Thanks to a crew of volunteers, we just finished off the second hoop house with greenhouse film. Why is this important? The covering helps to keep uniform temperature and humidity which is essential for propagating plants through the radical temperature changes we realize on the mountain. Even native plants need protection from the elements during early development stages. We will also be able to start propagation earlier in the year and engage in woody propagation -- growing plants from stem and twig cuttings. Volunteers are critically important to our nursery program. We have plenty of opportunities for volunteers, including boy and girl scouts, service organizations, and master gardeners. Contact us through the Work Days page if you are interested in helping us out.
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While the nursery has been under development for almost 2 years, this is the first fully public venue for getting out information about our activities. We have two major projects -- the Cumberland Seeds Project which has been underway since 2010 and Trailhead Nursery, the restoration project to help support the Cumberland Seeds Project by growing out seed collected on the Cumberland Trail. Both projects are activities of the Friends of the Cumberland Trail, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that supports the Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail and Park of the Tennessee State Parks.
The Cumberland Seeds Project is an ambitious effort to collect, catalog and bank seed collected from native species that grow on the Cumberland Trail. It is part of the larger Seeds of Success project of the federal Bureau of Land Management. The Cumberland Plateau and escarpment is a biologically rich and diverse area that needs protection as well as preservation and both the CSP and Trailhead Nursery are designed for that purpose. The Nursery does sell plants to the public as well as donates plant material to restore and improve other public lands like trailheads and parking areas. One recent project was re-landscaping the parking lot and trailhead of the Three Gorges Trail in Sequatchie County. As for the retail part of the operation, the nursery participates in a limited number of festivals in spring and fall to sell plants for the purpose of supporting its operations and projects. Please review the Events page for more infora |
AuthorI am an unpaid volunteer for Trailhead Nursery and Cumberland Seeds Project as well as an ardent native plant gardener. Archives
September 2016
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