For the first time in almost 20 years, the Montford Neighborhood Association in Asheville will host a public garden tour to raise funds for community initiatives. The event takes place Saturday, June 5, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., with a rain date the following day.
Tickets are $25 apiece and are available online or in person at the Asheville Visitors Center, 36 Montford Avenue, Asheville, two weeks prior to the event.
The homes in the neighborhood represent an amalgam of architectural styles including Victorian, Queen Anne, Arts and Crafts, Neoclassical, and Colonial Revival. Also common are homes built to resemble castles. The neighborhood was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
The 2021 garden tour will feature live musicians in many of the garden settings, playing selections from blue grass, folk, jazz, and classical styles.
Proceeds from other neighborhood fund-raising events have supported projects such as playground equipment and youth programming, landscaping upgrades, tree-planting grants, school bus shelters and emergency food distribution.
The individual gardens featured on the 2021 tour represent the immense variety of landscape styles in the Montford Historic District, where many homes date back to the late 1800s and others are more recent builds. Some of the gardens emphasize today’s interest in pollinator health by adding a rainbow of brilliant blooms. Others concentrate on evergreens or hardscape additions like fountains and fishponds and fire pits.
Likewise, the gardeners who care for these grounds range from long-time landscape professionals to relative novices. Every garden shows a personal vision.
Docents will be on hand at every garden to answer questions about the plants and the unique characteristics on display. An original commemorative painting by local artist and gardener Mandy Kjellstrom will be available through silent auction.