Seeds of Hope Garden Tour

Saturday was a perfect day for touring

some of the prettiest gardens in Nashville.

Seeds of Hope Garden Tour was the brainchild of my husband.

Serving on the board at Monroe Harding Children's Home,

he & others got the ball rolling

to have a garden tour to benefit Monroe Harding.

He came up & the name & it's been a success for 5 years &

one of their biggest fundraisers of the year.

Gardens are usually picked in south Nashville

(Oak Hill, Green Hills & Belle Meade).

This year I think was the best.

The gardens & lawns were perfectly manicured & each very different.

I could tell a lot & time & love was put into the design

& placement of each plant.

We had our gardens on the tour a few years ago & it's hard work.

But then again, I always work better under pressure !
Brides: If you're thinking of having a garden wedding

be sure to go to one of the many garden tours

offered in Middle Tennessee.

You can get some great ideas for your wedding

& the proceeds go to a deserving charity.
Now for a little history lesson:

Monroe Harding Children's Home began in the home of
Dr. James & Mrs. Fannie Harding. (Yes, as in the Hardings of the Belle Meade family).
In 1893, Mrs. Harding opened her home for orphaned Presbyterian children as a tribute to her late husband.
Shortly afterwards, she began accepting children of all ages & religions & in 1934
the orphanage was moved to a beautiful residential home on Glendale Lane -
located between Oak Hill & Green Hills.
In the '70s, Monroe Harding begin helping at risk teens only.
Good job Seeds of Hope Volunteers!
All of the gardens were beautiful but here are my favorites:
The Phipps Garden:
This garden is English inspired.
Visitors can instantly see this as they walk up to the side gardens &
follow the path around back.
A cute garden shed is the first thing you see
then your eyes focus on all the interesting 'yard art'

placed perfectly throughout.
I especially loved the potting bench

or rather all the art hanging above it.
This garden is full of 'transplants' from friends gardens &
you could tell this gardener loves the outdoors.


love the lover's knot
The Nelson Garden:
Lots of great shade at this stop.
Love the personal & historic touches in this garden -
a great millstone from the owners great grandmother's home &
a piece of the Belle Meade Plantation wall are on the property -
a remnant of the vast land holdings of Harding.
The lady of the house - the creator, landscaper & grounds keeper -
is delightful & her enthusiasm for gardening is catching.
Bet she's a walking dictionary on Latin words

for every single plant she has.


the highlight of the Nelson garden was meeting the very enthusiastic Megan -
as cute as a bug's ear & about as small as one!!!
The Roberts Garden:
Walking up to this house,
I thought I had been transported to

the Mediterranean's crystal-blue waters &
kept expecting to see Rudolf Valentino rounding the corner
to hand me a Rosemary infused Martini.
Oh well, a girl can dream!
Anyway, this was pure HEAVEN.
The side gardens were lush & cool -
enticing you as you make your way to the back.
Then right there in front of you is a pool to die for.
Wow! Would this be the place for a wedding to remember!
In fact, there at the edge of the pool

I planned a whole ceremony & reception.
Ok, back to reality...
The Hydrangeas were beautiful as were all the plantings.
There were lots of hidden gardens tucked behind the
walls & curves of the house & pool area.

the meadow & trail for the horses are to the right. the trail leads
to a horse barn that any horse would be proud to call home!


Annabelle Hydrangeas


the pool & patio


check out the giant clam shell - and yes it's real !!!


See what I mean !?!
Now can't you just envision a Bride & Groom

standing at the top of the landing
saying their vows while the guests are seated on the lawn below ?
Then after the ceremony,

guests will ascend the stairs to the pool & patio
for a Mediterranean style buffet.
Think shrimp, lemons, olives & luscious spreads.
OK...now I'm really hungry.
Somebody get me a cocktail - please !!!