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While attending the Annual MG Conference in College Station many years
ago, I heard Greg Grant lecture for the first time and fell in love. While
taking the Landscape Design class in College Station in the Fall of 2003,
I heard Greg Grant lecture for the second time and knew that I was in
love. That day I immediately purchased The Southern Heirloom Garden
and had Dr. Welch and Greg Grant autograph it. That evening, my roommate
and I poured over the photos in the book like two young school girls
studying for a final exam. I continued to absorb the book for the next
several months and when I returned to College Station in February of 2004
to take the next class, we took a side trip to the Antique Rose Emporium.
There I purchased my first crinums. In the back of the book there is a
list of recommended nurseries, some of which have websites and I had been
looking at those websites for several months but not buying anything. When
I got home I got on line and purchased the Amaryllis (St. Joseph's Lily)
from Old House Gardens, which is recommended by Welch & Grant in their
book. I created a brand new flower bed on the southwest corner of my
backyard under the large winged elm. Immediately around the trunk of the
tree I planted Columbine and around the outer perimeter I have planted the
crinums and the amaryllis along with a few irises and some rain lilies.
Nothing bloomed in that garden last year but this year the Columbine has
exploded. Just as they were finishing up blooming, the Irises opened up.
Now the Irises are just about finished and the St. Joseph Lily bloomed. I
am now worshiping the "Plant God" in hopes that the Crinum will bloom this
summer.
Now actually getting to meet Scott Kunst and hear his lecture
presentations will be the icing on the cake for me. I have been ordering
faithfully from his catalog since the Spring of 2004 and have purchased
glads, dahlias, rain lilies, daffodils, fritillary, Mexican single
tuberose and oxblood lilies. I have only been ordering a few at a time for
fear that I was throwing my money away on something that I could not grow.
The glads came up last summer with no problem and so did the tuberose. Now
the amaryllis is up and the glads and tuberose are coming back so I am
very excited anticipating what this year's garden will look like.
Karen, Flower Mound
Karen's roommate was Janet Starr, class of 99 also, who is now a Woods
County Master Gardener, having retired to Mineola in May, 2003.
Janet and Karen have been to all of the state conferences together except
Corpus Christi and have attended the Landscape Design classes together in
College Station. They continue to travel together even though Janet is now
in Mineola. They will be roommates again this year at this week's
conference. |
