All the way from Ohio I have been commenting that we have been just too early visiting the Cheekwood Botanical in Nashville, Tennessee, most of the Natchez Trace, and even the Mynelle Garden in Jackson, Mississippi.
Now that the weather was finally warming my sister Sally, her husband Paul, and I took dad on an excursion to visit these wonderful gardens and they seem to have been just about perfect. On a comfortable sunny day with the azaleas in bloom, the trees mostly leafed out, and everything green I don't even remember any flies to remind us nothing is ever perfect.
Azaleas fill a bush in such profusion that it is rather hard to appreciate the individual flowers. Here is a sequence of what I think is the same blossom getting really up close and personal.
Rather unusual some of the camellias were also blooming at the same time as an early rose. The camellias are typically winter roses blooming well before the azaleas start here in early April with the roses later in May. Since this is basically a backyard garden there are a number of micro climates that coexist.
Due to the early season and visiting during the week we could explore the garden without getting in the way of any special functions. There are also a couple additional views below from our 2008 visit.
Hard to see in most of these pictures, the four corners of the "village green" have these statues Emy-Lou imported from Europe.
Off to the left of the "green" tucked under the trees in the northeast corner of the garden is this little planter wall at what I think was originally another fountain. The combination of the open lawn with the fountain under the trees surrounded by a tall brick wall allows a very complex garden is a very small place. The whole garden-museum complex is only a city block about 350 feet square.
So there is a place for everything from azaleas to berries to tulips.
I was rather focused on the azaleas with so many varieties blooming throughout the garden.
But the more you explore the more you can find in the various micro climates.
Not sure how they really fit together but I'll jump here from the peaceful tranquility of the garden to the Coke Bottling Museum which was now open. I think the bible museum was also open but they did not allow photographs of basically a lot of old ornate decorated books. Both of these museums are rather small, crowded, and to my view detract from the overall visit to the garden. Unfortunately today the multiple attraction of the house, garden, and two museums is required to keep the whole complex open and operating. We increasingly find these small private attractions struggling to make ends meet and remain open to be enjoyed.
Joseph and Herman Biedenharn developed the first process for bottling Coca-Cola essentially creating Coca-Cola Bottling Company. Joe's daughter Emy-Lou was an international concert singer until fears of the looming World War I curtailed her career. Forced to stay at home in Monroe she embarked on spending daddy's money to convert the backyard of the house into what is now the Biedenharn Garden, accumulate an extensive collection of antique bibles, and create the Emy-Lou Biedenharn Foundation to support it all.
This miniature formal garden was nestled into that area alongside the house we use for a garage today. With my limited lens selection I could not get back far enough to capture the whole garden.
The little cherubs were actually located out in the back part of the garden on the privacy wall along the street.
The main Green
has plenty of space for a sizable wedding and this fountain on a slightly raised area is just tailor made for the ceremony. That was one of my frustrations on later visits of needing to call ahead to make sure the garden was not reserved for a special function and unavailable.
These are examples of the pictures our friend Ruth Lambert loved to see and I always made a special effort to get a lot.
When we first discovered this lovely small garden the admission was free and they asked for a small donation for a guided tour of the house. The bibles were stored in the adjacent house which needed extensive renovations and was not open to the public. Unfortunately it has now become a commercialized operation with tours of the house, the Bible Museum, and a collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia behind the museum. I'm really not interested in much more than the gardens so we rarely stop anymore although there will be more pictures.