Dirt makes you happy—and keeps you young



Here’s the proof—lovely Sally Cunningham on the arm of daughter Alice as she approaches the outdoor “altar” for her recent wedding to boyfriend Jack. At 60+, Sally is one of the busiest and happiest people I know, in spite of the many frustrations of pulling together a career out of several occupations—gardening expert for Lockwoods Greenhouses, writer and speaker on plants and organic gardening, columnist for Buffalo Spree and the Buffalo News, and consultant for the National Garden Festival.

The wedding was the first opportunity I have had to see Sally’s garden, although I knew, with all her consulting and traveling, that her personal garden was all too often a case of the shoemaker’s children. However, the garden had clearly received some extra attention for this special occasion. It has a lot of cottage garden elements, and fits Sally’s country landscape very well.

Rustic touches include a swing, small treehouse, and a wooden ladder used to hold pots and other garden elements. The plants are our old favorites—rudbeckia, ferns, hellebores, many shrubs, and lots of pots thrown in for late season color. Sadly, Sally can’t have hydrangeas, as these would be eaten by deer, so she included them just for the day, sunken in the ground in pots. Check out what she says about the preparations here.

Wishing every happiness to Sally and Jack!

Comments

Rose said…
Congratulations to your friend on her wedding; I think it's so neat that she chose her own garden for the setting of the ceremony.

Your title caught my eye, Elizabeth--some of the members of our local Master Gardeners group are well into their 80's, but they can still wield a shovel and even a pickaxe with the best of them! I thought the Gentlings in Asheville were also a great example of the health benefits of gardening.
Marmie said…
Sally always seems to have a smile on her face! I had just read her column in the Spree yesterday and was disappointed not to see a picture. So glad to see it here!

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