Spring Plant Sale Round Up
With spring really kickin’ it, the plant sales are popping up like wildflowers. Here are a few coming up:
Asheville: Asheville Herb Festival: April 30-May 2. What you’ll find: More than 55 herb businesses from Western NC and even a few from Tennessee.
Charlotte: UNCC Botanical Garden Spring Plant Sale: April 16-17 , 8 AM – 3 PM. What you’ll find: A wide selection of native plants and exotic botanicals –wildflowers, trees and shrubs, perennials, carnivorous plants, orchids, tropicals, and indoor plants. This is their largest sale of the year and directly supports greenhouse and garden operations.
CPCC Horticulture Program Spring Plant Sale: April 16-17, 9 AM to 2 PM What you’ll find: Summer vegetables, herbs, annuals, perennials, native plants, and select shrubs.
Wing Haven Spring Plant Sale: April 21-25, 10 AM to 4 PM. What you’ll find: unusual shrubs, antique roses, herbs, perennials, native plants, groundcovers, bulbs, and more.
Concord: Fifth Annual Spring Herb and Plant Festival: Saturday April 17th 2010 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. What you’ll find: Over 75 vendors offering: common & unusual Herbs, perennials, annuals, tropicals, vegetables, baked and homemade canned goods, pottery, iron and copperworks, garden art, birdhouses and feeders, antiques, and much, much more….
Hendersonville: Garden Jubilee Festival: May 29-30, 10 AM to 6 PM. What you’ll find: Over 125 vendors selling handmade arts and crafts, plants and items to enhance your outdoor living area, plus nurseries selling many varieties of annuals, perennials, vegetables, trees, shrubs, and hard to find plants.
Raleigh: Pi Alpha Xi Plant Sale at the JC Raulston Arboretum: April 17 and 18. What you’ll find: Several different vendors will be on-site with rare finds and drought-tolerant woodies, perennials, and annuals. The proceeds from these sales are donated to local non-profit organizations to promote horticulture.
Also the Spring Plant Sale Held on the Grounds of the NC State Fairgrounds: April 17-19. What you’ll find: More azaleas than you can shake a stick at, native perennials and ground covers, as well a less common new plants, and forgotten favorites.
Now, off to find that mysterious money tree before next weekend.
If you know of any more, please leave info in the comments section and I’ll add it to the list.
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Garrett Scales
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Raleigh based artist Garrett Scales. Garrett utilizes intricate hand cut stencils and spray paint to create stunning visual works that are brimming with vibrant colors and rich detail. I became an instant fan the first time I saw one of his pieces, and I hope that by the end of this interview you will be too!
How did you first become interested in stenciling?
I helped a couple of friends move across country to California. While I was there soaking up some culture we picked up a street art zine. I can’t remember the name of it, but I remember the article featured a stencil artist by the name of Chris Francis. His work blew me away. I hadn’t done much up to that point art wise, I’d do some drawing from time to time but definitely no painting and especially no spray painting. In his interview he gave a basic run down of how he got started and his reasons for continuing. The part that stuck out the most for me was what he used to create his work. He gathered everything he needed from hardware stores rather than art supply stores. Everything to get started clocked in under 10 bucks. When I returned home I jumped in head first and have been hooked ever since.
Where do you find the inspiration for your work?
These days it comes from a variety of places. I’m trying to get deeper into anything I can get my hands on. Nature has and will always be a major force behind what I do. I’m also finding music is playing an interesting role. Whether it’s through the lyrics or the overall feel of the song. I am also finding inspiration from works by artists in different fields.
Your designs are so detailed and complex. For people who are not familiar with stenciling, can you describe what your creative process is like?
In the beginning it was a bit simpler than it is today. It usually started with a picture I found online and from there I would throw it through some photoshop filters and set it up to cut. These days it’s a little more hands on. I start with an image, print it out and then begin to illustrate over the model. After that I’ll rescan it, enlarge it or reduce it, clean it up where I need to, then print and cut. Once it’s cut then I get to have fun.
On average, how long does it take you to finish a piece?
Time is always dependent on the size of the overall piece. Usually a 24″ x 48″ piece can take anywhere from 16 to 20 hours to complete. Smaller pieces can take anywhere from 4 to 12 hours. Also more layers usually means more time. The most consuming part is the cutting and the planning. Fortunately the painting goes by much faster. The plus side, though, is that when you finish you have something that can be repeated in different environments and give you a variety of feedback.
What projects do you have coming up?
Right now I’m starting an installation at Artspace. The first piece will be up for the April First Friday, and the second piece will be installed for the First Friday for May, fingers crossed. This one is a first for me. The two pieces will be tied together thematically. I wanted to draw a lot form Art Nouveau and am hoping it shows. They’re going to represent times of day. The first one will represent midnight, and the second is going to represent midday. So far it’s been an interesting process mainly because of the size. The wall is the largest I’ve painted on and the pieces themselves are quite big, roughly measuring 48″ x 90″. After this I’m going to focus on a show I have with Georges LeChevallier and Brian Gonzales at the Miriam Preston Block Art Gallery. And hopefully in between and after that I will find time to sit back and reflect on what and where I’m going with my work.
Where can people find your work?
I have a small online shop set up, and plan to add more to it very soon after my schedule clams down a little bit. You can find it at http://www.ilovecottonwood.bigcartel.com
Diggin in with your neighbors
Advocates for Health in Action, a Wake County group advocating healthy food options for everyone, will host Dig In! on April 17 at Marbles Kids Museum. Dig In! will cover all sorts of topics relevant to growing communities with gardens, including the basics of organic gardening with techniques like composting and growing healthy, accessible foods for all incomes. 
Here are a few of the details from the AHA website:
Participants will enjoy workshops, presentations from community garden experts, educational booth and a guide to working community gardens throughout Wake County. Space is limited for workshops, so reserve your spot today.
Through the Lens: Edie Shimel
From Carrboro photographer Edie Shimel
Green Tee
Audobon International has taken up golf: well, greening the greens, that is. Golf courses are generally the antithesis of the environmental movement; they require lots of land which requires lots of {usually drinking-quality} water, and keep up their lush, green appearance with the aid of ugly chemicals and pesticides. Their goal in their words:
Assist golf courses and golf course developments in providing wildlife habitat, protecting water quality, and improving overall environmental performance.
Wondering which courses near you are more sustainable than the rest? Tiered levels of the Audobon’s Signature Sanctuary program denote the course’s initiative above and beyond the general requirements.
Which courses are certified? Here are a few that meet the highest standards:
Black Forest on Lake James, Marion
Hasentree, Wake Forest
Hidden Lake-Phase 1, Raleigh
Palisades Golf Club, Charlotte
The Sanctuary, Charlotte
Pinehurst #8 Centennial, Pinehurst
If smacking balls around multi-million dollar homes makes you nervous, there are other options. Here’s the full list.
Handmade Chocolate From Mountains to Sea
Whenever we head out west to Asheville, one of my favorite stops, in addition to the Early Girl Eatery and Malaprops Bookstore, is The Chocolate Fetish. Everything there is handmade, and everything is GOOD. Beyond good.
With Valentine’s Day around the corner (and we all know the real reason for V-Day is to eat chocolate), I thought I’d share a few local spots. Mad props to my sister, Laura, who tackled some grueling research for this post.
(images via The Chocolate Fetish Web site)
Barking Dog Chocolatiers in Charlotte is run by a husband and wife team who donate all proceeds to local charity. Eat for a good cause? Say no more.
The Chocolate Fetish in downtown Asheville is famous for hand-created truffles with flavors like “Velvet Sin” and “High Tea.”
Escazu Artisan Chocolates, located in downtown Raleigh, offers exotic chocolate bars, truffles and other confections made in very small batches and with interesting ingredients like chipotle chili, pumpkin seeds and dried organic fruit.
“Just Because” Chocolates in Wilmington specializes in hand-dipped fruit, homemade turtles and brandy-soaked tree-ripe bing cherries coated in dark chocolate.
Happy eating!
- Suzanne, pretty*swell
NOFO at the Pig Will Cure What Ails You
All of this ridiculously cold (and WINDY) weather has me in a funk. So for a little cheer, I visited one of my favorite spots in Raleigh, NOFO at the Pig.
And then I figured, hey, I’ll stick around for lunch so I can post about the entire NOFO experience for indieNC. All in the name of blogging, right?
NOFO lives in an old Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Raleigh’s historic Five Points neighborhood. I really like how they’ve maintained so much of the old store’s character, in both the upstairs gift shop and downstairs cafe.
Interesting design elements abound, like repurposed produce coolers, old signage and canned goods inside the bar’s facade.
The displays are creatively assembled and always beckon me to buy. everything. in. the. store. They carry quite a few local goods, like Muddy Dog roasted grits (Morrisville), GroWild organic wheat-free vegan granola (Raleigh) and Old Guilford’s steel-cut oatmeal (Oak Ridge).
And how can you stay in a bad mood with happy pigs everywhere?
The cafe serves lunch Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and offers brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. Dinner hours are: Tuesday - Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday - Saturday from 5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.
I’m a sucker for the Thai Chicken Wrap with NOFO’s famous sweet potato fries. And sweet tea, of course. I left there feeling full and happy.
Mission accomplished!
- Suzanne, pretty*swell
The Fight to (re)Light Raleigh’s Color Wall
You’d never know it, but nestled among the stacks inside NC State University’s D.H. Hill Library is one of Raleigh’s most original and beautiful works of public art. The Color Wall, a creation of the late Joe Cox, a local artist and former NC State College of Design professor, once broadcast a striking, ever-changing palette of color and light onto Hillsborough Street.
image courtesy Karl Larson + The Color Wall blog
The display, sadly, fell dark in the 1990s because of the malfunctioning switches and gears that first gave it life in the early 1970s. A short-lived restoration effort sparked the Color Wall back to brilliance in 2005, but a mere two years later, the entire system shut down.
That’s about to change.
Led by NC State grad Karl Larson, a graphic designer and contributor to Goodnight, Raleigh!, a grassroots movement to restore the Color Wall is gaining steam. They’re raising funds on pace, they hope, to re-light the Color Wall within the coming year. For good.
They plan to replace the antiquated mechanical device with a modern, computerized system that will eliminate the need for repeated repairs.
Check out The Color Wall blog for more information and for ways to help the cause. Also, keep your eyes peeled for a public event this spring featuring paintings by Joe Cox.
– Suzanne, pretty*swell
Winter Farmers Market = Happy Belly
A trip to the State Farmers Market always puts me in the mood to cook. Especially during the summer, when you can’t walk two feet without coming face-to-face with a mountain of ripe tomatoes, corn-on-the cob or peaches. Or in late spring, when every other booth is handing out strawberry samples. And don’t even get me started on the fall apple harvest. So many choices! I’ve been making fresh applesauce for months, using a bunch of different varieties.
But winter? What’s available right now? PLENTY. And the sight of all that farm-fresh produce – hearty kale, exotic sweet potatoes, crisp green onions, acorn squash – inspires me to whip up a stick-to-your-ribs, soul-warming meal.
If you want to find out what’s in season in your part of the state, check out this handy chart from the state Department of Agriculture. Also, this site will point you to farms, farmers markets and nurseries in your county. And visit this one to learn about restaurants, shops and co-ops that offer local foods in your area.
Right now, the indoor vendors at the State Farmers Market offers pasture-raised meats, free-range eggs, nuts, honey and every other imaginable canned food, jelly or relish. Also interesting: muscadine slushies and goats’ milk custard.
You can even pick up a stack of firewood (armload of kindling is free). I also spotted greenhouse tomatoes and tunnel-grown strawberries.
And just for good measure, a photo of my little shopping companion. Couldn’t resist.
Happy eating!
- Suzanne, pretty*swell
On Cloud Nine in Downtown Raleigh
Hi! I’m Suzanne with pretty*swell, and I’m really excited to be contributing to indieNC this week.
One of my favorite local artists is Keith Norval. His work always makes me chuckle. He and fellow artist Anna Podris just opened an exhibit, “Cloud Nine,” at The Morning Times in downtown Raleigh. Glad for the excuse to chow down on the Times’ awesome breakfast empanadas, I checked out the exhibit over the weekend.
This Norval piece, “Hog Town,” greeted me at the stairs on my way up to the gallery:
My favorite Podris piece, “Unopened Packages,” hung at the top of the stairs. The description of the medium was “encaustic on wood,” which I’d never heard of. It looked like the painting was encased in wax, which gave it really interesting dimension and sort of a dreamy tone. Sure enough, a quick Web search confirmed my wax theory.
Here’s my favorite Norval piece from the exhibit, “My Dog is Crazy.”
The exposed brick wall and lots of natural light created a beautiful setting for the exhibit. Norval’s and Podris’ art flowed together nicely.
“Cloud Nine,” featuring the work of Keith Norval and Anna Podris, is on display at The Morning Times in downtown Raleigh through Feb. 26. Admission is free. Sausage-and-egg empanada highly recommended.
