9308 Smith Cemetery Circle, Soddy Daisy 37379
When Rich and Brenda purchased their 1-1/2 acre slopping property in 2019, it was a tangled mass of trash trees and vines. In five years it has been transformed into a woodsy wonderland. Their B&Z garden, named after Brenda and her pooch, Zena, required massive rock carrying to control erosion. The “new” woods in the front consists of mammoth hydrangeas, Arizona Cypress, chamaecyparis, and selaginella. Front and back yards boast an array of dogwoods, crepe myrtles, and 40 varieties of Japanese maples. Sandstone steps lead down through an Asian inspired rock garden filled with colorful annuals, perennials, and conifers.
Brenda says she follows no rules, just planting what makes her happy. The garden centerpiece is a 25 foot long waterfall which plunges into the pond below. Colorful goldfish swim among the five varieties of waterlilies. The back of the property is bordered by a winding 335 foot wet season stream. Both rock outlined banks are planted in river birch, ferns, Hosta, and heuchera, creating a natural woodland. Brenda says she doesn’t need a vacation-the beauty and serenity of her backyard is her vacation.
Photo by Sandee Jenkins