Dream ON

Visions of flourishing flora and family fun come to life in a Jackson garden.

- Kelli Bozeman

A place where imagination could take root and grow without limits. That’s what Katie Breese saw in the landscape of the Country Club of Jackson neighborhood home she and her husband Kim settled into 24 years ago. She envisioned grandchildren running and laughing as they pretended to be Peter Pan in Neverland around the lake or Snow White hiding from the evil queen in the woods.

Never mind that the Breeses had no married children at the time. This picture-perfect scene was like a portal through which Katie could see her family’s future.

Over the last quarter-century, Katie’s vision has come true eight times over. But the members of the youngest generation aren’t the only ones living out their dreams in this lush setting. For Katie herself, these gardens have awakened a world of wonder and whimsy that’s still evolving every day.

The Breeses’ home was built in 1969 and designed by a Memphis architect who was part of the restoration efforts at Colonial Williamsburg. “Thus, its look, floor plan, wainscoting, and colors have the feel of a Colonial Williamsburg cottage, except the rooms are much larger,” Katie says. Aside from a single brick-bordered formal boxwood garden inspired by its historical-style setting, the three acres that surrounded the house remained in a fairly natural state. It was the perfect creative outlet for this lifelong gardening enthusiast.

“My father always had a ‘victory garden’ from the time I was born until his death,” Katie says. “All four of his children have green thumbs. The garden is where I work out all of the befuddlement of life—where my best ideas are born, where I go in sorrow for solace. The garden is a living creature in God’s universe, and gardening is an act of co-creation.”