With pleasant weather last Wednesday morning, 21 members of the Piedmont Recreation Department's Walking on Wednesdays group showed up for their weekly stroll through town. The group was pleased to welcome first-time walkers Alan Goldhammer and Michael Gardner.
Responding to an invitation from Stuart Schneck of Estates Drive, the group began with a slight detour up Lincoln Avenue to Crocker, where they stopped for a group photo by a beautiful dogwood tree in full bloom at the home of Derry McBride. The walkers continued on Crocker to Hampton Avenue, over a few blocks to St. James Drive, then the entire length of St. James. It is a long, winding street, but the east side of the street had shade, which the group welcomed as the temperature was rising.
At the end of St. James they turned left past Corpus Christi Church and School and then left a half block later onto Estates Drive. A few doors up the street waiting for them were Stuart and Christina Schneck. For 30 years Christina has created a remarkable botanical garden of mostly succulents. She showing her garden, and well she should. It is truly beautiful and a real botanical garden
She explained that the garden had started out small; but the succulents, bushes, and trees expanded over the years. The front yard is fully developed with a wide variety of unique plants, and the backyard is even more spectacular. Christina happily explained the plants to the walkers and answered questions. Around the home and in the gardens were wrought iron art pieces that added to the gardens' beauty. There was so much to see that it was hard to leave, but the group needed to begin head- ing back to the Exedra in the middle of town. They continued up St. James a short distance and then went about a block down Sandringham Road towards the Exedra.