Pick up Your Copy of Buncombe Life TODAY!

Get your copy of the Spring/Summer edition of Buncombe Life magazine in the Asheville Citizen-Times on April 12!

Pack Library Now a WiFi Hotspot

Wireless Internet access is now available at Pack Memorial Library in downtown Asheville.

April Garden Calendar

Here is the Buncombe County Cooperative Extension's Garden Calendar for April.

Basic Home Maintenance – 5 session course

This five session course includes: basic house as a system, plumbing, interior & exterior maintenance, proper lawn care & landscaping, materials & miscellaneous.

Where is the Cheapest Gas?

We compare car prices and food prices, so why not gas prices? Is there an easy way?

Lilies and Chocolate and Cats? Oh, No!

Keep your pets safe during the Easter Holidays!

Spay/Neuter Your Cat - Cheap

The Asheville Humane Society is holding a special spay/neuter event April 10 - 21st. During the event, Buncombe County residents can get a cat spayed for $35 or neutered for $20.

Learn About Bonsai

Join Arthur Joura, the Arboretum's well known bonsai curator, for a lecture about bonsai plants, their gardeners and the history of this intimate horticulture.

Pet Picture of the Week

Congratulations to Aaron Schnurbusch for the pictures of his dog, Ruby.

Recipe of the Week

Congratulations to Joan Mittan for her Marshmallow Peeps in a Cloud recipe.

A favorite stand-by for many families on the go is the box of mac and cheese. A few changes can make this a healthier meal. Add frozen broccoli or peas to the pasta water a few minutes before the pasta is done.

Serve a steamed vegetable like baby carrots or a salad on the side. Switching from iceberg to romaine lettuce can greatly improve the nutritional value. A fruit and yogurt parfait completes a healthy meal. 

For more information on how to transfer this family standard, check out The Family Table: Macaroni and Cheese Night Makeover at: http://www.healthybuncombe.org/.

Warm spring days are tempting, but don't put tender crops into the garden too early. For most of Buncombe County, it is not safe to plant warm season vegetables and flowers until after May 5. Be prepared to protect early plantings with row covers or other coverings if frost is possible.

There are many things which could be causing problems with your plant. The best way to find out is to contact your local NC Cooperative Extension Horticultural Agent. He or she can tell you what is needed to diagnose the problem. That could mean taking a soil sample, bringing in a sample of the plant, or capturing a pest for identification.

Call 255-5522 for more information.

The library system will be closed for Staff Development Day on Thursday, April 13. The library will also be closed for the Easter holiday from Friday, April 14 through Sunday, April 16. Regular library hours will resume on Monday, April 17.

All Buncombe County Government Offices will be closed on Friday, April 14 for the Easter holiday.

Saturday, April 15 from 9am - 1pm there will be a rabies shot clinic at Erwin Middle School. With summer just around the corner, this is a good time to be thinking about protecting your pets from rabies and other harmful illnesses.

Rabies shots and microchips will be available at this clinic. A rabies vaccination for your cat or dog will cost $5 per animal. For the three year rabies vaccine, the owner must show written proof of the current one year vaccination. Microchips for dogs or cats over 2 months cost $20. All animals must be restrained or in a carrier. 

Proceeds from the shot clinic help underwrite expansion of existing programs and services for the Asheville Humane Society animal shelter. For more information call 236-3885.