Nall creates oasis around Brewton home
Published 5:00 am Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Spring has had its problems this year. Just as it looks as if all the flowers have bloomed, they burst forth again with a new round of blossoms.
Brewton is blessed to have two active garden clubs in this area. The oldest club, the Meadorwood Garden Club, is small, with only a certain number of members at any one time.
One of its newest members is Rhonda Rodgers Nall, who has been a part of the group for only a year. Recently, Nall hosted the Meadorwood Garden Club with a good old-fashioned garden tea party. Not only did Nall supply the members of the group with tea; she also treated them with a tour of her gardens on Rodgers Lane.
Nall lives on land that has belonged in her Rodgers family since the 1880s. Except for a short time when she was small, she has lived in the area.
“I love it out here,” Nall said. “Even though we live close to the stores, we feel as if we live out in the country. Traffic never bothers us and most of the time the only sounds we hear are the birds and the water falling over the rocks.”
Her garden is laid out in sections with each one featuring different flowers or gardens.
The first thing one notices as they enter the Nall yard is the prominent display of a “scarecrow” in the front yard. A closer look brings out the fact that it has a few unusual features. It has the head of a wig display, including the wig. It is dressed to suit the time of the year.
“I painted her face and made her body out of bubble wrap. In the fall she gets a new outfit and she is always dressed properly for Christmas,” Nall said. “Spring brings her best look. She gets a brand new makeover every Spring when the flowers begin to bloom.”
Then the tour comes to a small forested area which has pavers directing one through patches of hydrangeas and then into the patio. It has seating areas, along with other types of plants. This leads to an area that holds a pond with a water fountain and a waterfall coming off a large rock wall.
Nall attended the city school system and graduated from T.R. Miller High School in 1978.
“I went to college for a while but it wasn’t for me,” she said. “I had several jobs including a few years at HARCO Drug Store (Rite Aid) and went to work at Ray’s Cleaners for the next 15 years. After that my husband told me that if I wanted to stay home I could. I retired about six years ago and love staying at home.
“I never had been that interested in working in the yard, but when my Grannie died, I began to have fun with it,” she added. “Grannie always loved working in the yard. I read up on the subject and really got into it. I usually work in the yard every day before it gets too hot. It’s just something that I love to do. I don’t cut the grass, but my daddy calls my yard, the RhondaRosa.”
Rhonda is married to Larry Nall, who is the parts manager at Peach Chevrolet. They are active in First Baptist Church of Brewton where they both sing in the choir. She loves all sorts of crafts and much of it can be seen in her yard. One of the outstanding spots in her yard is a beautiful playhouse for their three granddaughters. It is outfitted with a fireplace, table and chairs, and even a mailbox by the door. It is an ideal place for any little girl to use her imagination. Another spot that draws attention is a building behind one of the gardens that looks like a little house complete with rocking chairs on the front porch. If one looks hard enough, they can find a miniature fairy garden, complete with fairies.
“This set out behind the cleaners for a long time and I finally was able to buy it and bring it home,” Nall said. “I keep my Christmas decorations in it.”