19 Mar 2011 Finding peace and joy in the garden
by Sonja J. Keith
Todd Owens photos
Surrounded by nature and the beauty of her garden, Sheila Nash has found peace and joy at her home in the woods.
The two-story home north of Greenbrier offers a picturesque view of the scenery along the North Cadron Creek. While she always was interested in flowers and gardening, she had little time to devote to cultivating the hobby. “Now that I’m retired, I have time to play in the flowers.”
Her outdoor space features a variety of interesting plants – from the Dr. Seuss-like Bee Balm and oak leaf hydrangeas to hostas, which number more than 60. In particular, Sheila has a love of daylilies, which are too many to count in her garden. “I really like the daylilies. They are so easy to grow and are carefree,” she said.
The blooms are so beautiful that Sheila can’t resist the urge to go outside two or three times a day to enjoy the flowers.
Sheila has worked over the years to create a garden that will boast blooms over several months. First, she enjoys the daffodils followed by irises, daylilies and Black-eyed Susans.
“I’ve been here 10 years. It didn’t happen overnight.” But she doesn’t mind the work. “It keeps me busy. It’s a lot of fun.”
With her home situated in a wooded area, she has been very deliberate on the plants she has selected. “I live in the woods and nearly all blooming flowers need more sun.” So, she has incorporated “shade plants” like caladiums. “Most do well and they give color and texture.”
When she moved to Faulkner County about 10 years ago, Sheila enjoyed discovering the plants native to the area. “I was amazed when I moved here how many neat, wild things grow here, like wood ferns, yellow jasmine and the purple American beauty berry.”
Sheila has joined a group with similar interests – the Faulkner County Master Gardeners. “I had wanted to join since we moved here,” she said. “I decided I was finally going to make the time.”
Members have interests that range from vegetables and roses to native plants, according to Sheila. “There is a tremendous variety of knowledge in this organization.”
An educational program of the Cooperative Extension Service, Master Gardeners is also a volunteer organization that helps maintain gardens at public places like the Faulkner County Courthouse, the Faulkner County Library and all the branch libraries and the Natural Resources Center. Funds are generated through an annual plant sale, which will be Saturday, May 14, in the parking lot at Antioch Baptist Church.
“I just thought it was a group of plant people, but we logged over 8,100 volunteer work hours and 4,200 education hours last year!” Sheila said.
The group also conducts field trips, which Sheila finds interesting. “It is fun to see what other people have done in their yards.”
Sheila points out that no one is actually a “master” of gardening because “there’s always more to learn. It is a good way to meet people, learn and acquire plants.”
When the days get too hot to work in the garden, Sheila enjoys spending time indoors “playing with the fake flowers,” which she crafts into wreaths and arrangements that she sells. With a workroom akin to a flower shop, Sheila creates the items at home and then has three “open house sales” a year, although she sells by appointment year round.
With the wonderful landscaping around her home as well as the lovely arrangements inside, it is obvious that Sheila has a love for flowers and plants. That love was cultivated years ago by her grandparents and parents who had vegetable and flower gardens.
“As a child, I remember my mother participating in flower shows,” Sheila said. “I’ve just enjoyed growing things.”
Sheila said there is work involved in her garden, although an underground sprinkler system has helped reduce the time needed for watering. “That took away a big chore, but it’s fun. When you love what you’re doing, it’s not work.”
With her home situated in a tranquil location, Sheila enjoys her surroundings and adding to its beauty with her garden. “It’s peace and doing this is a joy.”
