Friday, August 03, 2018

The Memphis Botanic Gardens Delta Heritage Garden


The Delta Heritage Garden is a relatively recent addition to the Botanic Gardens and seems to be getting regular attention and improvement.


Here's a close-up of the interpretive sign:


It's not a large area, but it has pathways you can walk along. This is the view from the shelter:


There are signs throughout the space:




It's a good reminder to those of us who remember what gardening used to be like and an education of what gardening could be like again for those who don't remember.



16 comments:

  1. A great idea especially for those of us who don't know much about gardening.

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    1. Yes, it's a wonderful educational garden.

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  2. I think having posted signs describing the garden & plants in it, is such an important part of the experience & education. In one of the last photos, the blue tubed plant looks most interesting, did it say what it was? Mr Man & I have been investigating permaculture living ... it incorporates some of the older methods of mixed farming.

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    1. If you're talking about that bottle tree? You may have to click on the photo to embiggen it to see what it is. They're a traditional southern yard decoration, usually blue but not always. These days you can buy iron frames and bottles to make them, but back in the day you used the bottles you had and put them on dead trees. There's a photo by Eudora Welty taken in Mississippi in 1941 here: http://eudorawelty.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Bottle-Tree-Edit.pdf They were said to trap evil spirits.

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  3. I like when you take us to the Botanical Gardens. Today's segment is another beauty. This garden is much more "controlled" than mine which needs a good weeding. Thanks for sharing. Hugs-Erika

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    1. They have quite the staff there, to say nothing of their dedicated volunteers; but weeds always win, don't they lol

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  4. I was most impressed with this latest garden. I had no idea the Mississippi Delta grew so many different and diverse crops. This garden would make me happy, I'm sure. BTW, I LOVE that blue bottle tree. Cobalt blue is my favorite, too. Thanks for taking us with you as I learned more about this way of gardening.

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    1. The people who grow home gardens have a good variety to choose from. When I was growing up we had everything from strawberries to peach and plum trees to corn. Nice :)

      I've never had a bottle tree, but I do see them here in Memphis. I used to only see them out in the country.

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  5. A wonderful place- great! Happy weekend!

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    1. Thx! It is an interesting addition to the garden :)

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  6. Such an interesting and informative post! It's wonderful that the Botanical Gardens have this garden to educate those visiting and it really is a beautiful place to visit with you too 😁. Thanks for sharing and wishing you a happy weekend! J 😊 x

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    1. It'll be interesting to see what the space looks like through the fall and winter. It seems to me it'll be more labor intensive than many of the other areas... but what do I know ;)

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  7. My mother and grandmothers had gardens, but I've never had my own garden. As a kid all I did was pull weeds--LOL! I would be a newbie. Leah has raised beds and has started gardening, but I never asked her if her mother gardened. Interesting! :)

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    1. My veggie gardening as an adult has been quite limited, I admit. I've had mixed luck with peppers and tomatoes in pots on the patio.

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  8. what a lovely area!!
    my mother had very large garden, vegetables of all sorts and the most incredible flower garden ever..people used to stop, get out of their cars and often ask if they could possibly purchase a bouquet:)
    great post!

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    1. What a wonderful garden that sounds like! My mother grew flowers, too. I remember our flowering hedges :)

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