Around The Garden World - Day 68 (West Nashville, Tennessee) Magdalene House

Today I painted. Usually I am painting a landscape with color and texture of annual or perennial plants.  But today some friends and I went to put a little color on the walls of Magdalene House. 

 Magdalene is a program of Thistle Farms and is a residential program for women who have survived lives of prostitution, trafficking, addiction and life on the streets.

photo by Marcie Brolund

And I came because they needed extra hands to get the painting done. 

 
"Magdalene stands as a witness to the truth that in the end, love is more powerful than all the forces that drive women to the streets." The women I met inspired me with their stories of lives healed by love.

While there, I, of course, had to check out the pretty courtyard in home

 with moss covered stones,

 and saw a few opportunities for me to add some input for improvements.

The added touch of these glazed mosaics pressed into the mortar was a fun idea. 

healthy moss!

A Rhododendron bud just waiting for spring. 

 The last of dogwood's fall color

Arum italicum

 One of the things I was thrilled to see was the vegetable garden that they had started this summer.

 This is a project that I can sink my fingers into!

Pretty Swiss Chard!

 Another new branch of Thistle Farms is their Thistle Stop Cafe. Here's their cozy outdoor seating

Teacup chandeliers

And their deep patina floors came from Vice President Al Gore's tobacco farm buildings

Great food and one of the best Chai Tea's I've ever had.

I adore the products that the women make - lotions and soaps. Tuscan Earth is my favorite scent.

Cozy seating!

Learn more about Thistle Farms here: http://vimeo.com/64927155

Around The Garden World - Day 67 (Athens, Georgia)

I stopped at this little nursery outside Athens, Georgia a few years back because they had a sign that said "hot boiled peanuts" and I knew I couldn't resist. What I found were some incredible container plantings and a fabulous greenhouse. I CANT BELIEVE I DIDN'T TAKE A PICTURE OF THEIR NAME!! If you know this nursery, let me know!

 Aren't these dish gardens great!

Around The Garden World - Day 66 (Laurel, Mississippi)

A year after Katrina hit Mississippi, I visited my friend Joanna Cranford's childhood home in Laurel, Mississippi. Her mom was eager to show us a horticultural oddity that resulted from the hurricane that blasted through this town from Katrina. 

 There is a rose growing inside the guest bedroom.

 This window hasn't been opened in years.

 But somehow this rose stem blew through the closed window and spent the next year growing and blooming in this room

 I also has able to enjoy this colorful garden up the street with camellias and redbuds

 The winter vegetable garden ready for spring

 pretty late winter garden rooms

 Blooming Rosemary

 And this eclectic garden:

 Classic on one street, and quirky on the next!