You might remember when I wrote a series about Handmade Homes, houses of people I know who have unique, personal homes. Nothing cookie-cutter about them! They were each different from the others, but all were warm and welcoming. One of the first homes I featured was the town home of Betsy Davis. Betsy is a collector of the first order. When she sees something that makes the bells in her head ring, she doesn’t hesitate to pull the trigger and purchase it. When you walk into her house, your eyes flit from object to object and from small arrangement of things to another, as if you were in an art museum.
To read about Betsy’s house click below:
Well, recently Betsy came into Chifferobe and invited me to come over and see her garden. I didn’t hesitate, knowing that I was in for a treat. Her town house is on a tiny lot in the Bee Tree area of Swannanoa, and while her garden is small, it contains more variety and color than a much bigger, grander place. I daresay that every inch of space was filled with something beautiful. She has a green thumb for sure, but she also manages to shoehorn in some interesting objects as containers as well as decorations.
Betsy took me on a tour of her tiny treasure trove and identified every plant and gave me its story: where she got it and how big it is likely to get. Most of her garden is in shade, and yet Betsy has coaxed colorful plants to flourish with very little sun.
Something that caught my eye was a series of clusters of dwarf papyrus. While these are not colorful, they have a very interesting shape and form. I felt as if I were in ancient Egypt. The corners of her yard that do get sun are bursting with color. She had already cut her peonies and other flowers that bloom earlier in the season, but her yard is still magnificent. I want to visit in every season so I can watch it evolve!
