The Historic Montford Garden Tour is back for its 2025 iteration on Saturday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. This year’s theme of “Great Gardens for a Cause” highlights the tour’s long-standing commitment to supporting Montford’s culture. Each garden featured in the tour contributes to a larger goal of raising funds for community-driven projects.
Pan’s Paradise, Katharine Weiser’s pollinator garden
Lynn Raker, a landscape architect and an organizer for the 2025 garden tour, explains that the proceeds from previous tours have supported vital projects like playground equipment, solar panels and park landscaping. “This year’s proceeds will help fund replacements to the tree canopy and shade for the neighborhood playgrounds,” she says. “All our garden tours are for a cause—improving the appearance and livability of our neighborhood.”
The hurricane had devastating effects on Montford’s century-old trees. “The majestic oaks were the hardest hit, along with spruce, pine, hemlock and tulip poplar,” says Raker. “These trees had provided year-round beauty, climate mitigation and abundant food and shelter for the many species of birds and other wildlife for which Montford is known. The 2025 tour proceeds will begin the process of replacing the tree canopy throughout the neighborhood.”
Katharine Weiser, a featured gardener on this year’s tour, has a garden called “Pan’s Paradise,” that has been carefully cultivated with native plants that attract pollinators. “The native plants here got a hold of my soul from the very beginning,” Weiser says. “There was something about them that just absolutely delighted me, and so began the love affair that created our garden here.” Weiser and her partner, Rick, began removing invasive species and replaced them with native plants to create a welcoming environment for pollinators. Now, the garden is 85 percent native and certified as a pollinator-friendly space.
Weiser’s work has not only transformed her garden but also deepened her understanding of the local ecosystem. “I completed a permaculture apprenticeship here, a wild medicine internship and the certified pollinator advocate training through Asheville Botanical Garden/Bee City to help me better understand this beautiful place we live in,” she says.
As with previous tours, this year’s event will feature live local music. “We always strive for diversity in the garden selection,” Raker says. “We have expansive gardens as well as more intimate gardens on the tour.”
Docents will be stationed at each garden to provide insights and answer questions. New this year are plein air artists in each garden and a horticultural information fair at Montford Garden, where visitors can learn from experts from the NC Arboretum, Bountiful Cities and local native plant nurseries.
Tickets, on sale now, are $30 and can be purchased online at Montford.org/garden/tour and at the Asheville Visitors Center.
