One of the traditions of gardening clubs in Virginia is to host tours. This is part fundraiser and part social event. As this is Historic Gardening Week, communities in Virginia are hosting several walking tours and single house tours. For anywhere between $5.00 to $45.00 groups and individuals may tour the homes and lawns of historical homes that are now museums and/or family homes. The project began in 1928 with a group of determined people who wanted to restore some of the area's historical landmarks. The project was successful and over the years funds from this project have been used to restore the properties once owned by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Woodrow Wilson, Patrick Henry, Robert E. Lee and George Mason.
There are of course rules to attending gardening clubs, which the local newspaper was kind enough to print.
- Rule one - wear nice clothes. Ladies are to wear flats as high heel shoes are murder on historical wood floors. Women should carry small purses unless they want to risk breaking (insert brand of pottery worth more than college tuition).
- Rule two - no taking pictures, making notes or doing drawings.
- Rule three - no peeking into cupboards or opening doors to rooms.
- Rule four - this is a high pollen program, bring your own tissues and take an antihistamine.
On our own front, Terry and I are taking part in Historic Garden Week by trying to identify the plants we have in our yard and the plants and trees we see in the neighborhood. Thanks to tutoring by Donna and the Hibbing-Chisholm Gardening Club and a gardening book, I have identified some of the plants in the area. In the front of our house are hostas, azaleas, a holly plant (the Hibbing Public Library has one of these, too), and two types of plants I have not been able to identify. The neighbor down the road has a bridal wreath, and another has salvia (these are both part of the Hibbing Public Library garden). The library's children's garden area had sunflowers last year. They were so big that Donna and other members of the gardening club had to use a saw to cut it down. Birds like the sunflower seeds, as we have cardinals, blue birds, robins, chickadees and a woodpecker. I plan to plant some sunflowers to provide a treat for the birds. 
Terry found this photograph by Fedrus at http://pixdaus.com/ I thought I would add it to the blog for I am flying to Little Rock this week to attend a conference of the multi-state summer library committee. My trip will begin at Richmond, then I bounce to Houston and then bounce again to Little Rock.
Another site Terry found is http://dir.salon.com/topics/garrison_keillor/ .
This site has columns by Garrison Keillor. I think it is fitting as the posting of this week is about Northwest Airlines, which according to the newspapers is being taken over by Delta.
