In to the garden of Elizabeth Lawrence

Elizabeth Lawrence is my hero. She was a pioneer in her field. She was the first woman to graduate from North Carolina State University with a degree in landscape design. Please go with me and tour her gardens through the eyes and thoughts of Flowergardengirl.

Elizabeth Clarkson Gardens

Recently I went on a tour of Wing Haven Gardens and Bird Sanctuary in Charlotte, North Carolina. It seemed a bit odd at first that Elizabeth Clarkson allowed birds to fly freely in her home. She put out worms in a dish on an inside table for those that preferred a good protein meal.  She named one of her birds Tommy. Tommy never slept outside a day in his life even though he fathered many a nest.

Elizabeth Clarkson always knew she wanted to garden but it wasn’t until a lengthy illness that she became an avid bird friend. She was required to lay in bed for extended periods of time. The birds became her entertainment and she would often be asked to lay a spell in the garden to be near them.

Tommy sat upon her shoulder as she played the piano and he would grab a hanky from her hand and fly about the room with it. Elizabeth understood Tommy’s chirpings. She knew if he saw a snake or if a hawk was in the garden.

I hope you enjoyed the podcast. Coming soon—The gardens of Elizabeth Lawrence

In The Neighborhood of Clarkson and Lawrence

No One Gardens Alone: A Life of Elizabeth Lawrence written by Emily Herring Wilson is my recent purchase. I could not resist it as I toured the gardens of Elizabeth Lawrence in Charlotte, North Carolina. I visited a childhood friend this weekend. She ask what I would like to do and was delighted when she agreed to tour the gardens of Elizabeth Lawrence and Elizabeth Clarkson. Two avid gardeners who lived on the same street in Myers Park in the beautiful town of Charotte, North Carolina.

Please join me for a trip down Ridgewood Avenue and see some of the homes both new and old that belong to the neighbors of these two pioneering women. Over the next three days, I’ll be writing about the gardens of Miss. Lawrence and Mrs. Clarkson. Mr. and Mrs. Clarkson set up a foundation called Wing Haven which owns and maintains both the homes. You can not imagine how much I enjoyed my visit to both gardens with only a few houses of separation. My goodness what their neighbors must have thought. And a surprise–they weren’t the only famous gardeners on Ridgewood Avenue in Charlotte, North Carolina.