“Begin with the end in mind” is a favorite phrase in education circles. Think about where you want students to be at the end of the year, semester, nine weeks, unit, or lesson, and then plan accordingly. In other words, make your unit test first, and then plan your lessons such that students learn the […]
Crescent Bend House and Garden
I love exploring historic homes and their accompanying gardens, so when I went to visit my parents one time last summer, my Dad suggested finding some historic homes in Knoxville. We settled on Crescent Bend House and Garden near the University of Tennessee. When we arrived, we weren’t entirely sure it was open because we […]
Aunt Linda’s Garden – Houseplants and Advice
I hope you had a chance to read the first half of my interview with Aunt Linda, my mom’s sister. In this installment, we’re talking about gardening mistakes, favorite plants, houseplants, and advice for gardeners. Shelly: Are there any plants you’ve tried and thought, Never doing that again, or wish you hadn’t? Aunt Linda: Let […]
Amy Cate’s Garden — Continued
This is the second half of my interview with Amy Cate — major gardener inspiration. We talk about her experiences helping others with their landscaping — from major overhauls to smaller scale changes and maintenance. We also end with advice for new gardeners that also can apply to all areas of life. I hope you enjoy […]
Amy Cate’s Garden
Amy Cate has always been #gardengoals for me. I have watched from afar (okay, from Instagram), and marveled at everything she has been growing for years. She has turned a portion of her backyard into a lush, thriving garden for herbs, vegetables, and flowers. So, once I started this blog, I knew I needed to […]
Linda Vater’s Garden
Over spring break, rather than stay at home by myself while Paul was at a conference in Oklahoma City, I decided to tag along. Some people would relish the alone time, but I can’t stand it! While he was at the conference during the day, I went out and explored Oklahoma City, seeing Myriad Botanical […]
Urban Gardening Festival
Container Gardening 101
Container gardening is good for both people with little outdoor space and for those who want to add interest to front porches, back decks, etc. A basic principle for choosing the plants to create a beautiful container display is to have a “thriller,” a “filler,” and a “spiller.” A thriller plant gives the container height, […]
Cheekwood Estate and Gardens
I visited the gardens at Cheekwood this past Saturday and I took about a million photos. I love visiting Cheekwood because it showcases many different styles of gardens and it looks different every time you go there. They have planted strategically such that something is always in bloom no matter when you go. Now is […]