Mother’s Day Lily Farm Gathering

Mother’s Day Plant Sale!  We occasionally spiff up the farm and invite guest. Announcements for these private events go out via our email list only. Gatherings for cool gardeners, for great clients and old friends, we limit guest numbers but don’t charge anything. These are thank you days. My Momma, Gloria Farmer is the heart…

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Earthforming a Rustic Urn

The circular patio holds a 1,000 pound urn. We made it. It’s a seating bench, a place to rest a drink or plate and it is an urn for a Japanese Apricot tree.   The earth-formed texture, (as well as patio texture) come from our farm’s clay, roots and thick weave burlap.  In the sides, there…

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The Earliest of Flower Gardens

There’s a patch of paper whites and snow drops in our pasture that’s older than I am. Just behind the little shed that’s been pony shed, goat shed and now donkey shed. Those are the kinds of bulbs I want in my gardens. From a practical stand point, because they come back, they thrive and…

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Crinum for the Fourth of July

In our fields and gardens, we have some crinum lily in flower from April first all through the summer all the way to mid November. A different lily for every month. In our book, Gardening With Crinum Lilies 3, there’s a nifty chart showing what flowers when. Always for the beginning of July, we have…

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Crash Course in Historic Gardens of Birmingham

In the 1920’s, architecture and gardens changed as some people, rich people, began to incorporate modern conveniences into house and gardens of traditional styles. In Columbia, an entrepreneur built his dream house. It’s in a style that was popular in more industrial cities and in England.  It was of a style that looked a bit…

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Trends in Foodscaping

“Over the past decades, our plant pallet changed in ways other than you might expect. Plant explorers and breeders bring new plants into nurseries. They, as well as garden designers, decorators and all sorts of cultural leaders, become the tastemakers, slowly changing which plants we can get hold of…..One slow, huge change, tracks our shift…

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The Otherside of the Web Page

I’d like to introduce you to three fellas who keep our website running. They are important in our life. And in your life too. Without the guys who do tedious, frustrating and creative web stuff, I couldn’t focus on growing good bulbs, nor could you read about or buy them for your garden. What’s behind…

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I Will Survive! Flowers for a Disco Queen

When a horticulturist (or anyone) comes up with a new plant, they get to name the plant.  Older, more genteel generations named plants to honor their wives or Alma-matter.  Think of Azalea ‘Mrs. G.G. Gerbing’ or ‘Clemson Spineless’ Okra. When I found a special crinum, I got my first chance at naming. Decades ago, I’d…

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