Dolly Parton likes to say, “If you see someone without a smile, give ’em one of yours.” For retired dentist Kit Sullivan, this philosophy translates to the tulips, peonies, larkspurs, and Virginia bluebells that fill her Richmond garden each spring. “Flowers always make people happy,” she says. “I wish they lasted longer, like an artist’s painting, but they are a temporary smile.”
Kit’s generosity is well known among her family and friends, who regularly stop by her 1936 home in the city’s Windsor Farms neighborhood. Tucked behind the house is a little sanctuary where she cultivates thousands of colorful blossoms throughout the seasons. A stroll down the brick paths reveals hollyframed beds dotted with long stems ready for cutting, rows of prizeworthy daffodils, a cool section for shade-loving plants, and a garden room that’s equally suited for potting or sipping Champagne after Friday-night weeding.
Learning to Grow
Credit:
Patricia Lyons
Her love for these natural beauties began on her family’s farm in nearby Bedford County, where her mother crafted thoughtful floral arrangements for church each Sunday. Even so, Kit didn’t start growing flowers from seed herself until 2011, when she helped install a garden at a local foster care facility. “I didn’t even really know what a cut flower was,” Kit admits. She signed up for a few classes and used that space as a training ground, eventually growing types like gomphrenas and celosias that thrive in Richmond’s hot summers and can be used in centerpieces to brighten up the organization’s various offices and schools.
The gardener decided to put her new skills to work in her own backyard when the long-awaited removal of a sweet gum gave her a blank canvas. After years of dealing with the tree’s spiky seed balls and the sloping lawns she’d had at previous homes, Kit could finally realize her dream. “I’d always wanted to have a place where I could create my own garden and do it how I liked,” she says.
Taking Root
Credit:
Patricia Lyons
The project originated with a formal parterre design, an elegant and organized way for her to nurture the blooming experiments. After trial and error, she settled on ‘Soft Touch’ holly for the borders, limiting opportunities for boxwood blight to take hold. She later added a stone raised bed for annuals like cosmos, ageratum, and African marigolds; a designated area for the historic-bulb collection that she plants for spring daffodil shows; and fairy gardens for her seven grandchildren to enjoy.
When she ran out of sunny space, Kit decided to tinker with shade plants under massive magnolia trees that anchor the back of the property, which she says feels 10 degrees cooler in the summer. The focal point of the outdoor overhaul is the window-wrapped garden room, where you’ll find Kit and her husband, Bob, starting each weekend with a cocktail hour. The building has a workbench for tasks like organizing tools, tending to houseplants, and potting seedlings, but it also has inviting, comfortable seating for relaxing during downtime.
Beyond the Gate
Credit:
Patricia Lyons
Surrounded by this bounty, it would be easy to assume that she has a neverending list of chores, but she promises that’s not the case. “Once it gets going, the only thing I do is walk around and pull weeds,” Kit says. She’s also happy to embrace the changing seasons, waiting as long as possible to cut back her perennials so the birds can have their fill of seeds. “I just love the hydrangeas when they have their brown, crispy flowers. I’ll leave them on all winter,” she says. “Then, in spring, everything starts to come back. It’s kind of like Christmas.”
It’s something of a holiday for her community, too, as the season will bring Kit far more flowers than her half-acre plot can handle. So she splits, pots, and passes along, sharing the beauty with friends, family, and beloved Richmond spots where she has volunteered (including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and Historic Tuckahoe, the childhood home of Thomas Jefferson). “I just enjoy doing it,” she says. “It’s fun to watch a plant start as a little seed and see it grow, like a baby.”
Kit’s “Too Easy” Method for Growing Flowers From Seed
Waterworks
Choose a tray with a plastic dome and a felt self-watering mat so it can go for days without attention.
Ground Rules
Always start with sterile soil, such as the germination mix from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
Beginner Blooms
Gomphrenas, celosias, zinnias, and cosmos are straightforward options, and they make lovely arrangements.
Time Stamp
Label the tray’s plastic dome with an expected sprout date so you don’t give up on your plants too early.
Sow and Tell
Plant all your seeds, and keep inexpensive pots on hand to share any extra seedlings with friends.
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