The last meeting of the Plantation Garden Club until fall was held at Anna and Rob Tyner’s home, known to most as Dr. Smith’s home. I had visited it often when Susan Jenkins lived there, remembering the deep walnut paneling and the kitchen layout popular for mid-century homes with hanging cabinets acting as room dividers for informal dining.
When Chad and Edna Swindoll bought the home, they opened up the kitchen all the way to the den and created a beautiful open concept, working on it a little at a time with their elbow grease, eyes for quality materials and carpenters when needed.
The home makeover with a light-filled open kitchen painted a soft ivory was everyone’s first stunned impression, turning in circles to take in the magazine-worthy details. Then — and, of course, there is a then — there was the art. Anna may not have intended on conducting a tour, but you know I kinda had to organize one for myself first and then invite the rest of the club members as they arrived.
Cindy Pennington started the meeting with a horticultural study of hyacinths, such as a sweet-smelling spiked grouping of tiny florets often planted with daffodils and tulips. The bulbs and blooms are toxic to pets and I personally can attest to the need to wear gloves when handling the bulbs or you will itch much like poison ivy.
We were to bring samples of our oldest horticultural starts to discuss, then leave to share with others.
Letitia King brought the oldest sample — a climbing rose that had grown down on what is known as Jenkins Hill since the 1930s with runners up to 30 feet along barbed wire fences.
Sara Wilson shared a type of foliage producing tiny orange berries and orange wild rose type flowers named after pomegranate but not producing the fruit.
There were many other presentations all worthy of sharing if space allowed but one got most of the group talking.
When Amy Lambert Clark told of a hardy rose called the Peggy Martin, Judith Turnipseed reminded us that it survived 20 feet under saltwater during hurricane Katrina.
All the members living along Amy’s street thanked her for her beautiful yard and how happy it makes them seeing the colorful day lilies and zinnias growing along her fence and climbing rose, banana plant and sunflowers that all show off each year.
Refreshments were served by our hostess on the dining room table. She had The Willow in Clarksdale fill an antique soup tureen with a mixture of small white orchids, ivy and other lush foliage she can rearrange. There was a delicious white chocolate raspberry Nothing Bundt cake from Oxford, nuts and cheese crackers.
We ended our day with a field trip next door to Libby Whitten’s yard to see all things green and wonderful planned, planted and grown by Libby. I really do not have enough words to express the treasure she is to our club and town. We often lean on her knowledge and backbreaking work. She is the first one to pick up a shovel to plant a tree, design a pocket park, tell you the name of something, identify a disease or help organize the bayou Christmas tree replacement timeline. Libby knows stuff and humbly shares it freely. Thank you, Libby.
A big thank you to all our community who pulled together after the ice storm, cleaned up their lots and carried on with blooms, creating a welcoming first impression for anyone entering Sumner.
See you in September.
