The
Merry Weather Garden Club enjoyed a real treat touring Turnipseed Farm in
Fayetteville on Wednesday, May 14, 2014.
Gail Coffee hosted the program and was delightful as she shared memories
of when she was younger and slipped into Turnipseed and enjoyed the garden oasis
that is located alongside one of the state busiest thoroughfares.
The
garden club was met by Steve Stinchcomb, owner and artist, whose grandfather,
named Turnipseed, acquired the land and farmed it after World War II. Many club
members remembered when there was nothing but a dirt road leading out of Fayetteville
and Turnipseed farm produced vegetables for the local stores. Many remembered
the acres of day lilies as the farm later changed produce directions.
Ten
acres are left of the original farm and in 1979 the farm changed to flowers
from garden produce. Stinchcomb pointed out the first tree he planted, a gingko,
which provides shade around the lake. He planted Japanese maples but early on
was remembered as the first to have irrigation with people stopping by to view
the sprinklers.
Today
the lake is surrounded by trees, bald cypress, dogwoods plus shrubs because now
Stinchcomb says his goal is to “work in the shade!”
As
Fayetteville traffic worsened his next project was to build a four foot berm
along the highway that he topped with a wooden fence and climbing greenery. Secret doors to the highway have a secondary
purpose. High school graduates line up
to have photographs taken in the scenic garden and Stinchcomb had placed a 2014
on the doorway for that year’s graduates’ photographs.
Down
footed paths were beds of false indigo, or baptesia, silver bells, spirea, bottle
brush buckeye, mountain laurel, iron weed, Joe Pie weed, euphorbia, yellowwood
trees, all interspersed with thousands of played out spring bulbs. Peonies, salvia, native azaleas, zinnias,
and cosmos added color to the beds of New Dawn, Zephyr, and WC or Van Fleet roses.
One
area at his property edge contained invasive bamboo which he pointed out is two
of the five varieties of the over 500 varieties of bamboo the pandas can
eat. He sells the bamboo to the zoo.
The
club thoroughly enjoyed seeing his paintings in the studio. He does many portraits-never working from a photograph
but with the live model. He also paints birddogs in action and attends trials
for their owners. His scenic garden is used by many for photography with
maternity pictures the current top popular choice followed by graduation and
family pictures.
The
ladies adjourned to the nearby Broadway Diner for lunch and a special Mother’s
Day game where they brought pictures of their mothers and members matched them
to their daughters. A fun game that brought
back nice reflected memories.
In
club business, the club will again donate several hundred dollars for
maintenance of the islands around court square. Coffee asked that the club to be
on the lookout for a quick growing shade tree(s) for the animal shelter as the
myrtles planted there were mowed down and the summer sun and heat preclude the
dogs having time outside without some shade. The June meeting will be hosted by
Sallie Mabon, Helen Claussen, Diana Norris, and Mary Anne Harman.
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