KeyWee's Blog

Road trip!!

Our Master Gardener class took a field trip to Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Nashville, Tennessee.  GO if you get the chance.  There is something for everyone. 

Not being a big city fan, getting through Nashville was the hardest part of the day, and I wasn't even driving.  But it was worth the traffic jam headaches. 

Cheekwood was built in the 1930's as a country estate by the Cheek family (her maiden name was Wood).  Being founders of the Maxwell House Coffee concern, money wasn't an issue.  So wouldn't you build a four-storey 30,000 square foot limestone albatross with 30' ceilings and a wisteria arbor big enough to park a semi in??  Not to mention that the lady of the house was obsessed with water (didn't get enough coffee, I guess) so there are ponds, reflecting pools, fountains, manmade babbling brooks and waterfalls, grottos, if it could hold water, they built it.  Surrounded by 55 acres of gardens and paths, with spectacular views from every single window, it's hard to imagine ever living in such a place for a small potato like me.

Since we only spent part of the day at Cheekwood (two hour drive each way) we didn't see it all.  They have at least 14 individual types of gardens and a mile-long sculpture walk.  The Japanese-style garden has an unbelievable bamboo corridor that puts you in a completely different world.   Each and every garden has a theme and is designed to look good from every viewpoint (just like my yard, yeah ~ right).  A lot of money goes a l-o-n-g way. 

The mansion is no longer used as a residence but was donated to the community by the Cheekwood family in 1960.  So now the house is an art museum.  They were currently displaying a collection of Faberge eggs.  Knick knacks not being my cup of tea, but still impressive.

So if you get the chance and are in the Nashville area, do go.  The gardens were still awesome in October, so can you picture June?  The $10 price of admission is worth the experience.  Oh, and all plants are labeled ~ there were a LOT I didn't recognize (Zone 7). 

SO ........ only four more MG classes to go.  Big test on 11/15 ~ wish me luck!!