Member: Megan Riley
| Company | M. R. Gardens |
|---|---|
| Personal Bio | Megan was initially trained as a writer and journalist but gravitated toward sustainable agriculture in 2001 while receiving her M.S. in Environmental Education. She mentored under several talented farmers and gardeners before starting her own farm in 2009 and then a nursery in 2011 called M. R. Gardens. One of her main motivations has been producing plants as sustainably as possible, which propelled her to design a passive solar greenhouse. It is heated purely by solar gain and stays warm enough in the winter (and cool enough in the summer) for year-round propagation. The nursery also uses sustainable potting mixes, reuses plastic pots, and encourages education as part of its sustainable mission. Megan now mentors other ecologically minded gardeners through M. R. Gardens, while also running and operating the business. |
| Business Description | M. R. Gardens is a diverse ecologically minded business on a two-acre farm in Asheville N.C. The centerpiece is a passive solar greenhouse that produces high quality native perennials and complementary plants. We have an online store, and customers pick up their plant orders at the nursery. The surrounding farm is ecologically designed with native perennial gardens, swales, food forests, "microbe rich" vegetable beds, and slopes that have been stabilized with deep-rooted vegetation and other techniques. We offer tours, programs for professional gardeners, and other educational opportunities, and have a tiny house for short-term renters. It is quite popular on Airbnb! |
| Website | mrgardens.net |
| megan@mrgardens.net | |
| Address |
Onteora Blvd. Asheville NC 28803 United States |
| Phone Numbers |
Work: 8283334151 |
| Instagram: | https://www.instagram.com/wncmretc/ |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/mretcetera.gardens/ |
| Primary Business | Designer, Educator, Grower/Propagator/Nursery, Supplier/Vendor |
| Specialties | Edibles, Meadows, Native Plants, Permaculture, Pollinators |
| Other Specialties | Sustainable greenhouse management; Ecological landscape maintenance |
| Certifications | |
| Other Certifications | M.S. in Environmental Education with a focus on Sustainable Agriculture; Horticulture Certificate with an emphasis on Landscape Design; Self-educated using tips learned at conferences and maintaining own farm with ecological methods since 2009. |
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