Mar 10
2010

Southern Hospitality and a Winter Garden in Davidson

Does anyone do hospitality better than Southerners? Perhaps. But I can’t think of who right now because last week I was in Davidson, NC, speaking at the Davidson Horticultural Symposium where the members of the Davidson Garden Club rolled out the red carpet. It’s very fresh in my mind. And, oh my!

I was there as one of the guest speakers talking about the “Artful Vegetable Garden”—once again riding my hobby horse about how edible gardens don’t have to be utilitarian looking. I rubbed elbows with fellow speakers Allan Armitage, W. Gary Smith ,  William Welch and Pamela Baggett. The Davidson Garden Club members arranged for our transportation and accommodations, flowers in our rooms and for our lapels, escorts to make sure we didn’t get lost, fabulous dinners and lunches and one very special garden tour.

The garden surrounds the Italian Renaissance-style home of a private couple who have created a very approachable and walkable garden on acres of protected land in Davidson. A pathway circles the perimeter of the house and is planted with fabulous specimens that are evident even in the still-chilly weather of early March.

Careful attention to plant selection, artful creation of pathways to give long views of garden sculptures, creative use of elements for a rustic touch and even mossy paths, contributed unasked, courtesy of Mother Nature, made this a fabulous and memorable garden walk.

You can see more of the garden here.

I appreciate my new friends in Davidson and their fabulous Southern hospitality. Thank you!

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Robin
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8 Responses to “Southern Hospitality and a Winter Garden in Davidson”

  1. Matt Says:
    March 10th, 2010 at 8:50 pm

    I love the second angle you got of that first area you have pictured here. A beautiful example of what can be done with pleaching… the entire process gets me giddy.

    Hope the talks went well. If I ever find myself in NC while that’s going on…
    .-= Matt´s last blog ..A contest for indoor (and outdoor) gardeners; free seeds or pots. =-.

  2. Anna Flowergardengirl™ Says:
    March 10th, 2010 at 9:29 pm

    I’m glad you had a good time. I loved reading about what you thought of the South. Beautiful pictures.
    .-= Anna Flowergardengirl™´s last blog ..Will you have garden pieces to cherish? =-.

  3. Mr. McGregor's Daughter Says:
    March 10th, 2010 at 9:54 pm

    I’m drooling over that stunning witch hazel, but the thought of flowers in the room just floors me. I had no idea anybody still did that.
    .-= Mr. McGregor’s Daughter´s last blog ..Gardener Snake (Wordless Wednesday) =-.

  4. Dee/reddirtramblings Says:
    March 10th, 2010 at 10:23 pm

    I would love to meet them all someday. Yes, southerners are wonderful hosts. Don’t you love that witch hazel? Yum.~~Dee
    .-= Dee/reddirtramblings´s last blog ..Read any good books lately? =-.

  5. Gail Says:
    March 11th, 2010 at 7:02 pm

    Robin, This is the third time I tried to leave a message~Not your site, but I fell into the rabbit hole looking up pleaching, then from that site ended up looking at tree houses! The grounds are lovely and the pleached trees fascinating…but like Dee and B~the witch hazel is making me smile. gail
    .-= Gail´s last blog ..Lilac Tommies On A Hill Need No Prose =-.

  6. Ann Says:
    March 12th, 2010 at 12:52 am

    Yeah, the witch hazel bloomed a little later this year — weird weather patterns. Usually we get it in February in TN, and I assume it’s similar in NC. I’m about to consider a blog post on my own witch hazel.

  7. How Do I Set Up My Winter Gardens? Says:
    March 15th, 2010 at 12:52 am

    [...] Bumblebee Blog » Blog Archive » Southern Hospitality and a Winter Garden in Davidson [...]

  8. Canada Flowers Says:
    April 15th, 2010 at 4:06 am

    Those pine trees remind me of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Such magnificent parallel towers can really take your breath away.

Right Now at Bumblebee

February 3rd, 2012

If you’re in the neighborhood and just happen to have your paintbrush and paint clothes with you, stop on by. Harry and I are taking the day off from work to start painting the master bedroom. We figure it’ll take until Sunday. Harry does most of the rolling—no small chore with high ceilings—and I do all the tedious detail work. You, of course, can pitch in wherever you like.

We’re painting it a dove grey. So if you see some grey in my hair in the next few days, it’s paint. Got it? The grey is paint.

Robin

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February 2nd, 2012

Happy Groundhog Day! What are you doing to celebrate?

We’ll have a special dinner of NOT groundhog. Dinner will be a special pasta (TBD) and some yummy homemade yeast rolls. Then we’ll pull out the photo album of past Groundhog Days and reminisce. We will toast Puxatawny Phil by opening the first bottle of my homemade apfelwein, which I hope is sparkly by now. If it’s any good, you’ll hear more about it.

Cheers!

Robin

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February 1st, 2012

Working from a home office is not always what it’s cracked up to be. I have a lousy IT department (me). Interruptions range from barking dogs to crowing roosters. I hear my business phone ring during non-business hours.

But there is a lot good about a 15 step commute. Such as today. It’s cloudy and a bit drizzly, but the temps will climb into the mid 60s for the second day in a row. I will turn off the heat, throw open the windows and give the house—and office—a good airing. Ahhh!

Robin

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January 22nd, 2012

It’s cold here with a bit of ice and snow on the ground. The hens hate it.

There was a huge, chicken-y traffic jam at their window/door this morning. As I opened it three hens bolted outside. But they beat a hasty retreat back into the coop while other hens were still trying to get out. There was an impasse and much chicken shoving. There were no injuries—unless you count my sore sides from laughing so hard.

Robin

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