Nancy's Garden

My neighbor Nancy has an incredible garden. When you first see it your jaw drops open and you just can't quit saying "your garden is beautiful!" Her property backs up to a lake which previously was a phosphate pit about 100 years ago. The land has reclaimed itself beautifully as a lake surrounded by a forest of large live oak trees. Nancy has a mound in her backyard which is the result of the debris (sand, clay, peat) leftover once the phosphate was removed.

She has created a stunning garden on this mound and surrounding property that includes tons of rock, brick from old roads, and a multitude of plants. She gardens mostly in shade and tends to be drawn toward bromeliads, ferns, caladiums, ginger and a host of many unusual plants. It's hard to find a plant in your own yard to passalong to Nancy because she more than likely already has one. She is a very generous gardener who loves to share clippings or volunteer plants when you visit.

From my visit I got lots of ideas to use in my own garden which re-invigorated my interest in gardening following the hot summer months. It also set me off on a mini-shopping spree for summer clearance items!