About This Event
Saturday, August 8, 2026, 2:00 - 4:00pm
Meet at ABG Visitor Center (indoor class)
Thinking about replacing lawn with a native meadow? This first class in a two-part series focuses on the foundations of successful meadow creation. Emily Sampson of Patchwork Meadows will guide participants through the key steps in transforming an existing lawn or field into a thriving native meadow.
We’ll explore the ecological benefits of meadows, from supporting pollinators to improving soil health, along with practical considerations like site selection, preparation, and species choice. Emily will also discuss how to translate the beauty and function of natural meadows into residential-scale landscapes, with an emphasis on intentional design.
Whether you’re starting small or thinking big, this class will give you the knowledge and confidence to begin. Participants are encouraged (but not required) to also attend Part II on Aug 29th with Nathan Buchanan of Wildbud Natives, which will focus on managing and maintaining your meadow over time.
Instructor: Emily Sampson began a lifelong commitment to creating pollinator habitat using native plants as a UNC-Asheville student, graduating in 2007 with a BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. She has been a grower of native plants, most notably as the head grower at Painters Greenhouse, Old Fort, NC from 2009 to 2017. In 2015, as a volunteer, she created the first Monarch Waystation in Black Mountain, a 2 acre meadow on a public disc golf course. She was then hired by the Town of Black Mountain to maintain the meadow area and to create additional Monarch Waystations in public spaces for the town. In 2019 she opened Patchwork Meadows and began creating and maintaining pollinator meadows in both public and residential spaces in the greater Asheville area.
CLASS SIZE : 25
COST: $25 for non-members, ABG MEMBERS take 25% OFF at checkout
**ABG Members: to apply your member discount, enter the discount code: CLASSES25 at the checkout page. **
About This Event
Saturday, August 8, 2026, 2:00 - 4:00pm
Meet at ABG Visitor Center (indoor class)
Thinking about replacing lawn with a native meadow? This first class in a two-part series focuses on the foundations of successful meadow creation. Emily Sampson of Patchwork Meadows will guide participants through the key steps in transforming an existing lawn or field into a thriving native meadow.
We’ll explore the ecological benefits of meadows, from supporting pollinators to improving soil health, along with practical considerations like site selection, preparation, and species choice. Emily will also discuss how to translate the beauty and function of natural meadows into residential-scale landscapes, with an emphasis on intentional design.
Whether you’re starting small or thinking big, this class will give you the knowledge and confidence to begin. Participants are encouraged (but not required) to also attend Part II on Aug 29th with Nathan Buchanan of Wildbud Natives, which will focus on managing and maintaining your meadow over time.
Instructor: Emily Sampson began a lifelong commitment to creating pollinator habitat using native plants as a UNC-Asheville student, graduating in 2007 with a BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. She has been a grower of native plants, most notably as the head grower at Painters Greenhouse, Old Fort, NC from 2009 to 2017. In 2015, as a volunteer, she created the first Monarch Waystation in Black Mountain, a 2 acre meadow on a public disc golf course. She was then hired by the Town of Black Mountain to maintain the meadow area and to create additional Monarch Waystations in public spaces for the town. In 2019 she opened Patchwork Meadows and began creating and maintaining pollinator meadows in both public and residential spaces in the greater Asheville area.
CLASS SIZE : 25
COST: $25 for non-members, ABG MEMBERS take 25% OFF at checkout
**ABG Members: to apply your member discount, enter the discount code: CLASSES25 at the checkout page. **