New Monthly Series Launches Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 8 PM
UNC-TV'S OUR STATE TAKES TO THE AIR!
Premiere Features NC Arboretum Bonsai

The North Carolina Arboretum's unique bonsai collection will be featured in the premiere episode of UNC-TV's new series, Our State, premiering Wednesday, October 6, at 8 PM, and repeating throughout the month.

Created by UNC-TV's award-winning producer Jim Bramlett, the television series brings Our State magazine's most compelling stories to life. The North Carolina Arboretum's renowned bonsai collection, highlighted in the magazine's April 2003 issue, is one of three feature segments airing on the show's premiere episode. The others include visits to the Cupola House in Edenton and the National Balloon Rally in Statesville.

In the Bonsai segment, curator Arthur Joura conducts a short lesson in trimming and repotting a bonsai specimen, while discussing the Arboretum's unique approach to this fascinating way of growing plants. The goal of bonsai gardening is to create a living, natural and realistic miniature representation of mature trees and landscapes.

In 1992, the Arboretum accepted a gift of dozens of fragile bonsai from a North Carolina family, and from this modest beginning, the Arboretum's collection, which now numbers more than 100 display-quality plants, is considered to be one of the finest in the country. Recently, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority awarded a  $750,000 grant to the Arboretum to be used toward the construction of a Bonsai Exhibition Garden.

The mission of The North Carolina Arboretum is to cultivate connections between people and plants through acres of unique gardens, miles of hiking and biking trails, a state-of-the art greenhouse and hundreds of educational opportunities. The 426-acre public garden is an affiliate of the University of North Carolina system and serves as a center for education, garden demonstration, economic development, conservation and research.

The North Carolina Arboretum is located in Asheville, next to the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance ramp at Milepost 393, two miles south of Exit 2 (Highway 191/Brevard Road) off I-26. Arboretum grounds are open seven days a week. Property hours are 8 AM-7 PM, November-March and 8 AM-9 PM, April-October. The Visitor Education Center is open Monday through Saturday from 9 AM-5 PM, and Sundays from noon to 5 PM. No parking fee applies for NC Arboretum Society members, and Tuesdays, parking is free for all visitors all day. Otherwise, parking fees are $6 per personal motor vehicle, $25 for commercial vans and $45 for tour buses.

Our State magazine, founded in 1933, is one of America's oldest regional publications. Its reputation for stunning photography and award-winning writing is exemplified in the new show by UNC-TV's vibrant visuals and crisp, you-are-there stereo soundtrack. For more information about the Our State series, visit www.unctv.org/ourstate. For information about the North Carolina Arboretum call 828-665-2492 or visit www.ncarboretum.org.

Our State is a partnership between Our State magazine and UNC-TV, with the generous support of BB&T. UNC-TV's 11 stations comprise North Carolina's only statewide television network, made possible through a partnership of public investment and private support.

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