All the Dirt on Gardening

Memphis Botanic Garden is a garden-travel destination we have loved for several years. It's a six hour drive from here. Far enough to feel like we've gone someplace but still easy to do in a half day. We're especially excited to be going now because the Hydrangea Garden is in full bloom. In all, MBG is 96-acres with 29 specialty gardens. Open from 9 to 6, you can go early morning and walk through the cool hours of the day. Admission is $8 or $10 for seniors/adults. The Sensory Garden and Wildflower Trail are great places to see butterflies of all types. The garden for families, My Big Backyard features climbing, games, crafts, educational exhibits, and toys. This year, we plan to take in Fratelli's Cafe for lunch since its just about the only part of the garden we haven't visited yet. Memphis Botanic Garden 750 Cherry Road | Memphis, TN 38117  Phone 901-636-4100 In the same neighborhood is Dixon Gallery and Gardens which we always include in our

Bottlebursh Buckeye Cold hardy in zones 4 to 8, Bottlebrush Buckeye is a lovely addition to shade and rain gardens. Paige Nugent at A Girl in Her Garden said, "It holds dark green leaves in the summer and throws up white flower spikes over them in June to July. Unlike other buckeyes, it holds its leaves well into autumn when they turn a brilliant yellow. Late summer it makes buckeyes which begin by looking like bright yellow spiky pears on the plant. The seed is poisonous to humans so don’t try it as a snack."  Bottlebrush Buckeye is a southern native but can do pretty well in zone 4 or 5 climates with care, especially supplemental water during our drought months. Our shrub came from a home vendor at the farmer's market in Fayetteville , Arkansas. He dug it out of his back woods so I'm confident in saying it is not a hybrid  of the native variety. It's in its third year with us and this is the first year it has made such a nice flower. The first two y

"The Monarch: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly" by Kylee Baumle has just been released by St. Lynne's Press. I recommend this wonderful book for classrooms, teachers, scout groups and nature lovers in general. I've been studying butterflies for at least a decade. Not in an academic sense but from the point of view of a garden writer and gardener. In our yard we call ourselves people who raise butterflies as much as plants. Dozens of plants have been selected and grown here strictly because of their usefulness as butterfly habitat both for nectar and raising caterpillars. As a result, I have read books and articles as well as taught classes on butterfly lives in an effort to raise awareness of how the plight of butterflies is intricately intertwined with our own fate. Baumle's book is  a lovely introduction to Monarch Butterflies: Who they are, their life-cycle, the threat to their numbers, how to help and how to connect with others in the community of peop

The Flower Garden & Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas presents the 20th Annual Through the Garden Gate Tour June 10.from 9 to 4.  Seven private gardens in Fayetteville plus Botanical Garden of the Ozarks will be featured.  This is a rain or shine event.   Tickets at $15 for the tour are available at all Westwood Gardens and at Botanical Garden.   More info call  479-301-2128  or e-mail  blowerk@prodigy.net https://www.facebook.com/FGNSofNWA/