's rocks and moss-covered logs were inspired by the surrounding Asheville and Buncombe County terrain. This teaching garden highlights plants that thrive in sun or shade.  It includes both native and nonnative plants in inground plantings as well as containers for seasonal interest. Wildlife is encouraged not only by the plant selection but also with a water source, places to seek cover, a mason bee house, hummingbird feeders, and a birdhouse.

The overall design, with the exception of  a few plants that did not tolerate sun in the sunniest area near the pavement, worked for all phases and used these approaches:

• A blend of native and non-native plants
• Containers to demonstrate creative seasonal arrangements to enhance in-ground plants   
• Year-round interest through sequential blooms, colors, and textures in leaves and woody stems, trunks
• Annuals and perennials, including shrubs, for pollinators and diverse insects, birds, and other garden creatures
• Wildlife support through cover, nesting sites, water, and food  

To view the plants in this garden type "buncombe sun and shade" into the search box.