Southwood Production Greenhouse Visit

Joe Ward talks to Linnaeus Gardeners at Southwood Nursery.

Linnaeus Garden Volunteers toured the Southwood production greenhouses after the March 26th monthly training meeting. They were shown through the various greenhouses used to propagate new plant cuttings that are received by Southwood Nursery from countries around the world as well as from the United States. Once rooted, cuttings are then transplanted into larger pots.

Southwood greenhouses are bursting with colorful annuals.

The properties of new varieties of impatiens, petunias, fuscias, and other plants were discussed. Each person on the tour received three new varieties of plants and a shamrock to take home.

Field Trip to Wichita Garden Show

A bus load of Tulsa Garden Center members and guests toured the Wichita Garden Show in Kansas on March 6th.

Linnaeus Gardeners Goldie Phillips and Mary Carter enjoy the exhibits.

The Wichita Garden Show is rated as one of the top 10 garden shows in the country. In addition to the many businesses displaying gardening tools and plants, there were flower arrangements and flowered quilts on which the garden show guests could vote.

A mountain stream complete with snow and waterfall
is part of the Alpine Mountain Retreat

There were four complete gardens set up in the Wichita arena that we toured including a Japanese garden, and a beautiful Alpine Mountain Retreat with many snowed covered trees over 30 feet tall, a water fall that fed a mountain stream and a mountain cabin.

The Wichita Garden Show is a great place to find the perfect garden tool or plant, or just to have a good time viewing the beautiful surroundings and meeting other gardeners.

Road Trip to Greenleaf Nursery

Greenleaf Nursery stretches over the valley

Three busloads of hardy Linnaeus Gardeners and their guests visited the Greenleaf Nursery in October.

The day was cool and misty, but that didn’t deter the intrepid gardeners, who were treated to a tour of two different facilities operated by Greenleaf, a wholesale nursery near Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

First was a cold storage and sorting facility, where bare root trees are sorted and stored.

Next was the main facility in Tahlequah, where the corporation is headquartered and where plants are propagated and grown. Greenleaf staff provided a lesson in propagation, which was appreciated by interested Linnaeus Gardeners.

A barbeque lunch, featuring brisket and chicken, was served under an open-air pavilion, thoughtfully enclosed due to inclement weather. One Linnaeus Gardener remarked that the lunch, which was prepared and served by the corporate staff of Greenleaf, was the highlight of the tour.

Linnaeus Gardeners enjoy a barbeque lunch

A Greenleaf staff member accompanied each bus to provide information and answer questions about Greenleaf and its business, which is impressive in size and scope. Greenleaf is one of the largest wholesale nurseries in the nation, with facilities in Oklahoma, Texas and North Carolina, shipping to 45 states and Canada.

Greenleaf has donated hundreds of plants to the Linnaeus Gardens. For its continuing support and for the memorable tour and meal, Linnaeus Gardeners thank Greenleaf Nursery.

Road Trip to Lendonwood Gardens

Lendonwood Gardens' Japanese Tea House

In May, more than 70 Linnaeus Gardeners traveled to Grove Oklahoma to visit the Lendonwood Gardens, a three-acre botanical garden near Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees founded in 1995 by Leonard Miller, a retired dentist in Grove. Dr. Miller personally escorted Linnaeus Gardeners through the Garden that he had planted at his own home during a period of almost twenty years and generously donated for the pleasure of gardeners. Dr. Miller then treated Linnaeus Gardeners to a tour of his own property, including a break for lemonade on the veranda overlooking Grand Lake. Many thanks for the hospitality extended by Dr. Miller.

Lendonwood Gardens is part of the Oklahoma Botanical Garden system, which means that it contains labeled plants, is open to the public, and contains at least 225 species of plants. Lendonwood is home to more than 1,400 different types of plants, including one of the largest collections of Chamaecyparis (false cypress) in the United States, one of the largest collections of rhododendrons in the region, and also 125 varieties of hostas, 500 varieties of daylilies, 200 varieties of conifers and 25 varieties of viburnums.

For more information about the garden, see www.Lendonwood.org.