Montford gardens flourish in the storm’s wake
During Hurricane Helene last September, 100-mile-per-hour winds tore through Montford, toppling century-old oaks, pines, and poplars. Overnight, the landscape was rewritten. But there’s still beauty to witness in this Asheville neighborhood, and that beauty will be on full display during the 2025 Historic Montford Garden Tour. Happening on Saturday, June 7, this year’s tour invites guests to explore eight gardens, each unique in their own right. Among them is Agnes’s Playground. Once a shaded retreat, the garden is now a sun-dappled haven after seven giant trees were uprooted during the storm. Despite the loss of its canopy, the garden’s charm remains intact, with a prized Edgeworthia in the front yard and new plantings selected by the owners. There’s also Pan’s Paradise. In 2021, owner Katharine Weiser began reimagining the landscaping around her 1905 home into a cottage garden. It now contains 85 percent native plants and has received a pollinator designation. “We look for a diverse range of gardens that will be of interest to a wide diversity of people,” says Lynn Raker, a landscape architect and an organizer for the 2025 garden tour. “Some gardens are more flower-oriented, some are mostly trees, and some are more focused on capturing the heritage of local ecology.”
The 2025 Historic Montford Garden Tour is scheduled for Saturday, June 7, 10am-4pm. Tickets are $30 each. See montfordgardentour.org.