Garden Mamas turn trespassing into an art

Here’s how I spent my last day of May.  A little strolling, a lot of  gawking, and a teny bit of trespassing.

Life couldn’t have been more perfect, as my friends and I wandered through four of the most beautiful gardens in the MidSouth. It was kind of “impromtu” which made it all the more special.

My friend, Pam Jones, (no relationship, except we married men named Jones and learned the hard way that may have not been the best choice), Diane Campbell (who I love for many reasons, not the least of which is she laughs at all my jokes) and my garden mentors Gloria Angle Reed (another West Point Girl) and Shirley Dawkins (A “W” girl).  We came together in the perfect harmony, being like-minded and all in our garden obsessions.

It all began very innocently as we arrived at Shirley’s glorious hydrangea garden.  It is indescribable and I can only show pictures.  You’ll have to figure out the stories behind them – that will be fodder for a book.  We left there and traveled four miles south to Gloria’s garden.

A sneak peak —

At left is a garden Gloria has established in honor of her mother, Christine.  It is still a work in progress but all gardeners understand that statement.

Gloria has used some very unusual themes for her garden – all very bird friendly.  This boot birdhouse was a gift from one of her children and there are a dozen more to pique your interest.

The statuary, stones, and at least four water features, (I lost count) invite you to sit and meditate.  I wonder why we couldn’t charge admission and turn this into a huge tourist destination.  I’m not exaggerating!

We were like country bumpkins finally discovering the Grand Canton.  All I could utter was the world “Gawlee.”

Need an arbor?  Plant it in pots on either side of your door.  They look like they’ve been there for centuries.

Gloria has placed interesting statuary throughout the garden – always tucked strategically within a cover of foliage, so you think they just happened along.  Never planned.

The surprise element  adds to the charm of the garden.  Believe me!  There is a surprise  around every corner and the garden is very linear, which means you get to discover something new around every bend in the paths.

The paths. Where did they come from?  Did some 18th century Native Americans form them?   Gloria admitted that when she is developing a new path she walks it back and forth hundreds of times.

And then, we decided to trespass.  Not in the Biblical sense, more in the literal sense. We’d heard about the garden of Dr. Charles Scoggins who was  head of the Landscape Architecture Department at MSU.  We couldn’t reach them by phone and Gloria decided we must tour.  We did, and it was like visit to Merry Old England.  Very British.

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And all this in Oktibbeha County. If you get bored living here, you’re just not looking for fun in the right places.

Shirley, below, send us home with cuttings from her garden.  What a great way to spend the last day of May.