Debris Pile Before at TRWADebris Pile After at the TRWA

It has been a long time, but the pile of debris located at the corner of the Townsend River Walk and Arboretum has been removed.  Would like to thank the Townsend Employees that did the cleanup this morning.  It is greatly appreciated.

A hummingbird feeder has been added to the Pollinator & Memorial Garden.

Why a feeder? Here are some Fast Hummingbird Facts:

• Hummingbirds must consume at least 1/2 of their weight a day in sugar.
• They feed about every 10 - 15 minutes.
• The sucrose they take in is digested in about 20 minutes with 97% efficiency.
• Hummingbirds have great memory knowing which flowers they have been to and how long it takes for each flower to refill.
• At rest a hummingbirds heart beets between 250 - 400 BPM and in flight around 1200 BPM!
• Hummingbirds are mostly attracted to red due to the fact that bees (which can be lethal to a hummingbird) cannot see red (it looks black to them).   Bees are attracted to brighter colors like yellow and white.

A BIG SHOUT OUT TO Rodney & Allison Pearson for doing some badly need maintenance.  Thye trimmed the weeds back around the gardens, some of the Arboretum signs and trees and along the paths.  During their cleanup the discovered the Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) (see picture below) along the top path.  Thank you for your dedication.

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

Thanks Rodney and Allison for cleaning up around the Pollinator & Memorial Garden

Enjoy the blooms of the rare Franklinia Tree, it can be found in the Townsend River Walk & Arboretum Roadside Specimen Garden.  A native to the Altamaha River valley in Georgia, it is a rare find.

This Father's Day weekend is a great time to visit the Townsend River Walk & Arboretum.  Plenty of plants are blooming or just coming into bloom, the Pollinator Garden is nearing completion and you can watch the Bluebirds caring for their young at the bluebird house.  It is going to be hot and the TRWA is the coolest, tree lined, outdoor spot in Townsend, TN along The Little River.  Take dad for a walk and don't forget your smart device to scan the QR codes on our signs to provide you with information about the plants, trees and gardens along the TRWA.  Enjoy and all you dads, have a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Our Designated Redbud Tree is Loaded with Pea Pods. It is a Member of the Pea Family and the Pods are Edible!

Wow! What a hot and humid week.  Even by the Little River and under the trees, at the TRWA, it is hard to escape the humidity.  Since many are staying indoors during this hot spell, I thought it would be worth giving a view of what is currently going on at the Townsend River Walk & Arboretum.  Enjoy!

Runners in the Townsend 10K Sponsored by Knoxville Track Club.

The Knoxville Track Club ran their 10K in Townsend on Saturday, July 18, 2020.   Part of the course took them thru the River Walk & Arboretum.  The runners loved the minutes that they ran thru the shaded TRWA.  So glad to have them use the TRWA for such an event.

Just like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon, our pollinator garden is emerging from its transformation. Place your pointer over the picture to see a before image. Scroll to the bottom of the page for a slide show of the garden.

Just like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon, our pollinator garden is emerging from its transformation. The main garden is mostly done with some tweaking and additions to be done but the first phase of the Pollinator and Memorial Garden at the TRWA is coming to a completion.  A complete guide to the garden will be available soon.  The highlights are as follows:

1. Fencing placed around the garden with public entry way.
2. Center Garden Viewing path created with crushed stone and topped with Pea Gravel.
3. Monarch Butterfly Garden planted to the left as you enter.
4. Hummingbird Garden planted to right as you enter.
5. Trellis for Passionflower vines at center back.
6. Butterfly puddler at center at edge of path.
7. Butterfly at right corner from UT Art in the Gardens Butterfly Auction in 2019, by Mountain Ridge Way Products and donated to the TRWA Pollinator Garden.  The butterfly titled "Wings of Awareness" was painted in acrylics by Emily McSpadden, spreading the wings of Autism awareness.  Part of the auction proceeds was donated to the Autism Foundation.
8. Additional flowers from the old garden and some new ones were added to the back half of the garden.
9. The garden was mulched and landscaping fabric was added to areas to help prevent weed growth especially under the Past Members Memorials.
10. Material Funding provided by: Tuckaleechee Garden Club, Blount County Master Gardeners and the Tennessee State Garden Club.

Stop by and view this transformation.  More to come!!

Working on the Pollinator & Memorial Garden at the Townsend River Walk & Arboretum while Proper Social Distancing.
From Left to Right: Charlotte Miller(TGC,BCTMG), Theresa Schehr (TGC), Martha Frink (TGC), Ella Ellingson (BCTMG), Mark Seder (TGC, BCTMG).
(TGC - Tuckaleechee Gawrden Club, BCTMG - Blount County TN Master Gardener)

Members of The Tuckaleechee Garden Club and Blount County TN Master Gardeners showed our support and celebrated, the National Garden Clubs, National Garden Week at the Townsend River Walk & Arboretum on Friday, June12, 2020.  Maintenance was done on the Roadside Specimen Garden and the Pollinator & Memorial Garden.  It was a beautiful morning and some outstanding work was performed.  It was also fun to catch up with everyone since most haven't seen each other since March.

Thanks to all who participated it was greatly appreciated!

The Path to the Center of the Pollinator & Memorial Garden is almost complete.

The Pollinator and Memorial Garden transformation is progressing, although a bit slower than I would like but should be ready for the plants to arrive and be planted the second week of June. 

The garden was more than doubled and a fence put around it.  The path will end with a viewing area of the garden.   Two specific gardens will be planted within the main garden.  One for Monarch Butterflies and the other for Hummingbirds.  The remainder of the garden will feature plants to attract other butterflies, bees and birds.

The path is being dug to a depth of 4 - 5 inches with a layer of landscaping fabric placed down and then filled with 4 inches of crushed stone.  A 1 inch layer of small brown rocks will be placed on top to finalize the path.

It has been a real joy working on the this during this time with a chance to talk to the many folks that have taken advantage of the TWRA and the years of work the Tuckaleechee Garden Club has done to make the Townsend River Walk & Arboretum a reality.  Everyone using the TRWA has been very grateful for this treasure in the heart of Townsend.