Daniel Boone Native Gardens

Daniel Boone Native Gardens Adds Rain Garden

Flooding mitigation project funded by grant from NC Native Plant Society

Boone, N.C. – Daniel Boone Native Gardens has installed a new rain garden funded by a B.W. Wells Stewardship award of $2,428 from the N.C. Native Plant Society.

“We are extremely grateful to the N.C. Native Plant Society for funding this project,” said Gardens’ Board Chairwoman Rebecca Hutchins. “The rain garden adds to the diversity of our garden displays and is necessary as we see more and more flooding events. We hope future visitors will learn about rain gardens’ benefits as they enjoy its beauty.”

The rain garden will slow and collect runoff, thereby mitigating water damage and sediment loss in surrounding areas. Its N.C. native plants will filter pollution and recharge the groundwater as they provide habitat for local wildlife. The rain garden will also provide an educational display for visitors, demonstrating the functional, aesthetic, and ecological value of rain gardens in public and private landscapes. 

The rain garden was installed at the site of the former concrete-lined pond, which had deteriorated over the years and no longer held water. Hurricane Helene in September 2024 exacerbated damage from rainstorms and deteriorating infrastructure over the years. Rather than attempt to rebuild the pond at a significant cost, the Gardens’ Board of Directors decided that a rain garden would be a more sustainable, long-term option and could better withstand impacts of severe runoff from increasingly frequent storms. 

The garden was designed by Brian Antczak, who has a BS in biology from UNC-CH and  Graduate Certificate in Horticultural Sciences from NC State. Antczak, a member of the Gardens Advisory Board, is also the owner of Bug Lovers Native Plants nursery and grew the majority of the plants for the new garden. Julia Showalter, a lecturer in the Department of Biology at Appalachian State University and Gardens Board Member, also assisted in guiding the preparation of the area and the installation of the plants.

The garden was designed to bloom from April through October, with the peak occurring in July and August. Plants will begin emerging this spring and be fully established in two to three years. 

The Gardens’ student gardeners and community volunteers prepared the pond site during several fall workdays. They removed invasive plants, moved existing native plants to other areas of the Gardens, and leveled the remaining soil. New top soil and compost were added to improve the soil before the planting, and a light layer of mulch was added afterward.

“We couldn’t have done it without App State’s Native Gardening Society. We’re excited to have their support and look forward to a long partnership,” said Gardens’ Director Amy Seeley. “Boone is fortunate to have students’ community involvement!”

The plants chosen for the garden are all native to the Blue Ridge ecoregion, ensuring that they will require minimal maintenance and provide maximum ecological benefits, including food and shelter for wildlife.

Installed plants include: swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Canada milkvetch (Astragalus canadensis), hairy woodmint (Blephilia hirsuta), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), hollow Joe-pye weed (Eutrochium fistulosum), purplehead sneezeweed (Helenium flexuosum), crimson-eyed rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), scarlet beebalm (Monarda didyma), bog goldenrod (Solidago uliginosa), smooth blue aster (Symphyotrichum laeve), blue vervain (Verbena hastata), black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa), New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), witherod viburnum (Viburnum cassinoides), wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), golden ragwort (Packera aurea), American bellflower (Campanulastrum americanum), and swamp thistle (Cirsium muticum).

Daniel Boone Native Gardens is a nonprofit public garden in Boone, N.C., dedicated to showcasing native plants, supporting pollinators and wildlife, and providing a peaceful green space for residents and visitors. Daniel Boone Native Gardens also hosts educational programs and community events, including the Roots in the Garden summer concert series and the Fairy Day family event. For more information, including hours, events, and ways to support the Gardens, please visit www.danielboonenativegardens.org. 

For more information about the N.C. Native Plant Society, please visit https://ncwildflower.org. 

Roots in the Garden Returns for a Third Season at Daniel Boone Native Gardens

BOONE, NC (June 2025) — Daniel Boone Native Gardens (DBNG) is thrilled to announce the third season of Roots in the Garden, a free Thursday evening concert series held in one of Boone’s most picturesque outdoor spaces. This summer’s series will feature three evenings of live Americana music, local food and drink, and live art, all set among blooming native plants and historic mountain charm.

The 2025 concert lineup includes:

June 19 – Ashley Heath & Her Heathens (Boonerang Kickoff Show)

July 17 – Sam Burchfield

August 21 – Ally Free

Each concert begins around 6:00 PM and is free to the public. Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair and enjoy the evening. Picnics and coolers are welcome (plastic or aluminum containers only). Guests can enjoy delicious offerings from local food trucks, including Poncho y Jefe and Mal’s Sweet Treats. Wine and beer will also be available for purchase.

Each concert will showcase a live visual artist creating an original painting during the performance. These one-of-a-kind works will be auctioned off, with proceeds supporting the Gardens. We’re delighted to welcome back Beth Lyons for her third season as a Roots in the Garden artist—she’ll be painting live at our opening show.

“We are so grateful for the continued support of our community and sponsors,” said Angela King of DBNG. “We’re especially excited about the new stage, built with the generous support of the Town of Boone, which allows us to better accommodate our audience and performers. The addition of our new, larger stage marks a significant milestone for music at Daniel Boone Native Gardens. This beautifully crafted structure not only enhances the experience for performers and audiences alike, but also reflects our commitment to creating a welcoming, professional space for community arts. With improved visibility, acoustics, and capacity, the stage allows us to host larger crowds and a wider range of performances—all while preserving the intimate, natural setting that makes our concerts so special. It stands as a symbol of growth and investment in the cultural life of our town, and we are deeply grateful to the Town of Boone for making it possible.”

The first concert is presented by Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, with the second and third concerts sponsored by Anna Banana’s and CW Home. Series sponsors include West Wellness, Lost Province/Coyote Kitchen, King Street Flowers, Appalachian Home Care, Graystone Lodge, Shear Shakti, Outpost on Radio Hill, Hellbender Fitness, BCM Capital Management, Watauga Arts Council, and the NC Arts Council.

Daniel Boone Native Gardens, located at 651 Horn in the West Drive, opened in 1963 and offers three acres of curated native flora, including a fern garden, rhododendron garden, rock wishing well, and vine-covered arbor. A special highlight is the Pickin’ Porch, built in 1996, honoring the mountain tradition of front-porch music gatherings. It stands as a tribute to Boone’s musical roots—and if you listen closely, you might even imagine Doc Watson himself picking out a tune.

Whether you’re coming for the music, the flowers, or a peaceful evening under the stars, Daniel Boone Native Gardens invites you to stay rooted with us this summer.

Roots in the Garden aims to keep the mountain spirit alive, offering a free, welcoming venue for music, art, and community connection right in downtown Boone.

Stay rooted.

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BOONE - A new stage at the Daniel Boone Native Gardens is becoming more of a reality after the ground was officially broken in a small ceremony. The groundbreaking comes as DBNG released the lineup for its free concert series — Roots in the Garden.

The new stage is just to the right of the current one — which will remain at the gardens — and is slated to be completed by the middle of the summer.