The buzz was on music and painting, sculpture and being in nature. Pathways installed this spring were positively bursting at the seams with pedestrians traveling from one end of the Green to the other, and then further into the community. Thanks to the Cashiers Village Council’s Pathways project with a grant from the Gralnick Foundation, who needs parking when linkages like these exist? The pathways span a habitat diversity of roads and wetlands to connect the Post Office, Tommy’s and Zoller’s. Come walk them and be healthy.

The open Quick Draw event on Saturday encouraged me to set up an easel in the new meadow in the heart of the green. Here, three stone monoliths temporarily reside. Thinking that a brim hat and sunglasses would offer an invisibility shield, I sat and drew the scene. Nearby, a famous Plein Air artist did a stunning pastel of dead trees. We listened to song sparrows warbling and worked on our paintings until the three hour deadline. Cashiers residents rambled by and watched us draw ( a humbling experience!) . They said nice things about the weather and how wonderful the park is to share on an outing with family and friends. It was very touching.

Music from drumming and jazz filled the air, Coach laid out a memorable high country boil and children had faces painted in the new Harmony Tower. Families went on scavanger hunts on the Green. Most importantly, the Plein Air art commemorating Cashiers was selling like hot cakes. Has there ever been a public event with such spirit and interconnectivity?

As inaugural event chair of the 2010 Arts on the Green Festival, I want to thank the community and the marvelous, hardworking and creative Village Green Board Arts Committee for supporting this embryonic festival.  Trish Warriner and Karen Weihs co-chaired the Plein Air event and Wesley Wofford chaired the temporary sculpture installation. Jochen Lucke, VG President helped in innumerable ways. They deserve a hearty round of applause.

The Village Green is YOUR Green and supported only by your donations. We receive no federal, county or state support. The Village Green is here for you as a place to enjoy nature, concerts, lectures, birthday parties and festivals.  www.villagegreencashiersnc.com 828-743-3434. Please become a Greenie, a member of the Village Green.

Other  finds were a Uvularia sessilifolia ‘Albostriata’ (a gentle infiltrator) from Far Resches Farm Nursery,  Aconitum ‘Bressingham Spire’ (a july-aug bloomer 3′ tall compact), annual Salvia patiens (gentian sage) with hugh blue flowers, Symphytum x uplandicum ‘Axminster Gold’ (variegated comfrey best for semi-shade to preserve foliage color), Penstemon ‘lost tagicum’ (my newest mystery plant!).

This launched her career as a landscape architect when she attended Louisiana State University and began her thesis 2 years later on “The Early English Kitchen Garden: 800-1800 AD”, pub 1981. Still in print, the little blue book sold out as did Timeless Landscape Design. (see image of early distillery in medieval kitchen garden)

The introducer, HSA president  held up the two volumes to the crowd and said ..” These two books describe Mary Palmer Dargan’s evolution as a writer, botanist and landscape architect for over three decades”. While at the meeting, MP purchased a first edition of Bernard M’ Mahon’s The American Gardener’s Calender, 1806, Philadelphia, the first book on gardening published in America and an influential text in her research. Bookseller, Kevin T. Ransom of Amherst, NY had a fantastic display and Mp found a copy of the Picayune Creole Cookbook, New Orleans 6th ed, 1901-1922 with original painted cover.

The conference held