Bringin' in the Big Guns

So I told you we had an appointment with the landscaper. We did but it was rather hurried since I had another, also very important appointment at the salon. Hey, we can't all be flowers right?

Adam our landscaper set up our next appointment, which was with the Landscape Artist. I'm not sure what I expected....someone gay and flamboyant? Some good ole' boy who wants to cover my yard with 43.5 azaleas like every other yard in the South? I don't know.




James and I meet Jim Bennet, an elderly gentleman who worked for Southern Living magazine, teaching, speaking and lecturing for over 20 yrs before retiring to become a Methodist minister.
Mr. Bennet has been around so he know his beans, or in this case his trees, shrubs, roses, hostas, annuals and perennials.

We walk and talk and the amount of knowledge that pours out of this quiet man in the summer suit and
straw hat is amazing! He loves our large lot with it's balance of shade and sun, he tells us which trees should still be taken out. Suggests other trees that will bring spring and summer color and/or fall color which is what we want.


He is writing down what we want too but lets us know when the plants won't work for our area and gives us a viable alternative. He is quietly awesome.

Mr. Bennet is going to draw a scale map of our land and house, design beds, arbors, family areas and place all the plants there in the drawings. All color coded with care instructions and a month by month maintenance schedule for the year. If we don't like anything he'll change it till we do.

I'm very excited, it sounds like our aesthetics will blend very well and it will look beautiful. I want lots of flowers but in a garden-y way. Not a "here's a square of pretty flowers" way. I'm so glad we have an "Artist" doing this.

Looking forward to working with you Mr. Jim Bennet.