The words of William C. Faulkner have been read around the world. He is considered the greatest 20th century writer. Faulkner confined most of his work to his fictional county of Yoknapatawpha - which reflected his ’postage stamp of native soil". His landscape reflected real people and real places .
The William Faulkner Literary Garden located one block away from his birth site brings his landscape to life with the plants about which he wrote, paired with quotes from his work.
Take a virtual stroll through the William Faulkner Literary Garden at the Union County Heritage Museum:
Cotton was once king in Mississippi. Faulkner wrote about the cotton culture and landscape. Visitors to the garden see the cotton from sprout to bowl, and read Faulkner's words about the plant.
Turk's Cap plant is a hardy perennial in the Mississippi garden. It came as a pass-along plant from an old washer women to her mistress and on to a daughter in law and then to the Faulkner Garden. It is one of the plants with a story that comes to mind when it blooms each July.
Poke Salat is a native plant of Mississippi and it is one that can be eaten in the early spring. However by the time the berries ripen it is not palatable. Granny (Mrs. Rosa Millard) in William Faulkner's "The Unvanquished" uses the purple berries to make ink in her scheme to steam mules of the northern invading army.
Mississippi's Gestalt Gardener Felder Rushing holds one of the bird houses made by the clients of New Haven School on the fifth anniversary of the William Faulkner Literary garden.
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Carolina Jess amine graces the garden wall in the early spring, a welcome sight after winter.
The "bones" of the crape myrtle epitomize William Faulkner's words that the "Crape myrtles were "as old as time".
Visitors from the annual Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha Conference visit the garden on the annual pilgrimage to his "postage stamp of native soil".
Volunteers from the New Albany Garden Club come to work in the William Faulkner Literary garden on a weekly basis. The Club is the sponsor and originator of the Faulkner Garden. It was through the efforts of the garden club that a grant from Principal Financial was made to get the work on the garden started. Fundraisers such as home and garden tours have been done through the years to continue to raise money for the garden.
Art produced by New Albany artist Rebecca Browning was sold to raise funds for the garden at the Annual William Faulkner Literary Garden Plant Sale in May.
William Faulkner Literary Garden has Coral honeysuckle is a Mississippi Native Plant is a is a wonderful bloomer and is an early spring guest in the garden.
The Blue Tree in the garden is a reflection of Faulkner's only children's book, "The Wishing Tree". The leaves on the wishing tree turned blue when picked.
