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The Garden Awakens

Anise 'Woodland Red' ( Illicium floridanum ) A few weeks ago, I thought spring would never arrive, but now the change is astonishing. The nights are still cold (40s and sometimes even 30s) so planting tender annuals and vegetables is unwise although I have already succumbed, but covering and uncovering things gets old quickly. Someone made a wise comment last week and I must agree with them - "Don't plant anything tender until after May 1". Several plants are blooming like never before. One is the Anise shrub (above and below). I don't know if the recent tree pruning, which is allowing more sun into the woodland path, is affecting it or perhaps it is just age, but I've never seen so many blooms. Michael refers to this as "the stinky fish shrub" and I have to admit to smell of the flowers is quite unpleasant. It is so beautiful that I can overlook that. The old pink dogwood tree, which was already here, shades our woodland path and it too is prett
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Trip to Memphis - Dixon Gallery Gardens

Michael and I went to Memphis today to visit our friend Joann and to see an Impressionist art exhibit at two museums - the Brooks Museum of Art and the Dixon Gallery. Both were awesome but the Dixon Gallery was my favorite because of the beautiful gardens that surrounded it. Most of the gardens were shaded and the woodland garden was beautifully designed and featured dry shade plants. There were also interesting containers throughout with unusual choices of plants.

Unfortunately, when we returned home, Joann called and said that we completely missed the formal garden! Oh well - another excuse to return to Memphis soon!


Two large containers flanked the entrance to the gardens which held rosemary and dicondra.



I've never seen a smoke tree in a container until today.

A sunny section of the garden featured this beautiful pool. There were beautiful water lilies
growing in it but my photos didn't turn out well.

This container included a rubber plant, ivy, and croton.



Dicondra and an assortment of evergreens.

If memory serves me correctly, the plant tag on this said it was a honeydew plants. I was
unfamiliar with it but I'm guessing it is tropical.



A Kousa dogwood - I've never seen so many berries on one.

The Woodland Garden included hosta, cardinal flower, grasses, epimedium, huechera and hellerbores.


This bed surrounding the statue was lined with maidenhair ferns.

A pathway through the Woodland Garden, which features dry shade plants.





Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Gardener on Sherlock StreetAugust 27, 2011 at 7:09 PM

    You mean there's more?
    What you saw is beautiful. Thank you for sharing your trip.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rosedale gardenAugust 27, 2011 at 7:19 PM

    Looks formal to me. Great pics. Mary

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lisa at GreenbowAugust 28, 2011 at 3:26 AM

    Rosemary has to be brought in here to survive. It looks great in that urn with dicondra. I love the Cardinal plant and have never been able to establish it here. It is so striking where ever it is planted. Thanks for the tour.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rosedale GardenAugust 28, 2011 at 6:35 AM

    I'll have to find a place for the Kousa dogwood now. Love the berries on it. We need rain here. I had to water the weeds so I could pull them yesterday. Mary

    ReplyDelete
  5. Monica the Garden FaerieAugust 28, 2011 at 6:49 AM

    Love the use of woodies in containers, and the pond is just gorgeous! Also, that Kousa dogwood is stunning!

    ReplyDelete
  6. sweetbayAugust 28, 2011 at 9:17 AM

    Those gardens *are* beautiful. I will have to try dicondra in a container. It has such a wonderful draping effect.

    ReplyDelete
  7. debsgardenAugust 28, 2011 at 8:05 PM

    Beautiful! I really like the rosemary/dicondra combination. And the kousa dogwood! I can't believe I missed this garden those years my son was at college in Memphis. We usually ended up on Beale Street.

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  8. Anne BoykinAugust 29, 2011 at 2:51 AM

    Thanks for sharing this beautiful garden. I hope to see it one day for myself after seeing your pictures.
    I have an unrelated question, do you grow Angel's Trumpet, Datura?
    If so, can you give me some tips on growing it?
    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Phillip OliverAugust 29, 2011 at 6:12 AM

    Bloominganne, I do grow Angel's Trumpet and they are blooming now. I'll try and do a post on them later in the week.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Rob (ourfrenchgarden)August 29, 2011 at 1:03 PM

    Looks beautiful. Love the glasshouse and the Thalia dealbata growing in the second pool.

    The light looks bright. I like this time of year, the light starts to be less harsh.

    ReplyDelete
  11. serial tillerAugust 29, 2011 at 6:04 PM

    Love the containers with the weeping dichondra. I say wow to all those Kousa berries too! Thanks for posting...I needed a garden tour.

    ReplyDelete
  12. LesAugust 31, 2011 at 4:10 AM

    That looks like a lovely garden, and I have never seen Dichondra used so well, or growing so well.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Peggy HillSeptember 4, 2011 at 7:33 AM

    That dogwood is spectacular! Any idea what variety it is?

    ReplyDelete
  14. CommonWeederApril 10, 2012 at 8:39 AM

    We are so lucky to have public gardens like this all over the country.

    ReplyDelete

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