July 11, 2025
At the Memphis Fling back in early June, we were dropped off in the Lenox neighborhood one morning, where tour signs indicated the gardens that were open to us. At one house, wooden posts topped with architectural salvage — a trio of Dutch-hat finials — welcomed us.
An orb topped with a scrap metal ring was giving Saturn vibes.
A frilly silver gate opens onto a long silvery space.
Upcycled milk-jug planters hang from a shiny metal fence, each one adding more silver in the form of trailing silver ponyfoot.
Painted flowers and other designs add color to the upside-down jugs.
Here are a few more, including one gazing back at me with painted eyes.
The rusty leaves of a Japanese maple stand out against the silver fence.
A spacious patio with a fire pit offers seating near the house, while other patios beckon in the distance.
Behind a hammock, more of those unique post toppers stand at attention.
In a brick-edged pond, a mossy upright stone and herons add a little Asian garden style.
When I spotted this bust in the garden…
…I couldn’t help noticing it was the twin of owner Michael McClain. You see it too, right? Michael laughingly explained that a friend had seen the bust at a roadside shop and peeled in to get it. “It’s the God of the North Wind,” he said. That may be, but I wonder if that makes Michael the deity of the south?
High above a small deck at the back of the garden, a hanging light drew my gaze upward.
Pink hydrangeas, St. John’s wort, and bananas make an early summer combo.
Pettable ‘Sunburst’ St. John’s wort
Strings of colorful beads add zing to a salvaged security door or grate.
And the tallest asparagus I’ve ever seen — a tree asparagus, really — stands in feathery glory by a shed.
Up next: An Art Deco home and garden. For a look back at John Mark Sharpe arranging flowers and whipping up a giant bow, click here.
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Digging Deeper
My new book, Gardens of Texas: Visions of Resilience from the Lone Star State, comes out October 14! It’s available for pre-order now on Amazon and other online book sellers. If you think you’d like to read it or give it as a holiday gift, please consider pre-ordering. (I’m happy to sign pre-ordered copies at my book events!) Early orders make a big difference in helping new books get noticed. More info about Gardens of Texas here — and thank you for your support!
Come see me on tour! I’ll be speaking and hosting book events across Texas this fall and into next spring to celebrate the release of Gardens of Texas. Join me to learn, get inspired, and say hello!
Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance; simply click this link and ask to be added. Read all about the Season 8 lineup here!
All material © 2025 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
