Our friends at Asheville Greenworks invited us to speak and learn at the Community Tree Conference held a few days earlier and the festivities were the perfect way to finish a great weekend of Asheville trees.
Asheville, also known as the “Land of the Sky,” is close-knit community nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains and home to the famous Biltmore Estate. I quickly noticed a focus on the local economy as those I met recommended local farms, businesses, eateries, and brews! Over the course of my visit, I also witnessed a fierce sense of pride in the community for the special trees in the town. The Treasured Tree Program and the Asheville Tree Map are great examples of the tools residents use to recognize their favourite trees in the community.
The Chair of Asheville’s Tree Commission graciously took us to see one of these Treasured Trees in Downtown Asheville’s Pritchard Park. It was also a great local example of a mature tree that demonstrated some of the conservation arboriculture strategies Philip Van Wassenaer discussed at Friday’s conference. It was easy to see why this gorgeous tree was so well-loved - is not only a landmark in the centre of the district but a primary source of shade for silent films and drum circles on warm summer nights. I continued to be wowed by enormous sycamores and oaks along the streets and natural spaces we visited.
Asheville’s population and unique locale makes it difficult to compare to our urban forest back home here in Toronto but common challenges exist. Urban forests across North America are still catching up to important tree care practices that avoid topping and mulch “volcanoes”. From their training, graduates of both the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s (PHS) and LEAF’s Tree Tenders programs become very familiar with proper mulching techniques and play a crucial role in encouraging others in their community to employ best practices. Those attending the conference were determined to do the same.
I loved the rule of 3’s Mindy Maslin of the PHS had created to explain the basics of creating the mulch “donut” for newly planted trees: "3 inches away from the trunk, at least 3 feet wide, and 3 inches deep."
Getting back into the mulching game got me excited for the stewardship season back home. With an earlier start to the growing season you can imagine the red maples and daffodils I saw in bloom – even butterflies! Spring was speeding ahead in Asheville with 23 degree Celsius weather. It was a tough adjustment coming back to Toronto’s March weather but the spring tease was a great taste for the fun that is to come!