Master Gardener Texas Field Trip

Last Saturday, after checking our map and getting each other's numbers in our cell phones, a group of Master Gardeners headed out for Tenaha, Texas.  We were attending a 100th anniversary celebration!

King's Nursery in Shelby County, Texas is now in its fourth generation of service to the community and surrounding area. During the opening ceremony, the history of the nursery was explained.  Andrew King (doctorate degree in horticulture from Texas A&M) recounted how the nursery began as a strawberry farm back in 1915.  He said that when enough money had been earned from the sale of the strawberry crop, that his great-grandfather, Bernard, gave the remaining "patch" of strawberries to his wife, Katie, to sell locally. She used the money she earned to buy furniture for their house.  This story took on a special meaning as we were sitting in front of the original home!

For the history of King Nursery go to http://www.shelbycountytx.com/magazine15/level2htm/KingsNursery.htm

After the opening ceremony and interesting history lesson, Greg Grant spoke about his personal connection to the King family and their nursery.  Greg is a well known Texas horticulturist and author. He was also a speaker at our Master Gardener Spring Seminar in the past.

For more information on Greg Grant go to http://ag.sfasu.edu/UserFiles/File/MAST%20ARBORETUM/Greg%20Grant%20Bio(1).pdf
and for more about Greg and his friendship with Aubrey King go to
http://arborgate.com/blog/my-friend-aubrey-king/

After all the sitting and listening was done, it was time to stroll around, eat a hot dog and cookie, and check out the plants.

Our favorite plant ,Pam Puryear pink Turk's Cap.  This one was about six feet tall.  Several of these were brought back to Ruston!

Next it was on to Chandler, Texas where we were greeted at Blue Moon Garden by a pink tutu!

On their website, Blue Moon Garden describes themselves as a destination garden center and I would have to agree with them.  This nursery is laid out like your yard.  Shady plants are grouped together in beds and under arbors around a huge oak tree.

Garden art is nestled into flower beds like you would do at your house.

Everywhere you look are lessons on color and texture combinations.

A rustic outdoor fireplace and arbor embrace a flagstone patio.  They roast marshmallows here during their Lumination weekend each December.  The garden is lit by hundreds of candles at that time, and each customer takes home a free swag for their door. Seriously!

We really got a kick out of the straw characters sprinkled throughout the garden.  Their whimsy was delighful!

Speaking of whimsy, Blue moon Garden has an amazing fairy garden selection!!

The following pictures are for our fellow Master Gardeners who love succulents.  We were thinking of you, girls!

All in all, our Texas field trip was a whole lot of fun!  Several of us will be headed back to Blue Moon again.  Oh, and on our way home we stumbled into the little village of Edom (maybe five miles from Blue Moon).  It was a precious little place with a home-cooking restaurant and interesting places to shop. 

For more on Blue Moon and Edom visit the following websites:

http://www.bluemoongardens.com/find-us.html

http://www.visitedom.com/

Love ya'll,

Shelli

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind. 

 ~Seneca