Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Oak Grove Plantation



I met Liz Tedder at the Serenbe Farmers Market about a month of Saturday’s ago. Liz, and her husband George own and operate the Oak Grove Plantation and Gardens. Oak Grove Plantation is a Federal style house built around 1835 in Newnan, Georgia. Liz was selling plants and flowers from one of her many gardens at Oak Grove. I spoke with Liz and bought dried flowers which are call Love in Mist, the Latin name is Nigella. I also bought a Tuber Rose plant, can’t wait for it to bloom.

Liz ask me what I was selling at the market and when I told I painted picture she offered me a pile of old tin roofing from one of the out buildings at Oak Grove. Well I said hell yea, I wanted that tin, when could I come get it?

Next thing ya know it’s Monday and I’m at Oak Grove getting my tin roofing. Liz took me to the pile of tin and pointed out the house it came from. She said that at one time it was the slave quarters, she explained how they had restored it and added plumbing and electricity. We walked through the old building and she pointed out the different projects they had done to fix the place up.

Once I had loaded up my truck with the tin roofing I drove back to the main house to find Liz. After looking around and knocking on a few doors I just started walking the grounds. Out back was a small swimming pool with a vine covered walk way. As I walked around I found all kinds of gardens and work sheds for gardeners. I found the plants that were for sale and noticed the pear trees. I also noticed I was walking around a garden the was round and had a fence around it. Liz told me it was he “kitchen Garden”, it was loaded, I’m sure they ate from this garden everyday.

They have lot’s going on at Oak Grove Plantation. They have a Bed and Breakfast, they do weddings and all kinds of events. There is also a cemetery on the property, it’s not hidden, it’s right in the middle of things. Liz and George plan on restoring the Graveyard. I plan on doing lot’s of paintings on the old tin from the slave quarters. Folks always like it when you can tell them where the salvaged materials, used to produce a piece of art or furniture, originated from. So I’m looking forward to that. I also bought a pear tree from Liz that day. I have it planted in the backyard and have enjoyed a few pears already. There were about five pears on the tree when I bought it. They are nice and firm just the way I like my pears. Crispy.