Today was the beginning of a ten day trip to attend the National Public Garden Conference in Columbus and see gardens on the way up and back. After leaving Hot Springs this early this morning, I ended up in Lexington, KY, after a long ride through some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve enjoyed in a while.
Along the way, I enjoyed the Memphis Botanical Garden, especially “My Big Back Yard,” their new children’s garden designed by Terra Design Studio. I had the privilege of learning about the excellent quality of Terra’s work with our interpretive plan (they were our lead consultants), so was looking closely at ways some of the concepts in that document have been inplemented on the ground. With an incredible range of things to do (and ages engaged by them), it’s a real tour de force. If you’re in the area, don’t miss it and especially don’t forget it’s free with your membership card.
After never having time to do so before, I also drove right across Park Ave. and strolled the gardens at the Dixon Gallery for the first time. What beautiful vignettes everywhere you turn and of course, each features its own piece of art. I wish I had more time, but I certainly enjoyed their herb garden. After just speaking on the subject just a week ago, I was very pleased to see one of their formal gardens planted as an edible landscape with red okra, mustard, and edible flowers.
I made it to Nashville in time to take the impressive drive down Belle Meade Blvd. to Cheekwood Museum and Gardens. They have their usual summer display, this year tree houses again. It’s always a lot of fun and though I only had about 15 minutes before they closed, I did enjoy a quick walk through their color gardens.
After that fabulous drive from Nashville through to Lexington (where everything is green and lush and I drove through the first significant shower I’ve seen in weeks), I had a very nice dinner in Bowling Green topped off with fresh blackberry cobbler and ice cream. Great way to end the day. I checked into the hotel and hope to make it to the Arboretum of the University of Kentucky tomorrow, another new garden for me. Stay tuned for more adventures tomorrow.
The proportion vaeirs from the quality of the soil used, the crop being planned to plant. Generally, amend the soil collected with at least 1/5 th of organics/ compost to improve the fertility. Neem cake can be added if needed, roughly a cup for each sack/ bag