Green+Pony+Garden+and+Finnabar+Farm+Visit

Green Pony Garden and Finnabar Farm Visit
6319 Dodsons Crossroads Hillsborough, NC 27278 (919) 929-6009

Run by a woman named Margie, these gardens were an example of the form of natural landscaping that she provides for the community. Margie offers landscaping service using natural products, sustainable means, and healthy, local, products. Our visit consisted of an extensive tour of the grounds and conversation, culminating in a discussion on the back porch over glasses of iced well water. Although no longer home to ponies (her last died at an astounding age of 42), Green Pony Garden is still abundant with wildlife. As we approached Margie’s home we were met by her 3 dogs and 2 cats who continued to follow us around throughout the day, adding pleasant entertainment. Margie’s interest in sustainable and eco-friendly landscaping began for several reasons. Reading __Silent Spring__ (1962) by Rachel Carson, which is credited with launching the modern day environmental movement, played a large role. The book documents the negative effects of pesticides on the environment and led to widespread public concern over pesticide use and pollution. Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller was another major influence. As an author, designer, inventor, architect, and futurist he popularized the term Spaceship Earth and was responsible for the development of numerous inventions. He was very concerned with sustainability and human survival on a planet with rapidly shrinking resources. Spaceship Earth is meant to express concern over the very limited supply of Earth’s resources and their overuse, while also encouraging the world’s population to work towards the greater good harmoniously. All of this played a leading role in Margie’s transformation into an environmentalist of sorts. She now works to create landscapes that are sustainable, pesticide free, and generally lack invasive species. She wants to bring back biodiversity to an area plagued with invasive species like kudzu that have a tendency to trample out any native plant groups. By planting flora native to North Carolina, the eco-system becomes increasingly healthy and diverse. We received a tour of her garden and were taught about numerous plant species. She has a wide array of flora, from Mulberries to Blueberry Bushes, Redbuds, Possum Hollies, Crape Myrtles, and Hydrangeas. Margie also recommends gravel driveways which allow for increased draining and plant growth. Trees will actually begin to grow along the side of your driveway while garden growers are prevented the problem of water runoff flooding their plants after storms. On the whole our experience at Finnabar Farm was very educational and entertaining. Margie provides an excellent non-detrimental form on landscaping that the area can significantly benefit from. Not only are her gardens healthy and natural but they are also quite beautiful.