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For the fifth year, Dogwood Arts is asking East Tennesseeans to plant dogwood trees as part of a community-wide tree-planting on Saturday, Dec. 7.
BAZILLION BLOOMS
For the fifth year, Dogwood Arts is asking East Tennesseeans to plant dogwood trees as part of a community-wide tree-planting on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Over the years, local dogwood tree populations have dwindled due to age, disease, construction and development, and neglect. The Dogwood Arts’ Bazillion Blooms project aims to reverse that trend.
Bare-root, disease-resistant Appalachian Snow and Cherokee Brave dogwood trees are available for purchase until mid-November on dogwoodarts.com. To purchase your trees, visit dogwoodarts.com and click on “Bazillion Blooms.” Trees ordered from Dogwood Arts must be picked up on Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to noon at UT Gardens parking lot off Neyland Drive.
Ball-and-burlap trees, for which prices vary, are available at area nurseries including these Bazillion Blooms garden centers: Ellenburg Landscaping Nursery, 722 Vanosdale Road; Mayo Garden Centers at 4718 Kingston Pike, and 7629 Kingston Pike; Stanley’s Greenhouses Plant Farm, 3029 Davenport Road.
Info: dogwoodarts.com or 865-637-4561.
NEW AT IJAMS
Coming up on the Ijams Nature Center calendar:
Ropes Course Community Open House: 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7. Instructors from the New Horizons Center for Experiential Learning will be on hand to supervise an open house climbing day. Participants will have the chance to try some of the high ropes course elements and learn more about New Horizons’ programs for building teams, developing leaders and strengthening organizations. Free. Participants must wear tennis shoes and comfortable clothing for climbing.
Enchanted Day at Ijams: 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9. 1 – 3 p.m.: Free animal programs, scavenger hunts, family crafts; 2 p.m. Grand Opening of Alice’s Greenhouse; 3 p.m. Enchanted Trail. Visitors must purchase tickets for the guided tours. $5 for Ijams members and $8 for non-members. Children 2 and under are free. Trail tours leave every 20 minutes, call 865-577-4717, ext. 130 to register for a start time.
Science Café at Ijams: Energy Sustainability: 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12. (Ages 12 and up) Join Dr. Madhu S. Madhukar, Associate Professor with University of Tennessee’s Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Science Department, for a discussion about alternative energy sources. Short video presentation followed by an informal Q A and refreshments. Free; pre-registration required. Call 865-577-4717, ext. 110.
Garden Workday: 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13: Help to start seedlings, tend the garden beds, and plant fruits and vegetables in our organic garden. Free, but pre-registration is required. Call 865-577-4717, ext. 114.
NOVEMBER HIKES
The Smoky Mountain Hiking Club will hold the following outings in November. For more information, visit www.smhclub.org
Saturday, Nov. 16: Full Moon Hike Around Cades Cove. Distance: 8 miles, rated moderate. Meet at Alcoa Food City, 121 N Hall Rd, at 4:30 p.m. or Cades Cove entrance at 5:30 p.m. Leader: Penny Lukin, plukin@comast.net
Wednesday, Nov. 20: Gregory Bald via Gregory Ridge Trail. Distance: 11 miles, rated difficult. Meet 8 a.m. at Alcoa Food City, 121 N Hall Rd. Leader: Elfie Beall, elfiebeall@comcast.net
Saturday, Nov. 23: Cow Flats In Greenbrier. Distance: 4 miles, rated easy. Meet at 8 a.m. at Comcast, 5720 Asheville Hwy, or 9 a.m. at Greenbrier Ranger Station. Leader: Ray Payne, rpayne10@bellsouth.net
Sunday, Nov. 24: South Knoxville River Bluff – Armstrong’s Hill. Distance: 3.5 miles, rated easy. Meet at 9 a.m. at Disk Exchange parking lot on Chapman Hwy. Leader: Ed Fleming, edwrdflm@aol.com
Saturday, Nov. 30: Historic Cemeteries in Central Knoxville. Distance: 8 miles, rated moderately easy. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Union Avenue side of Market Square. Leader: Claudia Dean, claudiadean0@gmail.com
TAKE A HIKE
Harvey Broome Group of the Sierra Club will host these outings in November:
Nov. 10 Canoe/Kayak Float, French Broad River. 15 miles from just below Douglas Dam to Seven Islands. (Participants must provide their own boats.) Pre-register with Ron Shrieves at ronaldshrieves@comcast.net.
Nov. 16 Day Hike, Honey Creek, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Moderate to difficult 5.6 mile loop trail with outstanding scenery. Preregister with BJ and Bob Perlack: perlack@aol.com; 229-5027.
FIELD SCHOOL
Smoky Mountain Field School wraps up the 2013 season with one course this month. To register go to www.smfs.utk.edu or call 865-974-0150.
Winter Hiking Camping Made Easier: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, $49. Learn about safe winter travel and camping, essential cold-weather gear, where to find it, how to pack it and places to hike with overnighters at the higher elevations.
GARDEN WORKSHOPS
Knoxville Botanical Garden Arboretum will hold two garden workshops in November.
“Planting, Propagating And Caring For Your Bulbs’ will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 7. Director of Horticulture Brian Campbell will discuss the differences between bulbs, corms and rhizomes, propagation methods, fertilizers, how to plant and much more. There will be a planting demonstration following the lecture. Cost: members $7 / non-members $12; pre-registration required. Call 865-862-8717 or email info@knoxgarden.org.
“The Artful Science Of Espalier And Pollarding” will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 9. Join grounds manager and aesthetic pruner Mathew McMillan to learn how to create practically and fantastically pruned trees and shrubs for your garden. Learn the history of how and why these radical pruning practices were started and the usefulness these practices serve today. The one-hour classroom lecture will be followed by an optional tour of the Gardens. Preregistration is required: 865-862-8717 or email info@knoxgarden.org. Meet at the Garden Club Room. Cost: $5 members, $10 non-members.
MASTER GARDENER CLASSES
The Knox County area Master Gardener program is enrolling for its 2014 training. The program is open to all gardening enthusiasts, beginner or professional.
Residents of Knox and surrounding counties are invited to participate from 9 a.m.-noon on Thursdays, Jan. 9 through April 10. Topics include Basic Botany, Disease Management, Soils, Rain Gardening, Organic Gardening and more. Participants will return 40 hours of service to the community following the training. Training will be held at the new Eastern Region Extension office in West Hills.
Cost is $125 before the early registration deadline of Nov. 1 or $150 before the Dec. 1 registration deadline. Fee includes all training materials and is due after your application has been approved. The course will be limited to the first 35 people who register and pay.
To apply or for information, contact Emily Gonzalez, 865-215-2340.
ERIN’S MEADOW PROGRAMS
Erin’s Meadow Herb Farm is hosting events and herbal education classes.
On Saturday Nov. 9, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., an “Herbal Open House” invites the public to visit the farm and enjoy herbal refreshments, door prizes, and hands-on herbal activities. Each activity gives participants the opportunity to craft an all natural herbal project to take home. The fee for each herbal activity is $10. Visitors may tour the greenhouses, herb shop and gardens. Reservations are helpful but not necessary.
Herb enthusiast may choose from 3 activities, “Make a Lavender Comfort Pillow”, “Make a Peppermint Sugar Scrub” and “Make a Citrus and Herb Liquid Soap.” Box lunches are available by reservation for $8. Reserve by Nov. 2.
On Nov. 16, 3-6 p.m., join Chef Ben Willis-Becker for “An Autumn Heritage Pig Roast”. This locally sourced farm-to-table dining experience will be an occasion to “Celebrate, Feast, and Give Thanks” for our local farms and abundance. The menu features roasted pig; apple cider-braised garden greens; herb roasted root vegetables; whipped sweet potatoes with candied pecans; buttermilk cornbread; warm apple crisp topped with vanilla ice cream; hot mulled cider and minty hot chocolate. This is a BYOB event. Diners are invited to dress in colonial and Native American attire.
A bonfire, live music and colonial herbal craft making (optional) will be offered during the event. Craft making projects are suitable for all ages and will cost $10 each. These include: “Make a Colonial Herb Wreath”, “Make a Simmering Stove Top Potpourri” and “Make a Cinnamon Clove Pomander”.
The cost for dinner is $49, children 6-12 $15, and children under 6 are free. The event will be held outdoors rain (under cover) or shine. Registration and payment required for meal and activities by Nov. 9 (nonrefundable.) Call Erin’s Meadow, 865-435-1452, to register. Bring canned food items to donate to local food pantries.
Chef Ben is offering an opportunity to “Shadow the Chef” and learn step by step how to roast a heritage pig, including how to choose a hog, set up for roasting, dry brining techniques, take down and handling, and preparing the meat. This culinary class will be held Nov. 12 4:30-6 p.m. at the herb farm. The class fee is $45. Pre-registration and payment requested. Space is limited. Registered diners will receive a $10 discount on the class.
TRAIL HELP
The Smoky Mountains Hiking Club is looking for volunteers to help maintain the Appalachian Trail through Great Smoky Mountins National Park.
The club oversees 72 miles of the A.T. through the Smokies and 30 miles south of the park in the Nantahala National Forest for a total of 102 miles. The club is looking for experienced hikers who don’t mind trimming brush, clearing water bars — imbedded logs dug into the trail that divert water off the trail — and removing small blowdowns. Club members will be on hand to demonstrate.
Those interested can email recruiting@smhclub or call 865-483-9758.
© 2013, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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