best friends

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MARGARET MOSELEY- GARDENER EXTRAORDINAIRE

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Tomorrow night my dear friend and mentor Margaret Moseley will be at The American Hydrangea Society Meeting  signing the book about her garden written by Martha Tate.

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The richness of Margaret’s garden is captured in her portrait above.

If you have been reading my blog you already know her great influence on me as I learned about Southern Gardening.

Mine is not the only garden she has influenced. Lyndy Broder told me that when she first saw Margaret’s garden , she suddenly knew what she would do when she retired.

This meeting is open to the public. More information HERE

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HYDRANGEAS & LUNCH

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Yesterday I listened in awe and lunched with the Hydrangea experts.

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                                                                                                    Above,  Gene Griffin & Robert Mallet

Robert Mallet OF THE SHAMROCK COLLECTION, (located in Normandy France; the largest collection of Hydrangeas in the world), visited with Elizabeth Dean & Gene Griffin of WILKERSON MILL GARDENS; North America’s premiere hydrangea nursery.

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Above, discussing the  furry stems of Hydrangea aspera.

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                                A peek at the propagating nursery above.                                                                                                        

How lucky I was to be invited. Listening to the conversations was an education! Thank you Elizabeth & Gene.

Robert will be addressing the American Hydrangea Society tonight.

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THE BEST GIFTS

The best gifts I have ever received are those that were made for me. Whether it was a home-made cake, a stunning pair of earrings (crafted by my daughter) or the great home-made spaghetti dinner a neighbor would send over a day or two before Christmas; these are remembered well after the sweaters & gift certificates are long forgotten.

One of my favorites is a wonderful little book made for me by my brilliantly talented friend Gloria Ward.

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She is a craftsperson. When she started scrapbooking she created delightful books for our circle of  friends. In it are photos of  our small group of gardeners and some of the memorable moments we shared.

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Margaret, Gloria, Phyllis

I received mine over 6 years ago. I treasure it still and it holds a special place in my home & heart.

With this in mind, my oven is working overtime!

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Top photo from the one and only Carolyne Roehm

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A GARDEN VISIT

Yesterday I visited with Margaret Moseley. As usual I came home with a list of ‘must have’ plants.

                                                                                            

Margaret  has been an inspiration for many gardeners. Every season her garden is filled beauty wherever one looks.

                                                                                   

Above, a welcoming entrance… the large tree to the right is a Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), straight ahead is a Japanese Flowering Apricot (Prunus mume).

Margaret laid those stones when she was in her 70’s!

  Below, a seating area beneath a flowering cherry tree  (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’) surrounded by azaleas, camellias and underplanted with a variety of textured  & fragrant groundcovers…                                                                         

                                                                                      

Well thought out focal points….

                                                                                   

Her philosophy…

                                                                                 

Camellias in bloom…. my new plant list…

                                                                                  

                                                                                                             

                                                                                           

                                                                              

Some of these Camellias  are heirlooms, rare in the trade. While they may be a challenge to locate,  don’t give up, they are out there.

                                                                                               

                                                               

One of my personal favorites is Camellia japonica ‘Ava Maria’ (above). When I first saw it in Margret’s garden the hunt to acquire one was on! Her very generous daughter Jane located it for me. It is a  gift I treasure, as is Margaret’s friendship.

Note: plant names are visible if cursor is on photo. To read more on Margaret & her garden visit GARDEN PHOTO OF THE DAY. She is often featured.

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WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

                                                                               

                                           Rosemary supervises the Blog

© All photos & text 2010