Bullington Gardens

Hendersonville NC Arboretum, Gardens & Horticultural Education Center

Mon. – Sat. 8 am – 4:30 pm

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BOOST

by Bullington Gardens

 

BOOST (Bullington Onsite Occupational Student Training) is a program for sophomores in the Occupational Course of Study in four county high schools focuses on imparting basic job skills as students work on the trails, gardens and grounds. The culminating activity is a garden competition where students design, budget, grow plants and plant based on their chosen theme. The Best Garden is awarded at the school year’s final celebrations as well as Most Valuable Workers from each school.

Bullington Gardens News & Featured Events

John’s Take-Fall 2018

12/03/2018-12/31/2018
(12:00 AM-12:00 AM)

John’s Take-Fall 2018

It seems it was a long time coming for the completion of laying pavers in the Therapy Garden. Now that it’s done it feels like a turning point. Not only is it much easier for our students in wheelchairs to get around the garden, the garden feels bigger and has a more polished look. And that leads us to think about other improvements we can make to the garden to make it a year-round attraction.

Things like more plantings along the back fence and possibly an ornamental installation.

Erica Piela is taking this on, she is our newly hired person to lead the Horticultural Therapy (HT) program for 3 schools. Mary Martin who was so instrumental in getting the program started and guided it for so many years decided that about 40 years of working with high school students was plenty. She will still lend her considerable talents and creativity in many other areas. But Erica has stepped in after doing her HT internship at Bullington. After stints at BB Barns, Biltmore Estate and Chimney Rock Park, Erica brings lots or great experience to flesh out her new ideas.

We were also so fortunate to have another HT intern Sienna Kuykendall from New Orleans to work with us for just a month. But what a month it was. She helped expand our HT program in new areas. Having Sienna and Erica here with new ideas and energy revealed what more we can do with our HT program. The challenge for us is to find the resources to sustain it. We’d love to have Erica work with us for more than 1 day a week. And we know there are school and community groups who would benefit from participating in our HT program. So it’s an exciting time as we welcome our renovated Therapy Garden and Erica and the possibilities for both in the near future.

 

Read the entire Fall Newsletter here:https://mailchi.mp/6c57f6ded287/august-2018-newsletter-350193

Location: Bullington Gardens

(828) 698-6104

More Info 

John’s Take-Summer Newsletter 2018

08/01/2018-08/31/2018
Bullington Gardens Event(12:00 AM-12:00 AM)

John’s Take-Summer Newsletter 2018

As the school year progresses each year, it’s always obvious there are some students who really respond to our programs. Some students thrive on the opportunity to learn outside the four walls of a classroom, and relish the chance to use their hands. For others it might be expressing their creativity in the garden.

There were a number of enthusiastic students who really excelled at Bullington in last year’s group who fit one of these categories. But there was one group in particular that really stood out. For the West High BOOST group, Thursday mornings at Bullington couldn’t come around fast enough. Each time they came, they had new ideas or a new design for some element in their garden for the annual competition. And they were eager get working to create it.

One student, Autumn, emerged as the leader and skillfully directed the others. She commented in a recent Mountain Xpress article how her confidence really grew through the process. She became more comfortable speaking her opinions and leading the others. Autumn enjoyed the creative process of coming up with an idea and implementing it over time. And ultimately she and the rest of her team were very proud of the results. Their Pioneer History garden had some very thoughtful and clever elements and overall was very attractive.

Self-confidence is the underlying goal in our programs that makes all the other goals achievable. For Autumn her growing confidence was rewarded by her winning one of our Most Valuable Worker awards and her school winning the garden competition. This is the kind of success story that we love to hear and one that we hope will repeat with each new group of students that comes to Bullington.

 

Read the entire newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/da3515817d6d/august-2018-newsletter

 

 

Location: Bullington Gardens

(828) 698-6104

More Info 

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Our Mission

To connect children and adults with the natural world through science-based horticultural education; to demonstrate the beauty and value of native and ornamental plants through themed public gardens; and to enhance life skills for children and adults with physical or mental challenges through horticultural therapy.

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Bullington Gardens

95 Upper Red Oak Trail
Hendersonville NC 28792
(828) 698-6104

Bullington Gardens is a partner of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension & Henderson County Public Schools and is an equal opportunity provider.