garden to return April 29 walk

TThe winds of winter swept through the Golden Isles this year. December saw area temperatures dip into the 20s, and even down into the teens. That proved to be a challenge for local gardeners and certainly for members of the Cassina Garden Club. Not only were their personal yards impacted, but plans for their signature event, the Tabby and Tillandsia Garden Walk & Plant Sale, also felt a blow.

“We start lining up the gardens in September and try to have them all set by Christmas,” explains garden walk co-chair Judie Mattingly, who is heading up the event with Julie Sellers. “But then, we had that freeze so a couple had to drop out.”

While they were sad to see them go, the team regrouped and quickly found replacements. Of course, it wasn’t a huge challenge considering there are ample gorgeous gardens on St. Simons.

“We were really fortunate. We were able to find others very quickly,” she says.

The additions fit right into their list, rounding out a tour filled with stunning landscapes. Six private St. Simons gardens will be open for perusing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 29. The route will take participants to Frederica Township, Black Banks, Sea Palms, and the Commons, as well as the Butterfly Garden at Demere Park and the Grey Owl Inn. Docents will be available at each location to provide information on garden designs, features, and plants.

“I’m always so blown away by the variety we have on the tour. We have some large-scale gardens that require help to manage, but we also have some that are smaller that anyone can manage themselves,” Mattingly says. “There’s truly something for everyone to draw inspiration from.”

In addition to the tour itself, the garden club will also host its members-cultivated plant sale, which will be held at their historic Hamilton Plantation Cabins at Gascoigne Bluff, 1195 Arthur J. Moore Drive, St. Simons Island. Live music, plein air artists, and food trucks (along with some adult beverages) will be on scene. Tours of the cabins will also be available.

Tickets to tour the gardens will be $35 in advance and $40 on tour day. They may be pre-purchased online at cassinagardenclub.org or at local businesses including ACE Garden Center, GJ Ford Bookshop, St. Simons Drug Company, and Righton Books, all on St. Simons Island. They may be bought at the Will Call table at the Tabby Cabins, 1195 Arthur J. Moore Drive on Gascoigne Bluff. Proceeds from the Garden Walk and Plant Sale will help maintain and preserve Cassina’s historic Tabby Cabins and gardens.

Cassina Garden Club’s Tabby and Tillandsia Garden Walk 2023 Garden Descriptions:

• A Coastal Classic in Sea Palms: This home’s front garden is anchored by an expansive date palm, surrounded with layers of boxwoods, sunshine ligustrum, and seasonal color. Carex grasses and Agapanthus frame the front of this traditional ranch home with shades of green. The rear garden overlooks the golf course and lake, framed by oak trees. Hydrangeas, Ligustrum, and basket grasses thrive in this shady space.

• Grey Owl Inn: Built in the 1950s, the Grey Owl Inn, owned by the Gray Family, was a private home for many years. Ancient oaks define the grounds, which flow into a manicured park complete with a fish pond, water garden, boardwalk, and bridge. A gazebo serves as the focal point. The landscaping has been professionally designed to include many native plants, enhanced by the mature gardens left behind by the Grays.

• Black Banks Garden: This Black Banks renovation epitomizes the charm of coastal living. The garden is entered through a jasmine-trimmed pergola framed with queen palms, cabbage palms, and African Iris. A circular path leads to a modern fire pit surrounded by three Bismarck palms. The pool is accented by containers of Agave and Carex Evergold grasses.

• High Heel Farms at Frederica: This estate is home to a devoted gardener and bee-keeper. It features a manicured lawn and urns overflowing with seasonal color. Beds of tropical plants mingle with raised vegetable gardens adjacent to the backyard’s pool. There’s also a well-appointed shed that functions as a hub of all things garden — from potting and repotting plants to harvesting honey from the hives at the Frederica Community Garden.

• Perfect Porches at Frederica: This Southern-style brick home is accentuated by wide porches and beds filled with seasonal plants. An antique syrup kettle planter and dramatic Little Gem Magnolia trees are highlights of this landscape. A pebbled path, hedged by Awabuk, leads to the rear of the property. There, a terrace boasts a plunge pool for cooling off on hot summer days.

• The Butterfly Garden at Demere Park: The Butterfly Garden at Demere Park has been designed to entice butterflies and support all four stages of butterfly development. Frequent guests often include Monarch, Tiger Swallowtail, Gulf Fritillary, and Painted Lady butterflies. There’s plentiful milkweed to invite the butterflies to lay their eggs, as well as abundant flowers for food and water. The Live Oak Garden

Club redesigned the park in 2019, adding more than 200 new plants, and the club continues to maintains the garden.

• Garden at the Commons: Hardscapes define this compact, charming space filled with materials such as rock, iron, and brick. Recycled Brunswick brick, pavers, and curb stones are incorporated by the owners into pathways, barbecue pit, poolside cabana, and children’s playhouse. A pool with a nearby waterfall and goldfish pond are other key points of interest. Colorful plants, garden ornaments, stately stag-horn ferns, and Lady Sago Palm complete the landscape.

Cassina Garden Club will host its Tabby and Tillandsia from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 29 at gardens around St. Simons Island. Tickets are $35 per person in advancer or $40 on the day of the tour. They may be pre-purchased online at cassinagardenclub.org or at local businesses including ACE Garden Center, GJ Ford Bookshop, St. Simons Drug Company, and Righton Books, all located on St. Simons Island. They may be bought at the will call table at the Tabby Cabins, 1195 Arthur J. Moore Drive on Gascoigne Bluff. For details, visit cassinagardenclub.org.