Knoxville520.com

I've always said that I never truly experienced Spring until I moved to Knoxville.

Growing up in Central Minnesota, springtime was always a messy affair. Here's how it goes: As the temperature eeks above freezing, the 2-3" permafrost melts from the roads, revealing a winter's worth of anti-slip salt and gravel. This layer of grit is soon joined by the slowly dissapating snowbanks to create a sloppy, slushy mixture that sticks to your car, shoes and pantlegs. The once-sparkling snowdrifts turn a dingy grey. In fact, everything you see is covered in a salty film. I used to count the days 'til summer officially arrived. Indeed, I had not experienced the mellow and colorful spring of East Tennessee. Once here, I began to understand.

The whole of Knoxville practically sings on the sunny, breezy days between April and June, and this year is no exception. With days in the 70s and nights in the 50s, I'm sure I'm not the only one who's already cleaned off the deck, made a trip to Stanley's and gotten my hands dirty in the garden. My neighbor, John, saw the spring-feverish look on my face as I was on my way to the greenhouse for the second time and cautioned me against going "whole hog on the planting just yet".

As a new and (extremely) amateur gardener, I have to take cues from the pros - and John's definitely got a green thumb. He suggested I look at what's already coming up and blooming to know what to plant. Now, there are oodles of fantastic spots in the area to get your wheels turning about gardening, but I decided to head over to my new favorite place: the UT Gardens.

Situated on the bend in Neyland Drive near the Vet School, the UT Gardens have all sorts of seasonal displays of native plants, trees and flowers. They've also got a creekside trail that's perfect for walking your dog. Here I figured I'd see what was blooming and follow suit in my own yard.

I am embarrassed to say that in the 9+ years that I've lived in Knoxville, I have only recently discovered the Gardens. In my own defense, I live mere blocks from Ijams Nature Center, so that is where my dog, Maxine, and I usually wander. For a change of pace, I loaded the hound into the station wagon and headed toward Campus.

I guess it's because of the unseasonably warmer temperatures, the UT Gardens are alive with color at what seems to be an earlier time than normal. (Al Gore was right.) As Maxine and I pulled into the front entrance, we were greeted with boughs of vibrant pinks, striking greens and flashing yellows. It was a sight to behold! I felt like I was in the middle of a 64 pack of Crayolas!

It was a picture perfect day and the steady stream of cars entering the park area was proof of a kinder season's arrival. The Gardens were full of families, kids, dogs and even a couple getting engaged in front of a flower-bed. (Is it significant that Maxine later relieved herself in front of the same flowerbed?)

As we meandered through the UT Gardens and then onto the walking trail, I gathered inspiration for my little South Knoxville home gardening projects. Maxine was only inspired by the cats who serve as pest control in the Gardens.

Here are some of the greatest places to find your own inspiration this spring...
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*There's the Garden Heritage Festival taking place this Saturday at Krutch Park and E. Tn. Historical Society.

*How 'bout the historic Knoxville Botanical Garden & Arboretum in E. Knoxville

*Then the historic Ivan Racheff House & Gardens

*There's always the pretty gardens behind and next door to Blount Mansion

*Don't miss the beautiful and peaceful best kept secret garden and labyrinth at St. John's Cathedral downtown

*The First Presbyterian Church's historic land and cemetery downtown behind TN Theatre. (The cemetary has a champion Hackberry and beautiful flowering shubs.)

*Historic Old Gray Cemetery is pretty this time of year & they are having Hunt for History on April 15

and finally...

*The unique and proactive Beardsley Farm off of Western Ave., making land and tools available to the general public

Special thanks to Debra Dylan for the added research!