Gardeners around the world regularly view Meems’ Hoe & Shovel blog, but few get to walk in her garden. Two weeks ago I walked in the shade of her trees, smelled the flowers, and admired her vegetables. We have only known each other for a few months so this was my first visit to her real garden. To say Meem’s garden is beautiful is an understatement. You can view photos on her award-winning blog to see the evidence. I didn’t even bring my camera. I am seldom without it, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it justice.

Meems and her husband said they used to play games with the children in the backyard but almost all of it is converted into the garden seen on her blog. There are few gardeners that work as hard or have accomplished as much in their personal gardens as she has. Equally impressive is her vision for the rest of the area. I have the feeling that although she has a fabulous garden, that she is just getting warmed up.

She visited my yard a few weeks ago, and sees possibilities for my garden also. Before I arrived at her house to visit and to view her garden, she had several cuttings potted for me. They were her suggestions for what would work in my garden. As you can see from the brief descriptions below, many of them are good for butterflies and hummingbirds. It is typical of her planning to consider the needs of wildlife as well as to plan for the physical beauty of the garden.  As we toured her garden, we selected other cuttings for me to bring home. It is difficult when visiting garden shops to imagine what the mature plant will look like and how much space it will need. By viewing her garden, I saw the mature plants in appropriate environments. I also had her advice on various techniques and plant placements she has tried and which seemed to work best.

In the end, I brought home the following:

• Salvia madrensis – forsynthia sage: 10 ft tall x 4-5 ft. – spreading clump – yellow flowers, good for hummingbirds
• Jatropha multiflora – coral plant: tree – up to 20 ft tall – red flowers
• Begonia coccinea – angel wing begonia: cane type w/ succulent leaves & stems
• Odontonema strictum – firespike: 2-6 ft tall x 2-3 ft spread – red tubular flowers, good for hummingbirds and butterflies
• Cuphea ignea – cigar plant: 3 ft. tall shrub – red tubular flowers, good for hummingbirds and butterflies
• Senna alata (also Cassia alata) – candlestick or candelbrush: small tree – spikes of golden flowers, good for sulfur butterflies
• Clerodendrum paniculatum – pagoda flower: 3-5 ft tall x 2-3 ft wide shrub – clusters of red flowers

In her typical and totally organized fashion, she labeled each of the plants for me using a clothes pin and marker.

I have the plants in my nursery waiting for them to develop roots. I can’t copy Meems’ garden, even with plants from her garden. Each plant will adapt to the varying soil, moisture, light, and temperature in my garden and will look a little different from those growing in hers.

I look forward to another visit either in her garden or mine or in various garden shops in the area, but I also look forward to ongoing conversations with a friend.