Gardening with Love

Gardening with Love

Leon Goldsberry has been called "the Pied Piper of Flowers in the Mississippi Delta." Of course, the Edwards, Miss. (pop. 1,279), resident prefers to answer to his other nickname, Dr. Dirt.

The accolades stem from Goldsberry’s love of gardening and his way of sharing that joy with others, whether it’s on a gardening radio show, swapping plants with neighbors, or speaking to area gardening clubs. He’s also happy to greet tourists who stop by to see his garden, which he calls Millie’s Garden, named to honor his late mother who spent decades tending the nearly one-acre landscape.

Millie’s Garden encircles Goldsberry’s 110-year-old family homestead, which was built by his great-grandfather, Samuel Bland. In fact, it’s those family roots that make his garden so unique.

"That flowering quince is 95 years old," Goldsberry says, pointing to a shrub with colorful blossoms. "My great-grandfather planted it. We have two hydrangeas, a yellow and a pink, that are the same age. My favorite plant is the Rose of Sharon that I planted when I was 4 years old. Even the native stuff, like devil’s walking stick, I remember bringing from the woods with my granddad."

Goldsberry, 58, became a gardening celebrity in 2001, when he appeared on the Home and Garden Television show Gardener’s Diary. He also co-hosts the PBS radio show, The Gestalt Gardener. The folksy gardening show originates in Jackson, Miss., and is broadcast to surrounding states. Show co-host Felder Rushing, a retired horticulturist, first met Goldsberrry after stumbling upon his garden. "We met in his garden," Rushing says. "I was cruising around looking for real gardeners in rural towns."

After meeting Goldsberry, he knew he had met a kindred spirit. "He has a no-nonsense approach, a bottom-line ‘why not?’ open-minded attitude toward positive things, especially the wealth of experiences we can enjoy and share in the garden," Rushing adds. "He teaches people that the rules of horticulture stink. That gardening is done out of love, not following a set of guidelines. That anyone can garden, without a lot of input . . . and that if ever there were a place to laugh, it is in a garden."

Goldsberry returned to his hometown 10 years ago, following a 30-year career as a childcare worker in Canada. He came home to care for his ailing mother, Millie, who died two years later. Today, his garden is dotted with a variety of Millie’s favorite plants, including roses, wildflowers, herbs, vegetables, shrubs, annuals and perennials.

Millie’s Garden, which has appeared in Southern Living magazine, has become so well known that local church groups and tour buses stop there. Goldsberry frequently is asked to speak to gardening clubs, where he offers up his folksy gardening tips. "Don’t waste time with plants you have to pamper," he says. "Native plants, wild plants thrive best." He believes that gardening should be a family activity. "Encourage your children and grandchildren to enjoy gardening, and plant seeds and plants your grandparents grew."

Ella Emory invited Goldsberry to speak at the Memphis (Tenn.) Herb Society. "His basic down-home, good gardening principles come through very strong," she says. "He stresses a back-to-nature approach: no chemicals, less watering, fewer soil additives, and he urges the use of dirt."

Carol Hewlett, who manages the Ina Thompson Library in Moss Point, Miss. (pop. 15,851), is another fan of Dr. Dirt. "He reminds you what plants can do for your spirit," she says. "And what sharing plants can do for a neighborhood and a community."

Edwards’ residents have been inspired by the fame Millie’s Garden has brought to their town, and plants that originated in Goldsberry’s yard have found new homes throughout the community. It thrills Dr. Dirt that others want to beautify their property and get involved in gardening. To him, it’s a sign that his has truly been a journey home.

To hear Dr. Dirt, log on to www.mpbonline.org. Click on "Radio" and then "Gestalt Gardener."

George Tipton Wilson is a freelance writer in Memphis, Tenn.

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