Taking time off

By Kim Stephens

Throw down your shovels, take off your gloves, go wash up and put on something comfortable. For one day forget about the weeds you need to pull. Take a day off from your garden and visit some of my favorite places with nothing in mind except to have fun.
There is more to gardening than weeding, watering, planting, pruning and dreading all of the above. There’s shopping! One day of pure indulgence will leave you refreshed and reminded of why you started gardening in the first place.
I cannot begin to list all the reasons I love Stanley’s Greenhouse, but three words come to mind: friendly, knowledgeable and dependable. Like a trusted friend you go to for advice, these folks make you feel at home.
With 36,000 square feet of greenhouse space overflowing with gorgeous, well rooted plants, this is THE place I go to for annuals. My summer garden depends on their beautiful assortment of sun-loving Coleus. Outside you can shop for old-fashioned herbs, native perennials and a well rounded selection of shrubs and trees. I never liked poinsettias until I found Stanley’s. Who can resist names like “Jingle Bells” and “Marble”?
Just three minutes from downtown in South Knoxville, Stanley’s Greenhouse is easy to frequent, and that is one more reason it is my personal favorite.
Unless you are going to Clinton, Thress Nursery is not on the way to anywhere, but it is worth a trip on its own merits. If you need trees and shrubs, check out their selection of large, sturdy specimens. Be prepared to make an investment; they are not cheap. But, they have people on hand to help with these important decisions.
Their garden shop, located across the street, is a great place to buy gifts for your gardening friends. At Christmas time, they fill it with decorated trees and one-of-a-kind ornaments. I have never left empty handed.
If you are after a fresh-cut Christmas tree next season, go to McMahans on Chapman Highway just inside Seymour. My husband and I went there for our first Christmas together and have been going back ever since. After we picked our tree out, a nice man trimmed, wrapped and loaded it while we went inside to pay “Mama.” I love family-owned businesses!
They close after the holiday and reopen in spring. That is a good time to peruse their greenhouse and outdoor nursery. I bought my witch hazels there, as well as Exbury azaleas, two of the best plants in my garden.
When I say “daylily,” you probably think of the common orange variety that blooms along roadsides and is notorious for taking over flowerbeds. Think again. Oakes Daylilies has been in business for over 40 years and has grown over 4,000 types at their farm in Corryton.
I used to see their ads in better gardening magazines, but until I read about their annual Daylily Festival, I did not know they were a local company. In 2006, people from 35 states attended the festival. I placed my order at the event, and two weeks later beautiful plants with roots the size of my fingers arrived, well labeled and ready to go in the ground.
Don’t buy daylilies until you have seen their catalogue. Call to request one, and ask about open garden dates to visit.
For the ultimate day off, take a drive to Asheville, N.C. to visit Jesse Israel and Sons Nursery. They are across the street from the Farmer’s Market at Exit 47 on Interstate 40. I never know what I will find there, but I always buy something. On my last visit I spotted a plant in the nursery from 30 feet away and could not believe my eyes. Just months before I had seen this plant in a garden in Washington, D.C. and had spoken to the horticulturist about it. “Practically a perfect plant,” she said. “Try to get the ‘Improved’ one, and it won’t get quite so large.”
I had given up on ever finding one, but Jesse Israel and Sons had several to choose from at a decent price. My Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum ‘Improved’ made the trip well worth it. They also carry many hard to find herbs, especially medicinals from Sandy Mush Farms and other organically grown choices.
To complete your adventure, take a left onto Brevard Road as you exit and go about three miles. When you see the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance ramp, look for the North Carolina Arboretum sign and entrance. There you will find lovely garden walks to stretch your legs before driving home as well as the most elegant bonsai garden I have ever seen.
Happy trails!