years ago, when i was raising my kids in the boulevard neighborhood of athens, i used to always admire this house. it had flowers growing from the porch railing to the street. i thought it was the best house ever. years later, i ended up renting the house from a friend, and came to learn about pearl. she lived there from the early 50's until she died in 1998 at age 98. she was a hard-core gardener. she planted roses, camellias, azaleas and fig trees all around the house that are now ancient, huge and majestic. alas, the front yard flowers had become decimated with neglect and poaching, so i'm excited to rehab it to how i remember it.
i have a picture in my mind's eye of all the phlox, daisies, foxglove, queen anne's lace, roses, etc. that were in the front yard. my son-in-law brought me a dump truck load of compost, which we spread all over the front yard. all fall i went to plant sales and garden shops, planting bulbs and perennials, waiting for spring. now, things are starting to come up and bloom, including snowdrops and hyacinths that i didn't know were there. my plan is to draw flowers all year, and admire...
photos and words by rebecca wood