No Title 2595
Supplement to “Found Space”
Jeannine Bennett’s lush Russell Springs flower room belies its humble roots as part of a garage addition. Measuring 8 feet by 38 feet, it is a veritable Garden of Eden with sea foam green and daisy yellow paint brightening the ceiling and water-resistant walls, plus a landscape-themed border, framed floral art, flowering and cascading hanging plants, wind chimes, potted ferns and flowers, and statuary each adding energy, dimension, color, and texture to the space. Five windows and two skylights let the sun shine in, and ceiling fans add to what the inveterate gardener calls her “atmosphere of life” in a tropical setting.
“I use the window sills for some of the small pots and figurines, and I have two tables I got at a yard sale for the small pots also. I have several large pedestals that I use for the large plants and some smaller pedestals for the small plants. I have a board in the back of the room that sits on two aluminum tins that I can move around when I need to.”
In the winter, Bennett maintains a temperature of 55 degrees with the help of a small ceramic heater and notes that her beloved plants thrive as well in the winter months as in the summertime.
“My Christmas cacti bloom just about all winter, starting in November, because I have so many.”
Bennett’s daughter, Amanda, helps out in the flower room when she visits and, when her friends drop by, they like to peek in to see what the neighborhood green thumb has done differently with the plants. For Bennett, the flower room has become her oasis, a place to retreat when she needs a quiet moment.
“I have a wooden chair that Amanda got at a yard sale and painted purple with a large daisy on it. She wrote ‘Mother’ on it and it’s beautiful. I love it. I will sit out there in the summertime and read my devotions. Such a quiet and lovely atmosphere to enjoy.”
Besides spreading her flowers around town, Bennett enjoys sowing the seeds of inspiration among other DIYers who enjoy nature and things in bloom. She suggests beginning with garden magazines and Web sites to get the creative juices flowing—or ideas blossoming—and then sketching out ideas for plants, décor, and other desired components on paper.
“If you have had a project in mind, but haven’t got around to it, I would encourage you to ‘just do it!’ You won’t regret it,” says Bennett.
To read the Kentucky Living May 2011 feature that goes along with this supplement, go to Found Space.
