June 23, 2025
Yeah, it was a busy summer (and it’s just begun), but I’m excited to start sharing my garden from the Memphis Fling tour. Garden Fling is the annual meetup of gardeners on social media with a 3-4-day garden tour held in another city each year. I’ve never missed Fling since it started in Austin in 2008. It’s an opportunity to see gardens in another area, take photos of the library, learn about the gardening culture of another city, and meet other garden enthusiasts who share their passion online. I’ve learned a lot from this event over the years, and it’s fun!
I’m kicking out a Memphis flying blog post at Linda Pittman’s Garden on the second day. In honor of Memphis’ most famous Indigenous son, I dubbed Linda’s garden as “Blue Suede Shade Garden.” Hiding under a tall tree, her tape house with denim blue accents retires in the background, giving center stage to burgundy Japanese maple, pink and blue flower yuno, and plenty of lime green leaves.
The quirky garden accents – almost always blue – are as abundant as this ice cream parlour chair-turned planter. The bright blue grasshopper stakes are a bit whimsical.
Linda’s garden shows how a shady garden becomes rich and colorful. Certainly, she has a gorgeous flowering hydrangea, but her leaf plants have as many influences as possible, and the colour lasts longer. (No, I don’t know what that pretty diverse plant is. Identifying plants from other parts of the country is not my strength. I’m here for the atmosphere!)
When I made my second pass through the garden, the sun came out and the angel bird bass was hidden among the plants. ah! This is why I like to make multiple walkthroughs in my garden.
A wider view. This is a garden heading down the street, be careful. What a gift for your neighbor.
Colors from flowers and leaves
The potted succulents are shown on metal mesh garden benches, but what caught my eye is the funny blue bottle…dog?
I don’t know what will happen to him, but I always enjoy the creativity of my little garden with a blue bottle.
At our last tree stump, a friendly terracotta pot with a kind face makes for a friendly welcome.
In the backyard, people with wooden limbs – dressed wisely – I laughed loudly. They spurred memories of the bedrock garden, where people with wooden limbs lurked in the dark forest.
Eye-catching texture and green tapestry shape.
more
The blue shed in one corner is the focus of multiple paths. It is topped with purple fish and accented with other purple splashes and white picket fences, making it an attractive feature.
The corners of the shade dim are brightened by a mirror hanging from the fence. I’m always worried about birds hitting big mirrors (or unsleek windows) in the garden, but I can hang the cord to prevent this.
A classic Southern accent, the Bottle Tree captures more light.
Another mirror is bright corner
More blue
And more!
Metal and glass lightning bolts hang from a tree stump intertwined with a vine.
Back in front, I came across Becca and Terri enjoying the garden.
Rachel was making one of her quick garden sketches. She did in all of the 40 or so gardens we visited when we ran away. I was very impressed with her talent.
Redbud draws garden views. At the feet…
…The small red wagon has been transformed into a movable planter.
Another shady scene
A dazzling fern
And the last moment of blue suede
Next: A garden called Casa Rosa, a stunning European influence of Margot McNeely and Gary Bakdaus.
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