This Homepage contains info about our upcoming schedule for garden related events, what to look for this month in the Marshall Native Gardens,  summaries of how you can become an active volunteer or patron - and the perks you can be eligible for,  a list of current active volunteers & patrons,  and information about our self guided tours.  You also will find  many links to our other webpages and a listing and associated links to our many valued sponsors & partners.

Also, please see the link to our zoom recordings of our Fall Festival presenter talks at the festival at  https://www.youtube.com/@mcpl

Gardens  Background & 

Current Needs

We need your help in the gardens or as a donor to grow!

       Marshall Native Gardens  are located on the 4.2 acre grounds of the Madison County Public Library in Marshall, NC.   These gardens are open to the public free of charge.  This native garden was envisioned, designed, constructed, and is maintained by Marshall Native Gardens Initiative (MNGI) in cooperation with the Library Director & Madison County. 

      MNGI is a very diverse all volunteer group -  we have no paid staff.   So, we rely solely on volunteers of all backgrounds and skill levels.   All are welcome who want to learn about native plants,  sustainable gardening,  and/or mountain agriculture.  Our focus is to provide education about the importance of native plants through interpretive displays & demonstration gardens.   

     We value all our volunteers but we are in need of some to step up to become  a "Garden Champion" or be a member of one of our newly formed functional committees.   Our Garden Champions help us manage our themed native gardens and we need additional committee members on our "Volunteers and Social Committee" and our "Outreach and Education Committee".   Specifically,  currently,  we have need for one more additional garden champion :

•   Native Grasses Garden 

•  Forest Farm Garden

•  Woodland Shade Garden

 We are also looking for "Garden Docents" (tour guides & work managers)  to help when we have a class of school age kids coming to the gardens for service and education.  If you want to learn more about this way to serve,  please call 828-333-3883. 

      We are now starting to invite the individuals and businesses who recognize the value of Marshall Native Gardens to our community to become donating patrons.    If you are interested in becoming a patron or wish to get more information about serving as a volunteer,   please contact the Library Director or call Ed at 828-333-3883. 

How to Become a Volunteer &/or  Patron

We need your help in the gardens or as a donor to grow!

Becoming an Active Volunteer has its Perks!

Who are MNGI Active Volunteers:

MNGI Volunteers are individuals that provide service hours to benefit Marshall Native Gardens. You can become an Active MNGI Volunteers by participating in 3 MNGI events/work days in a calendar year or at least 12 hours of service to Marshall Native Gardens during a calendar year. The volunteer hours can tally participation and preparations for meetings associated with functional MNG committees, mini presentations at our garden parties after monthly work days, and/or actual labor at work days or project days. To become an Active Volunteers, it is necessary for the new recruit to demonstrate that they have meet active volunteer criteria by submitting a "volunteer request form" that is found at the main desk of the Marshall Library or at the MNGI display board in hallway of the Marshall Library.  All Active Volunteers will be listed below will then become eligible for MNGI perks as long as they remain active, and the cycle for renew is every 3 years.

Current List of MNGI Active Volunteers

Rita Pelczar, Terry Hopkins, Bobbi Tousey, Bill Klodt, Kim Bellofatto, Larry Bryan, Michelle Clausen, Miriam Luse, Janet Foster, Mike Foster, Ed McNally, Scott Moore, Katherine Early, Susan Sanborn, Rachell Skerlec, Sue Stephenson, Patricia Kean, Jessie Howard, Erica McKinney, Nathan Buchanan, John VanVoorhis, Penelope Glass, Marge Utterback, Jim Utterback, Patricia Gregory,  Paul Allen, Beth Detweiler,  Susie Fender, and Dwight Fender, Aly Ward, Sebastian Dunn, Frank Tedone, Howie Kronen, Rodney Brown

Perks for Our Active Volunteers:

Active MNG Volunteers (those who are listed above on this MNGI webpage and/or the Library MNGI Bulletin Board) will be eligible to receive a free MNGI hat and name tag, a thank you call and a personalized volunteer survey phone interview to get contact info and inputs about the type of skills and involvements sought. All active volunteers will get an invitation for early access to the online MNG plant sale (to be held in late September each year) and they will gets email invitations to attend the spring MNG plant & seed exchange in May and the Fall MNG annual social. They also will get a discount coupon for 35% off of their online sale purchases for MNG plant sale. They will also receive monthly email invitations to garden service opportunities and a variety of MNGI social activities throughout the year.

Becoming a Patron is Tax Deductible and Easy!

Who are MNGI Patrons what are the Patron Levels, and Associated Perks:

Patrons are individuals or businesses that provide cash or needed tangible physical items.  We gladly accept and appreciate any donations from folks who appreciate and want to help support our gardens and the related educational opportunities.  We have 3 annual donor levels of annual giving and one lifetime level of giving that we recognize with perks and these are shown below:

Bronze /Seed  $50 annual gift

*receive thank you letter with tax deduction documentation

*listed as a patron on Library Bulletin Board, MNGI Webpage, Facebook page (Only if desired by patron = anonymous patrons welcomed)

Silver /Sprout  $100 annual gift

*receive thank you letter with tax deduction documentation

*listed as a patron on Library Bulletin Board, MNGI Webpage, Facebook page (Only if desired by patron = anonymous patrons welcomed)

*qualify for an invitation to early access to online MNG plant sale (to be done in late September each year) and will gets email invitations to attend the spring MNG plant & seed exchange in May and the Fall MNG annual social.

Gold /Sapling  $150 annual gift

*receive a framable thank you letter with tax deduction documentation

*listed as a patron on Library Bulletin Board, MNGI Webpage, Facebook page (Only if desired by patron = anonymous patrons welcomed)

*qualify for an invitation to early access to online MNG plant sale (to be done in late September each year) and will gets email invitations to attend the spring MNG plant & seed exchange in May and the Fall MNG annual social.

*discount coupon for 35% off online sale purchases for MNG plant sale

Platinum /Tree  $500+   lifetime donor gift

            *receive a framable thank you letter with tax deduction documentation

        * receive a free MNGI hat and name tag

* listed as a patron on Library Bulletin Board, MNGI Webpage, Facebook page (Only if desired by patron = anonymous patrons welcomed)

* qualify for an invitation to early access to online MNG plant sale (to be done in late September each year) and will gets email invitations to attend the spring MNG plant & seed exchange in May and the Fall MNG annual social.

* discount coupon for 35% off online sale purchases for MNG plant sale

* onsite detailed home landscape evaluation and recommendations from MNG design experts

Thanks to All Our Current List of Active Patrons 

As updated Feb. 2024

Nancy and Bud Fink Platinum / Tree Donor 2014 

Rita Pelczar,  Platinum/Tree Donor - Dec. 2022

Penelope and Ken Glass Platinum / Tree Donor 2023

David Smith, Gold/Sapling Donor - May 2023

Miriam Luse, Gold/Sapling Donor - Dec. 2022

Mike and Janet Foster, Gold/Sapling - Dec. 2022

Scott Moore, Gold/Sapling Donor - Dec. 2022

Penelope Glass,  Gold/Sapling Donor -  Oct. 2022

Sebastian Dunn, Gold/Sapling Donor -  Oct. 2022

Nathan Buchanan (WNN) - Gold/Sapling - Dec. 2022

Ed McNally - Gold/Sapling - Feb. 2024

Miriam Luse - Gold/Sapling - Feb. 2024

Clayton Honeycutt - Gold/Sapling - Feb. 2024

Isaac Lassiter,  Silver/Sprout Donor - Dec. 2022

Bill Jones (CNN),  Silver/Sprout Donor  - Dec. 2022

Sarah Murphy (Dirtcraft), Silver/Sprout Donor  - Dec. 2022 and 2023

Rodney Brown, Silver/Sprout Donor  - Dec. 2023

Bill Klodt,  Silver/Sprout Donor  - Jan. 2024

Roger McCracken, Bronze/Seed Donor - Dec. 2022

Pam McNally,   Bronze/Seed Donor - Dec. 2022

Mike Stevenson,   Bronze/Seed Donor - Dec. 2022

Jim Utterback,   Bronze/Seed Donor - Dec. 2022

Larry Bryan,  Bronze/Seed Donor - Dec. 2022

Frank Tedone - Bronze/Seed Donor - Feb. 2024

Past Valued  Partners,

Sponsors & Collaborators

Self Guided Tour

We have a self guided interpretive tour for use by all our visitors which allows them read interpretive signs at the entrance to each themed garden and/or also to scan QR codes found throughout the gardens to learn about native plants and why they are important.   See the site map with all the tour stops above.  Our tours starts at the kiosk near the main entrance to the library and please check out our Garden Bulletin Board located on the left side as you enter the library for upcoming garden activities and native plants to look for...

You also can virtually visit our gardens now on this homepage by simply clicking on the linked tour stops seen below.  

LISTING OF TOUR STOPS * :

Just Double Click the green links below 

to view our virtual tour and each of themed garden tours:

   Overview of the entire gardens - Virtual Garden Tour    

Main Kiosk - STOP 1 - Overview - https://youtu.be/yobsufZ01To

Main Kiosk - STOP 1 - Volunteers  Info - https://youtu.be/vfaPIWJcMik

 At Entry Garden Sign -  Stop 2  Overview - https://youtu.be/Jg_cMyPCNik                                

At Entry Garden Sign -  Stop 2  Details - https://youtu.be/vYmatiZSZvY 

At Shrub Garden Sign - Stop 3 Overview - https://youtu.be/YNXpcFawbO0 

At Shrub Garden Sign - Stop 3 Details - https://youtu.be/jf8iEBfN9cw

At Water Cisterns -  Stop 4 Overview - https://youtu.be/v_yxi3w3SOY 

 At Butterfly Garden Sign - Stop 5 Overview - https://youtu.be/yXNZOee-ppM

At Butterfly Garden Sign - Stop 5 Details - https://youtu.be/2aOUYMXikTo

At Forest Farm Sign -   Stop 6 Overview - https://youtu.be/EDbSl-0nV1M

 At Forest Farm Sign -  Stop 6 Details - https://youtu.be/ffXyAGidUgY

At "Chestnut" Sign -- Stop 7 Overview - https://youtu.be/3PZW5iV_TBQ

At Rain Garden Sign - Stop 8  Overview - https://youtu.be/LdhHWNZGSpg

At "Woodland" Sign - Stop 9 Overview - https://youtu.be/X3Fqr1ieMwI

At "Woodland" Sign - Stop 9 Details - https://youtu.be/Ed7YDrtP7Os

At Native Grasses Sign - Stop 10  Overview - https://youtu.be/nJuRX7IUtCE

At Native Grasses Sign -  Stop 10 Details - https://youtu.be/7wUcSaXhizs

At Medicinals Sign - Stop 11 Overview - https://youtu.be/WrF3dqv5C5s

At Medicinals Sign - Stop 11 Details - https://youtu.be/RB2Yq3MuTt4

At Bird Garden Sign - Stop 12 Overview - https://youtu.be/AE_xcShXAJg

At Bird Garden Sign - Stop 12 Details - https://youtu.be/ZA-zgiSF7uc

*  NOTE :   Many thanks to the Rotary Club of Madison County  (for the grant to help fund this tour project),  Jim Thorsen (the DJ vocals on overviews tracts),  Rita Pelczar (writer/editor on tour content), and Primrose  (for their great interspersed mountain music used to accompany the tour ).

Please look to the left column on this homepage to navigate to our many linked webpages for detailed information about our Mission and Vision,  How to become a volunteer,  Details about  plants found in each of our themed native gardens, Information about invasive plants,  a gallery of photos -- and much more !