Gardening Partners spend a lovely Sunday afternoon walking the grounds of the Scarritt-Bennett Center marveling at the history and architecture on display.
We saw several visitors with ice cream and our own Brian Hendrix was able to track down the source so that we could cool off with a sweet treat.
A self-guided tour program is available in the Guest Welcome Center, but we were lucky that Bernie Harris showed up to fill us in on some of the features and history of the Center as well as narrating a walk around the block.
We’ll plan another trip in the late spring/early summer when the gardens are in bloom….in the meantime, enjoy these photos.
Tours still being booked – complete schedule available soon. Students accepted as space allows until September 25th.
Registration Open!
2018 Fall Gardening Classes will begin September 11. Graduation is scheduled for November 13. Tuesday evening classes between those two dates are packed with information and instruction. Saturday morning tours are planned to educate and excite new and experienced gardeners alike. This year, for the first time, Gardening Partners will be offering online instruction as well with extra material presented on selected gardening topics.
Evening classes typically begin at 6 pm and end by 8:15 pm while Saturday tours generally begin around 9 or 10 am and end before noon. Sunday afternoon tours begin around 12 to 1 pm.
Each class will present a general overview of one topic. Classes are designed to introduce information and resources for further study. Our instructors may use handouts, PowerPoints, lectures, videos, and other materials. Gardening Partners endeavors to provide the best instruction available from instructors who bring their expertise and experience to the classroom.
A few of the topics introduced include:
Plant Pathology presented by Amy Dismukes
Amy is the UT/ TSU Horticulture Extension Agent for Williamson County, Tennessee and is a graduate of Auburn University, where she received a Bachelor of Liberal Arts, a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture and a Master of Agriculture in Plant Pathology & Entomology. She provides educational training for both homeowner and commercial clientele regarding issues concerning horticulture, conducts site visits throughout the county to diagnose and resolve issues with insects, plant diseases, soil and weeds, and is a frequent guest speaker for professional, garden and horticultural associations and commercial pesticide workshops/conferences. Amy also coordinates the Williamson County Master Gardener Program.
Entomology presented by Dr. David Cook
Dr. David Cook is a University of Tennessee Extension Agent for Davidson County and is involved in educating homeowner and commercial clients about issues concerning horticulture and agriculture. He provides educational training on pesticide safety and training for pesticide applicators seeking commercial certification and licensing and teaches training classes for Master Gardener programs in Davidson and surrounding counties. He is a frequent guest speaker for garden clubs, horticultural associations, and commercial pesticide workshops.
Plant Propagation presented by Marty DeHart
Marty’s lifelong passion for plants has led her to a long and varied career in horticulture: she’s been a professional grower of gloxinias and African violets as well as perennials, a native plant propagator, a landscaper and landscape designer. She deeply enjoys learning constantly and sharing what she learns about plants, particularly information and techniques that can produce thriving plants and green-thumbed gardeners.
Landscape Design presented by Troy B. Marden
Troy is a passionate plantsman, garden writer and tour guide, leading garden tours across America and around the world. He writes regularly for some of the country’s top gardening magazines, and his blog, Gardener|Cook, has become popular with plant lovers and food lovers alike. He has been gardening since he was four years old and if it has to do with plants or gardening, he has probably grown it or done it at some point in his career! https://troybmarden.com/
Composting presented by Linda Hartmann
Linda Hartmann is a Middle School Science and Math teacher with 35 years experience, most of those years in Florida with the Escambia County School District. She has Master’s degree in Education. In the year 2000, she was selected as the Escambia County Teacher of the Year, as well as the WSRE-TV’s National Teacher Training Institute Teacher of the Year. While she was the senior science teacher at the school district’s Environmental Center she had the opportunity to work in cooperation with the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida to learn how to handle wildlife, specifically, hawks and owls. Other projects included classroom lessons on ecology, environmental sustainability, recycling, and habitat restoration. Linda was also actively involved in several state environmental groups developing many environmental education programs that were to be used in classrooms. One of these programs was to teach about sustainable vermicomposting, that is, using earthworms to compost organic waste into rich, fertile soil eliminating the use of chemical fertilizers. Having moved to TN to be near her sister Dorothy, Linda now lives in Vanleer, TN, enjoying retirement with her dog, Buddy, and visits with her son, Jimmy and grandson Max.
Vegetable Gardening presented by Jim Johnson
Jim Johnson is retired from the Agricultural Extension Service where he conducted programs in agriculture and horticulture, including the Davidson County Master Gardener Program. Jim currently owns and operates Prime Lawns, a landscape pest control service. He lives in Hermitage, TN with his wife Cindy. They have 3 grown children.
July Winner…..Linda A. with Southern Sin-Berry Shortcake
A family favorite first made by my dear sister, this cake quickly became popular at family dinners, gatherings, cookouts, and other events. My sister made it with a variety of different fruits, but strawberry was always the hands down winner in a taste contest. Demands for the recipe were met with stubborn silence, but she did share it with a few family members. We took this cake to church, to work, and to the homes of our friends. It became apparent who had the recipe and who didn’t and discord (good-natured usually) followed. Some of my co-workers begged for years for the recipe, but I only gave it to a few favored cooks. I have made this cake for charity events, for funerals, and to take to firehouses, police departments, and city offices here in Dickson, but not for a long time…..because as you all may know – I DON’T COOK ANYMORE. However, on July 10th 2018, I once again made this cake to serve to my fellow Gardening Partners. I am sharing the recipe as the Silver Spoon winner and I hope everyone enjoyed the cake and uses the recipe…..just never ever ever tell my sister I gave it to you. ~Linda A.
Southern Sin-Berry Shortcake
1 baked cake – angelfood works best, but white or yellow cake is good too. If you are buying angelfood cake from the Kroger Deli, you will need two.
2 small boxes strawberry jello powder or 1 large box
1 regular can evaporated milk plus one small can evaporated milk (don’t use sweetened condensed)
2 regular boxes of sweetened sliced frozen strawberries or 1 large one or use your own berries (defrosted)
1 large Cool Whip or 2 regular size Cool Whip – you may need more or less depending on your serving dish
Choose a dish to serve the cake in – I use disposable cake pans with plastic lids, but it looks pretty in a trifle dish or large glass bowl.
In a large bowl, mix the condensed milk, jello powder, and strawberries together.
Break the cake into small chunks and layer half in the bottom of your serving dish. Spoon half the strawberry mixture over it, then top with Cool Whip. Put the second half of the cake pieces on top, then the rest of the strawberry mixture and top it with more Cool Whip. Reserve a little bit of the Cool Whip to cover any spots where the red swirled up. Cover and refrigerate. This cake tastes better as the ingredients soak in and is usually better the second day.
You can use any fruit/jello combination and the sugar/fat content can be lowered by using Lite Cool Whip, sugar free jello, reduced sugar frozen strawberries, and low fat condensed milk. Kroger in Bellevue (Hwy 70) sells an Angel Food Cake that is sugar free. The low fat and low sugar versions taste about the same as the regular.
