Precious Petals

You'll dig these gorgeous Mississippi gardens whose owners share them with visitors.

Those who love gardens but hate the toil can soak up the endeavors of others at these blossoming beauties in the Columbus, Mississippi, area. Both offer a surprising springtime treat when you take a peek at these two private flower havens.

Victory in the Garden

The look-but-don't-touch rule rarely applies at Rissa Lawrence's garden in Caledonia, Mississippi (13 miles north of Columbus). In fact, Rissa digs daylilies and iris right out of the dirt for customers at the Victorian Place Garden. "Don't dig iris when they're blooming," she says. "If you do, they may not bloom the next year." Though visitors may view the iris of their choice during the spring, Rissa waits until late July and August to pluck the bulbs from the ground.

A tucked-away treasure, the Victorian Place Garden attracts flower seekers from all over the South. "This is a hobby gone wild," says Rissa, a high school math teacher, who started gardening about 10 years ago.

More than a thousand kinds of daylilies and more than 400 different types of iris flourish on her 3-acre property. "For the largest selection of daylilies and iris, you buy them from an individual grower," says Rissa. Iris sell here for $2 per bulb; daylilies start at $5 per bulb.

For this geometry and algebra teacher, cultivating her plants and her students' math abilities are two totally different things. After a hard day at work Rissa admits, "It's a relief for me to just dig in the dirt." For more information call (662) 356-6019.

Pretty and Private

"My husband hunts for animals, but I hunt for flowers," says gifted gardener Margaret Sanders, who opens her garden yearly for the Columbus Spring Pilgrimage tour the first two weeks in April. Azaleas, dogwoods, roses, and different perennials decorate her lush 2-acre lawn.

Visitors discover nuances of this gardener's personality in the simple but elegant touches. A small-scale version of Monet's garden in France lies behind her house. "A very small version," stresses Margaret about her homage to the French Impressionistic painter. Water fountains, an old-fashioned pleasure garden with a lawn in the middle, and iron gates decorate the property.

Everyone who stops by has a favorite flower, and Margaret is no exception. She's especially fond of the iris. "I love to look and see what has bloomed since the day before. It's just like opening a Christmas present," she explains.

Call ahead for an appointment at (662) 328-0897. FARRAH AUSTIN

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Mar 2004
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