Making Friends and Garden Memories
Friday, April 22, 2011 at 5:00AM A few days ago I drove a couple hours up to Scottsboro, Alabama to meet Eve, whom I have corresponded with through her blog, Sunny Side Up. Eve rides a Harley and enjoys gardening and photography. I suspected we would get along well, and I was right. We were like old friends, right away.
We met at John's Native Gardens, a nursery which specializes in native azaleas and also has a wonderful assortment of Japanese maples, ferns, and many other plants. As I turned my car off Highway 79 and drove up a winding country drive, I could tell I was in for a treat.
I looked over rolling fields and a huge pond, and a feeling of peace settled over me. 
LaRue Anderson gave us a tour of the gardens. LaRue's husband planted most of the gardens before he passed away some years ago, and now she maintains and adds to it. Eve and I followed her, examining trees and shrubs. The assortment of Japanese maples, conifers, and flowering shrubs is breathtaking. 
After leaving the nursery, I followed Eve to her place, where I enjoyed more beautiful gardens, a woodland walk, and two cute doggies. And before I could make it back to my car, Eve was digging up passalong plants for me. And did I mention the sandwich, apple cake, and iced tea? I think most gardeners are nurturing souls who love the soil and have generous hearts, and LaRue and Eve both seem to be like that.
So my life is richer today, with new friends and new plants, and sweet garden memories to dream upon. Thank you, Eve and LaRue!
If you are in the area, give LaRue a call (256-582-4549). She would love to see you!
Reader Comments (16)
Ahh! Thank you for the wonderful comments Deb! I had such a great time with you both. We couldn't have picked a more beautiful day and I'm so glad you made the long trip. I'm working on a blog for LaRue and your followers can visit anytime at http://johnsnativegardens.blogspot.com/ and if they are in the area, hope they stop to enjoy the day as much as we did!!
Thanks again! It was so great meeting you.
New friends and new plants in a new season.... it doesn't get any better!
Sounds like an enchanting way to spend the day. Thanks for taking us along. I think you're right, gardeners love to nurture and it's amazing how close we become by visiting each others blogs.
Sounds like a really wonderful time that you had with really nice people. This must have been the most beautiful garden too. I was intrigued by the pond and woodland path. Magical.
Thank you form sharing the pleasure of your day. As you say there are few things to match visiting a beautifl garden with an equally enthuiastic friend (either new or old). I don't know what a Alabama snow wreath is, but I'm glad you have something that was on your wish list. Happy Easter, Christina
what a wonderful day..friends, gardens and passalong plants...bliss...
So nice to hear that you all had a wonderful time -- with passalong plants as an added bonus. The gardens look wonderful. Thank you for sharing them with us.
Your day out sounds wonderful and the garden you went to see looks delightful. Gardeners are amazingly generous aren't they, giving you bits of their plants, those plants always seem very special don't they, reminding you of the giver.
had a bad case of insomnia tonight and your stories have quieted my soul. thanks.
It looks like you had a wonderful day, just looking at the photos is relaxing. Funny, I just wrote about spending the day with Jan from Thanks for Today and Jean from Jean's Garden visiting my nursery and Chanticleer---so fun to meet fellow bloggers.
Sounds like a great day out, and a wonderful nursery. How nice that you met a fellow blogger.
Visits like that are good for the soul!
Yes true gardeners are generous - guess thats how you really tell the wheat from the chaff!
Best
R
It looks like an amazing place!! Wish wish wish I had been there!! :o)
Deb, This is the kind of nursery I love -- a labor of love developed by a true plant lover. What could be better than to explore it with a new/old blogging friend. Thanks for taking us along.
Oh, wow, sounds like such a lovely day! There are so many bloggers I've "met" through their blog and would love to meet them in person! How fun that you got to do just that.
A wonderful way to spend the day, making new friends and enjoying nature.