Cheekwood

Trained Magnolia



Picture this!




Giant hanging angel wing begonia



Strawberry flower




Double Heliotrope




My wonderful lunch!



Beautiful view



Wisteria



The Mansion



Back of the Mansion

I had a great time spending the day with Carol while Shell attended the Bridal Shower and the Rehearsal Dinner.  Carol took me to " Cheekwood Botanical Gardens".
   In 1890, Leslie Cheek moved with his family from Kentucky to Nashville to join his father's grocery business in Cummins Station. Soon after joining his father's firm, Leslie and Mabel Wood were married in 1896.  While Leslie worked with his father, his cousin Joel developed a superior blend of coffee.  Members of the Cheek family invested in Cheek-Neal Coffee.  Eventually, Joel convinced the best hotel in Nashville, the Maxwell House, to carry his coffee exclusively and the Maxwell House brand was born.  Joel Cheek sold his brand to Postum ( now General Foods) for over $40 million in 1928.  Leslie traded his Postum shares for IBM stock.  He and Mabel purchased 100 acres in West Nashville and built their dream house, which later became known as Cheekwood.  It was a 30,000 square foot Georgian-style mansion with formal gardens. Leslie lived only two years at Cheekwood before his death in 1935 and nine years later Mabel deeded the house to their daughter Huldah and her husband Walter Sharp.  In 1957, the Sharps offered the mansion and 55 acres of land for the establishment of a botanical garden and art museum.  In one of the many ponds on the grounds was a Double Heliotrope, made of wood, steel, mylar, wire, laser discs, CDs, solar lights, and Styrofoam.  It's a sculpture floating on water.  Paths meander through out the acres with beautiful plants and waterfalls.  After our walk through everything on the grounds, we had a wonderful lunch in the restaurant and shopped in the gift shop. It was a great time seeing Cheekwood and spending the day with Carol.