by Judy Neal
Fall and winter are the best times of year to take a look at your garden and think about what you like best, what you want more of, and what you never want to grow again. You may not have a complete blank slate, but you do have a lot of opportunity.
The Cooper-Young Garden Club wants you to consider another opportunity, being part of next year’s Cooper-Young Garden Walk, May 19th and 20th. This past May, more than 600 visitors toured our neighborhood and enjoyed its urban gardens. What they saw and loved were the wonderful things that we can do in our small yards in our walkable neighborhood. When they come back next May and bring their friends, we want to reward them with even more unique spaces.
We know that everyone has something in their garden that makes them smile. We know that “something” is going to be different for everyone, and that is exactly what we are looking for. There are few neighborhoods as unique and diverse as Cooper-Young, and we want our Garden Walk to reflect that Cooper-Young vibe.
Our focus in 2018 is on native plants. These are the ones that bring important pollinators back to the community. Our Cooper-Young Garden Walk is excited to have native plant expert Doug Tallamy as our keynote speaker. He is the author of Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, a book that has sparked a national conversation about the link between healthy local ecosystems and human well-being.
You don’t need to wait to learn more about native plants if you want to have some ready for next spring. Garden club members are a great resource for native plant information. If you want to know more, or if you are looking for homes for native plants you are dividing, contact us through the CYGC website at cooperyounggardenwalk.org
On the practical side of being a Garden Walk participant, you can choose to show as much — or as little — of your garden as you like. We are hoping to get your commitment soon so that your home can be designated on the 2018 Garden Walk map.
Our dream is to someday include every house in the neighborhood on the Garden Walk. Every year we get a little closer to that goal. Please come grow with us and be part of the 2018 Cooper-Young Garden Walk.
Let us know if you want to be on the 2018 Cooper-Young Garden Walk by contacting Sharon Johnson at (901) 409-9751 or goddessharron@yahoo.com by January 12th, 2018.
