Ridge Demonstration Garden:

Pale Garden

A Pale Garden is being established in the Demonstration Garden maintained by the Floyd County Master Gardeners. While working in the garden on early summer mornings, the gardeners noticed the area inside the pergola was being used not only as a place for some shade from the Georgia heat, but also as a quiet place of respite for visitors. Quite often, people would stop to have their meals or take a minute to feel the peace the garden provided. The records of the Plantation indicated a small garden area close to the house, so the idea of a Pale Garden was born. 

Pale Gardens were popular in the more elite gardens of the 1800s and provided a spot for rest and reflection. The gardens were placed close to the house, so they could be seen from the windows. They were planted with white or light colored flowers so they glowed and beckoned you to come out during the cool. temperatures of dusk. Colonial gardens generally had ornamental flowers, fruits, and herbs mixed in the same bed close to the house while crops requiring larger spaces were planted further away from the house. The Demonstration Garden has a sampling of fruit trees and herbs used for both medicinal and kitchen purposes. Therefore, adding a Pale Garden is keeping with the time Mrs. Ridge lived in the house. 

The initial planting of light-colored hellebores was planted last spring to provide winter interest along with a jasmine vine, which will grow up the pergola and provide sweet fragrance and shade. Two hundred White Daffodils were also planted in the fall to anchor the left side of the arbor. It is the hope to establish year round interest with white and fragrant plantings to provide a respite area in keeping with the heritage aspect of the garden while also growing more modern and resilient plantings. 

The Master Gardeners of Floyd County are very proud to be part of maintaining the beauty and furthering the educational purpose of the Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home.