The 2012 Nashville Lawn and Garden Show & Local Garden Opportunities

Have you ever heard of the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show? It is one of the premier gardening events of our state and comes every year around the first weekend of March. I have attended it each year since 2003. That year was a memorable event for me. I was due to deploy to Iraq within a day or two but felt I had (read I would die if I did not) to attend the Lawn and Garden Show. That year was a cold year during the show. I found a lot of good buys and had no way to carry them around the show. Thinking I would take a shortcut I quickly exited a nearby door which I thought would be a shortcut to my car. Ha! The joke was on me and I was nearly in tears by the time I found my car. I wound up walking all around several agricultural buildings in a freezing cold wind all the while trying to carry things like iron letters and iron work. Never again have I made that mistake. This year the weather was simply splendid and the company good. I am now familiar enough with the venue (after all these years) that I don't get lost and can easily traverse all five huge buildings the show is housed in. 


The first building one enters upon entering the show contains all of the display gardens. The other four contain the vendors and lecture areas. The gardens are always a splendid sight to see. It seemed this year the big trends were ponds (as always) and fire. Rustic living seemed to be a common trait amongst the gardens as well. The tree in the above picture (believed to be a weeping spruce of some kind) was nicely displayed across the arched entryway of the fence. When one enters the fence he or she is taken into a rustic retreat that is reminiscent of the Great Smokey Mountains.

This waterfall caught my eye because it is exactly the view I have for my small pond!! We are not done with our waterfall but once I get another pallet of rocks I will be working on creating this waterfall in my own garden.

I love ponds that have the rocky bottoms. This one caught everyone's eye as they walked by. I don't think it is practical for ponds that are used though. In my experience ponds will need to be cleaned and I just can't imagine walking into this pond on all those rocks. Nonetheless my pond will have some areas with rocks like this-just not the whole pond. Firms that set up these displays at the show have the luxury of setting up dream ponds but they just aren't always the reality at home. I say enjoy the gardens for the concept and dream and then tailor the ideas to fit your lifestyle and capabilities and needs.

Fire was the next big theme. I have a particular fondness for glass gems so this gas fireplace was very catchy to my eye.

These pillars with the nearby faces of 'stone' were also pretty neat. I can just imagine the ambiance of a garden after night with these cool lights to illuminate the evening.

Now this sedum table is a special table. The whole display in this area was set up by the Davidson County Master Gardener Association. My friend Doris from PPSMT owns this table and was kind enough to move it here for the display. Don't you just love master gardeners? They are ordinary people who have a bit of training in gardening related subjects, but mostly master gardeners are volunteers who share their love of gardening with others simply to spread the word about horticulture. This is what Doris has done by loaning her cool sedum table to the display.

The floral design gallery is always a cool place to visit. While I am not much into designing with flowers I do appreciate bringing flowers into the home so I do tend to look at the displays in this gallery. This particular display was more of a horticulture related thing rather than a flower design in my humble opinion. It is a living wall framed to look like a picture. How cool would that be to have in a sunroom or breezeway? It is an absolute piece of living art.



This is the kind of art I want to see. These iris reticulatas were stunning next to the hellebores. This picture was taken on the first day of the show and they glowed. When I went back on the last day of the show (Sunday) these irises were not looking too good. Personally I think that is is okay to show the good and the bad in gardens and the fact these irses had grayed and gone by kind of added to their charm, although I do prefer the brilliant purple of them when they were at peak. 


I always attend the show with a few of my good friends. On Thursday I went with Helga, Geri, Vonna, and Naomi. I normally attend only one time per year but this year I had vowed to see some seminars. Ensuring I saw some seminars meant another trip to the show. My choice was to see Jeff Poppen of The Barefoot Gardener fame, and host extraordinaire on Tennessee's Volunteer Gardener. Jeff was scheduled to appear on Sunday, March 5 at 2:00 pm. He was the last speaker and I am sure the timing of his presentation was purposeful and it worked. Thursday's show saw the crowd as very thin but by Sunday it was practically standing room only. Jeff Poppen was a delight! He stated that every year he speaks at the Lawn and Garden show the organizers choose a subject for him to talk on. And every year Jeff simply stands in front of the crowd and opens up the floor for questions. It was kind of funny but you know he kept the crowd mesmerized for a full hour. After the presentation Jeff graciously signed his new book and gave away some kale seeds. Geri and I were fortunate to get a few. Once the kale begins growing I'm sure I'll note where it came from again. 


I highly recommend the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show if you live in Middle Tennessee and are into gardening. It and the Summer Celebration Show at UT Jackson are the two can't miss shows on this gardener's list....


in the garden....

This Saturday from 9-3 there will be an excellent opportunity for local gardeners to hear some top notch speakers speak on the very subject of gardening. The annual Montgomery County Master Gardener Association Short Course will take place at the extension hall in Cumberland Heights. The cost for the all day program is $40. For that you get lunch, door prizes, networking, the opportunity to buy garden related items from local experts and vendors, and networking! I'll be giving a talk about perennials at 1:00 pm and I'll also be selling some of my wares to include hypertufa pots, marker stones, leaf castings, and window paintings. I'd love to see you there so hurry and call Karla to register for the course! Some of my friends have already signed up and I promise you that you won't regret coming to the course~!
 
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

The Yellow Button Mum Hedge

Got mums? Boy do I have mums here in Tiger Gardens. The mums are not all that special but they make up for any shortcomings by being bright and prolific. I wonder if those two are connected somehow? Bright and prolific? Hmmmm. Five years ago I got a start of these beautiful yellow button mums (I don't know the botanical name) from a fellow master gardener on a master gardener garden tour and wow have they really taken off. Before I knew it I had planted whole hedges of these mums.

 Looking East along the Northside Shrub Border

The longest stand of them is in the Northside Shrub Border. This border is 100 feet long by 11 feet wide but does spread out on the ends in order to accommodate  the property boundary. When I first began this garden back in 2003 it seemed like the area was so big and would never fill up with flowers. Now it seems I have run out of space and it is all thanks to these mums-they helped fill the area quickly.

Looking West at the Northside Shrub Border

These mums will easily grow to four or five feet tall and will spread very rapidly if left to their own devices. I have mine planted in front of the shrubs in order to provide a step down from the shrubs to the perennials in this garden. When not in bloom these mums provide a great cushion of green foliage that does not mind the heavily shaded and dry conditions in this garden. This mum is a keeper and I am enjoying all of them this fall....

in the garden....

These being passalong mums are some of the best mums in my mind. Anyone who visits Tiger Gardens this time of the year leaves with a good sized clump so that the cheer can be spread around-from one master gardener to another. Thanks Joy!

We will be taking a break here at In the Garden but will surely see you all next year. Happy Holidays to all!


Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Visiting the Birthplace of Helen Keller

A few weeks ago myself, Mr. Fix-it and the Jimster took a trip to Alabama with the Montgomery County Master Gardener Group. The trip was a learning trip for the fifteen folks who joined in. The trip was open to the entire master gardener group and their families. All we had to do was drive ourselves to Muscle Shoals Alabama, pay for our food and enjoy. The master gardener group paid our entrance to the Helen Keller house and the Huntsville Botanical Gardens as well as our one night hotel bill. In case you all didn't know Huntsville is about a 3.5 hour trip from the Clarksville area. It was an awesome trip and one I am so happy my family was able to join me on. This post is the first of a couple of posts on that weekend learning trip. I have lots to share and thought it best if I would break it all up. One post will be about yard art at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens and two more will be about the gardens themselves-all from my point of view.



Unless you live in a cocoon you have at one time or another heard of Helen Keller. She was an amazing woman and her teacher, Ann Sullivan, an even more amazing person for teaching Helen the basics of life. Helen was born on an estate called Ivy Green in Tuscumbia Alabama. Helen had no disabilities at birth but at around 19 months of age she became blind and deaf due to an unknown disease; probably scarlet fever or meningitis. Helen became  uncontrollable due to her disabilities but with the help of her teacher (Ann Sullivan) Helen learned to communicate and became the first blind and deaf person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. If you want to learn more about Helen Keller and her life I strongly recommend reading The Story of My Life by Helen Keller. I read this book in high school and can still remember the courage it inspired in me. I do not intend in any way to talk about the life of Helen Keller in this post, only about our family visit to the home called Ivy Green. The above picture shows all the wonderful master gardener folks walking up to the main house. My dear husband and son are trailing the pack. You'll see more of them later.

The estate once encompassed a larger area than it does today. Our docent told us the estate was quite large and that it extended all the way to the Tennessee River which flows nearby. Currently Ivy Green sits on approximately ten acres of land. There are two houses. The main house to the left in the above picture and the little house; which is where Helen did most of her living and learning with Ann. The grounds are well maintained and fairly true to the way things were in when Helen lived here. The grounds do have several additions in the form of gifts from around the world. Basically the grounds are a museum of art and awards that pay homage to Helen and her courage. There is a film set in the back of the property; which I assume was where parts of the popular movie The Miracle Worker were filmed.



Inside the main house you can venture upstairs and into a small gallery where there were many displays. I happened to take this picture of the five finger vase because I have a fascination with vases. I have quite a collection of vases including a five finger vase even though flower arranging is not my thing. I do enjoy history though and found the connection between Helen's five finger vase and the fact that I too have one to be a great connection. I have been researching five finger vases and found they are from the colonial times to the 18th Century. Five finger vases are so named due to their resemblance to the hand. These vases were used to display favorite flowers such as irises, roses or anything else you'd like to have spotlighted where the flowers are not in a mass arrangement.

Three of the seven rooms in the main house were still set up in the original order they were when Helen lived here. You could not enter the rooms but I snapped a photo or two.

Walking the short distance to the little house we find a small house where you can only peek into the windows to see where Helen played. This front room where you can look through the door was where Helen lived and the back room contained her toys.

Behind the big and little houses was a kitchen and ice house. This is the building where the kitchen was located. The cook slept and lived in this building as well. The brick building in the background was a gift shop but it was not open on the day we visited Ivy Green. I believe the grounds are operated by volunteers only and perhaps that was why the gift shop was closed. I am not sure.

This area was my favorite area of the grounds. It was called 'The Playpen'. It was a round area about 40' wide that was surrounded with boxwood as an outer circle, with oakleaf hydrangeas (oakleaf hydrangeas are the state wildflower of Alabama). In this area Helen was allowed to play because she could not escape the surrounding vegetation; hence it was called the playpen. This area was shaded by magnificent old trees.

Once you round the two houses and stride toward the kitchen you pass an heirloom rose garden and this wonderful garden with this fantastic pottery as its center point. This pot had to be at least six feet tall and I've never seen anything like it before.

The morning we visited (September 24, 2011) was a fabulous morning. The dew was heavy in the air but you could just tell the weather was going to be perfect. The spiders in this boxwood perhaps liked the weather as well. The dew on their webs made quite a show. 

The grounds were impressive with gardens featuring countries of the world scattered all around. I especially liked the Garden from Japan with its Japanese maple. Paths were stroller and wheelchair friendly and you could really spend some time enjoying the plants and vignettes created throughout the ten acres of grounds. 



Lastly I show you one of the heirloom roses from the rose garden. I am not a big rose lover but roses have an appeal to everyone for their romance, history, fragrance, and beauty. These two will finish out our visit to Helen Keller's birthplace in Tuscumbia Alabama.....


in the garden....


Next stop Huntsville!

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

The Montgomery County Master Gardener PLANT SALE

See you there....


in the garden....

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Variegation; Reversion to Non-Variegation and Master Gardeners

From In the Garden

Have you ever seen a green shoot growing in a variegated plant and wondered what was up? Plants manufacture food by using specialized cells called chloroplasts. Chloroplasts are colored green. The more chloroplasts a plant has and the more green it is the more food and more robust a plant is likely to be. When a plant is bred for variegation some of the chloroplast area of the leaves is removed and the plant is not quite as stable or even robust. The plant can sometimes strive to get back the chloroplasts and can revert to its natural state of solid green leaves in an attempt to get more food producing cells. This seems to be the case with the above variegated hydrangea I found at the University of Tennessee's Agricultural Research Station in Jackson Tennessee during this year's Summer Celebration. The green branch sure stands out doesn't it? I'm not sure how the UT staff handle this but in my garden when variegated plants revert I immediately prune out those green limbs in order to maintain the variegation. Left alone it is possible the plant will turn completely green as the green limbs slowly overtake the variegated limbs.

This reversion is not limited to hydrangeas. I've personally seen it on Japanese maples and privet. Have you ever seen this type of reversion and what do you do to deal with it if it shows in your garden?

in the garden....

******PSA*******

The next scheduled Montgomery County Master Gardener class starts August 17th and runs through November 16th. Classes will be held at the extension office on Tuesdays from 6-9 pm. The cost of the class is $100 per person or $125 per couple (if using the same book). Deadline to sign up is TOMORROW! So give Karla a call right away at: (931)648-5725 to reserve your spot....

in the garden....

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,

In the Garden

Newcomers Master Gardener Course, Master Gardener Winter School & 1st Annual Lawn and Garden Show

From In the Garden

*****PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT*****

The Montgomery County Master Gardener Association (MCMGA) will be sponsoring a newcomers mini master gardener course beginning March 2. Lectures include such diverse subjects as composting, container gardening, perennials and herbs. All classes will meet each Tuesday at 7:00 pm downtown Clarksville in the United Methodist Church. The cost is only $40; which equates to about $5 per speaker-a steal! All lecturers will be local master gardeners who are volunteering to share their expertise and knowledge with you. Door prizes will be available each evening so come, make some friends. learn something new about gardening and have fun! Call Karla Kean at: (931)648-5725 for more information and to sign up. These lectures are open to everyone. There are no tests or volunteer hours involved. Even if you don't live within the local community come and sign up if you are interested in the lectures and can drive to the meetings. All gardeners and wanna be gardeners are welcomed.

From In the Garden

Speaking of meetings and master gardeners, I am only going to briefly mention the Master Gardener Winter School I attended in Murfreesboro. The hosts (Rutherford County) were most gracious and organized. The whole community pulled together to make the school fun, healthy, and wonderful for the 100+ master gardeners who showed up for the event. There were five attendees from my county (Montgomery County). Three of us are pictured above, from left to right: Terri, Julie, and myself.
There were three parts of the school and not all master gardeners attended all three parts so that is why the other two master gardeners are not shown. Julie and I attended the Tennessee Yards and Neighborhoods Done Right workshop and the educational track. We missed the leadership part of the school but I bet it was fun too. We all got lots of tips and lessons for providing service to our communities as master gardeners. It was really fun. I must say talking with the other gardeners and meeting Tennessee master gardeners from across the state (from Chattanooga to Kingsport to Memphis and everything in between) was probably the best part of the whole conference for me.

One more thing. The Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring its first Annual Lawn, Farm and Garden Show. The show will be held in Austin Peay's Red Barn located at 256 Marion Street in Clarksville from 10-8 pm on Saturday, 27 February, and from 12-8 pm on Sunday, 28 February 2010. General admission is $5 and children under 12 get in free. There will be lots of give a ways and several vendors showcasing new things....

in the garden....

We had some grackles come visit us recently. They are really pretty and unique looking birds and didn't bother the normal songbirds at the feeders. They loved those sunflower seeds.

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,

In the Garden

Montgomery County Master Gardener Training

Hi all! Today's post is a public service announcement for folks in my local area. Karla (our local extension agent and master gardener coordinator for Montgomery County) is offering the master gardener course beginning next week. The class costs $100; which includes all materials. Classes will be taught each Tuesday evening starting August 25 from 6-9 pm at the extension office located on Cumberland Drive. Application deadline is tomorrow so hurry and sign up! Call Karla at (931)648-5725 for further information and to sign up. Once you complete the class you get to join a really REALLY awesome group of folks who like to garden-just like you!

in the garden....

The above perennial is Ligularia dentata 'Desdemona'. It grows in full shade with plenty of moisture here in my garden and is a lovely plant for the shade.

Sunshine and a Taste of Master Gardener Training

Don't worry you all, spring is near and soon we'll be seeing the sunshine-lots of it. The above picture was taken last summer, and it reminds us all the sun is still here, and coming closer each day. Just look at how long the days have gotten already!

Today's post is a public service announcement for local residents, and it has everything to do with the sunshine and spring and gardening! The Montgomery County Master Gardeners are sponsoring a Beginner's Master Gardener Course next month.

What is a Beginner's Master Gardener Course you ask? Well it is an abbreviated version of some of the lessons you will learn in the full master gardener course. It is a fun course that gives you a taste of gardening without the pressure of having to do anything but listen and learn and have fun with fellow garden enthusiasts. Delona, hosta collector and gardener extraordinaire is in charge of this year's course, but you must sign up with the extension office. They can be reached at: (931)6485725. Ask for Karla.

The course begins March 4, 2009 and will end March 24, 2008. The classes will be taught at the Madison Street Methodist Church and the time of the classes are from 6:30-8:30 pm each Tuesday in March, with the 31st being held in reserve in case a make-up class is needed.

There will be a variety of instructors teaching a wide range of subjects. I will be teaching landscape design, and I plan to make it as fun as possible. Okay folks-we're talking landscape design here! How much more fun can that get? It's already near and dear to our hearts but a few principles and practical matters might be in store for you during my class. So come on out and meet some fellow gardeners for the Beginning Master Gardener Course scheduled to start in a few short weeks. The cost is $40 payable to Montgomery County Master Gardener Association.

in the garden....working on a landscape design class.

Sensation

Ever hear of a new sensation that's old? I have, and I'll explain after a few.

Memorial Day weekend is the start of the growing season here in Maine. One of the things I like about this weekend is the lilac festival held every year at McLaughlin Gardens, it starts the Saturday before Memorial day and runs until Tuesday. I believe its the only lilac festival in the state of Maine.

Bernard McLaughlin was truly an amazing gentleman. His homestead [was] is in the heart of South Paris at one of the busiest intersections in town. It is a century old farmhouse complete with a red barn and has two acres of garden land. Behind the barn is one of Maine's premiere wildflower and fern gardens.

Bernard McLaughlin started his gardens in 1936 with no formal horticultural training and single handedly tended his beds of mature hostas, phlox, daylillies, astilbes, iris, sedum, cimicifuga, sempervirums and over 2oo varieties of lilacs beneath a canopy of deciduous and coniferous trees. At one point, the farm, with its splendid garden, was opened to the public. Bernard did this at a cost of no fee, just a small donation box nailed to a post at the opening pathway.

A 20 year writer for DownEast magazine, Jane Lamb, recently published a book titled Master Gardeners of Maine. She dedicates it to many gardeners, Bernard McLaughlin being one. She writes: "Bernard McLaughlin who died in 1995 at the age of 98" thought "the secret of a long healthy life.......[was] is found in the garden." Interestingly she also dedicates her book to Currier McEwen who started gardening almost by accident in 1956 and spent the next 45 years developing spectacular iris hybrids. My mom has spoke of him as he was a long time resident of her area. Curiously enough, Mr. McEwen died at the age of 102.

The McLaughin Foundation has assumed the functions of Bernard's estate since 1996, its main mission is to keep the 20th century garden with all of its integrity, preserve the 19th century home and barn, and to create an educational center where horticulturists, hobbyists, and enthusiastic gardeners can experience all of the senses of life. The foundation, a nonprofit organization, has established a tea room where coffee and pastries are served. A gift shop that retails books, cards, prints and clothing. They have onsite volunteers that manage and run plant sales, rental of the facility for wedding and birthdays, and conduct many instruction workshops during the summer months. The educational center is a library that contains over 1000 books relating to gardening and botany, many of them being from Mr. McLaughlin's collection and many of them being donated. The Stephen and Tabitha King foundation has pledged funds to the library. The foundations infrastructure is a board of directors and a volunteer advisory committee who have worked very hard to open the garden gates to the public, and still .....admission is free.

All the pictures of the lilacs are photos I took on a trip to town on Memorial day. The garden was full and had no parking places......so most of the pictures are in the back of the garden. I was very surprised to see the two people sitting so close to the lilacs and wondered if they were volunteers weeding the area. One of the nice ladies asked if I wanted her to move and that's when I saw they were having a picnic!! Apparently they had the same idea as us. The two pictures before the last one (the one with the lady) are photos from the intersection/parking area and it is the front of the garden. You can just see the farmhouse off to the left. The last picture is of a rose lilac....interesting.

Oh yes, a new sensation that's old? It was developed and sold as a new variety about 15 years ago, named Sensation. It gets to be about six feet tall, and looks ordinary until it opens its flower.......

It's planted in my yard, started about 12 years ago.......and is blooming for the first time.

New.....but old to me.......

Purple AND white rimmed, happily sending suckers this year.

I think this is the prettiest picture of all. Can't you smell the heavenly scent?

Having a long, healthy and sensational life....in the garden.....

Master Gardener Winter School

I recently traveled to Lebanon Tennessee with Karla Kean to teach a "Landscape Design" class to master gardeners from all across the state at the annual Master Gardener Winter Training. This post is about the training and the gardeners involved.

The Wilson County Extension office is located on the fairgrounds in Lebanon. This is also where all the training took place. The fairgrounds are attractive and interesting. They actually have a little town, complete with a schoolhouse, barber shop, stables, store and main street. Our particular class was taught in the schoolhouse.

Karla and I had 20 plus students in the landscape design session we taught. The students came from as far away as Roan Mountain and the Tri-Cities area in eastern Tennessee, to as close as Davidson and Cheatam counties right here in Middle Tennessee, and as far west as Jackson Tennessee. A wide range of all types of gardeners. Boy was I in heaven! Getting to be around gardeners!

Our class covered topics such as: landscape principles and elements, site assessment and analysis, the landscape plan on paper, symbols, and plants for Tennessee landscapes. In the afternoon, students were then broken down into five groups. Each group had to design a landscape by implementing the lessons they had learned in class that morning.

Groups chose garden designs as varied as a sensory garden, to an entryway garden, to a foundation bed, to a handicapped garden to a complete barber shop landscape design. Once the site was measured and evaluated, put on paper, plants chosen, and all agreed upon, groups were responsible for presenting their plans to the class.

The weather was absolutely awesome on Saturday and it was a great day to be outside designing landscapes. Lots of new friends were made, landscape designs completed and all passed with flying colors!

Beth Babbitt, Tennessee Master Gardener Program Coordinator is looking to make the winter training and annual event. So all of you master gardeners who may have missed out on this go around-you will have a second chance next year.

The first two pictures are of groups presenting their plan, the third picture is of Karla and I (Thank you Anna for taking it!), the fourth picture shows a group working outside, and the last picture shows some can do enthusiasm of a group working on their plan inside the schoolhouse.

in the garden....

Master Gardeners

The word master just seems to conjure up expertise in any thing it is placed in front of. So logically, master gardeners are masters at gardening. How true. In order to become a master gardener, in my opinion, you have to first and foremost have a deep love and passion for gardening. Of course, my opinion will not get you certified and you truly don't have to have a deep love of gardening to become a master gardener. You don't even need a working knowledge of gardening. You need only visit or call the local extension office and see Karla Kean (or whoever the agent is for your county) for information regarding the master gardener class and to sign up!

Classes are offered periodically throughout the year, usually at a convenient time in the evening. You will receive 40 hours of training in a wide variety of gardening subjects to include but not limited to the following: composting, insects, plants, pesticides, cultivating needs, pruning, lawn maintenance and a whole host of other subjects. It has been a while since I took the class (more than 10 years) so I might not be up on all of the subjects anymore.

Once you successfully complete the training (yes, it does include a test to ensure you 'mastered' the subjects taught), you then have to complete volunteer hours within one year of completing the course in order to become a certified master gardener. Volunteer work is a committment and may seem easier than it sounds, but you truly have to work to complete the hours required.

Montgomery County is lucky to have an active Master Gardener Association. They conduct activities regularly, have plant sales, trips, improve the community by completing projects, and sponsor garden tours. They collectively provide a great benefit to the community by sharing their expertise free of charge to all who need it in the form of manning the telephone at the extension office during certain periods of the week. If you have any type of gardening question these wonderful people are happy to assist you in answering it, free of charge. The Montgomery County Master Gardeners have volunteered a total of 1190.20 hours and driven 7875 miles in 2007! That is a lot of free hours helping our community! If each master gets paid an average of $15 an hour, you do the math and find out just how much free labor master gardeners provide our community.

Here are some links for further information: http://mastergardeners.tennessee.edu/ and http://www.utextension.utk.edu/mastergardeners/montgomery.

The Tree Steward class scheduled to begin next week is STILL looking for a few good volunteers. The information you learn has been invaluable to me, now is your chance as it is not too late to sign up. Call Karla Kean (931) 648-5725.

in the garden....trying to be a master.