| in the garden |
Maggie Waggoner, president of the Garden Club
at Cuscowilla, has a storybook potting shed in her
backyard. Furnished with a potting bench built by her
husband, Ed, a desk for planning garden layouts, and
a beloved metal trough sink for rinsing veggies and
watering seedlings, the shed is a perfect escape for an
avid gardener.
FALL 2021 | LAKE OCONEE LIVING 17
cozy décor perfectly. Except for
the chandelier and ceiling fan
outside on the front porch, JoEllen
says everything was repurposed
for the “she shed.”
Outside, rocking chairs offer a
view of large, whimsical sculptures
created by their next door
neighbor, Blue Chilton, a wellknown
artist in the region. The
front porch opens up to bursts
of color from JoEllen’s inaugural
flower garden. To the side is a
lush vegetable garden protected
from wildlife by high fencing.
JoEllen admits she’s a gardening
novice, but she’s had plenty of
help from Blue’s wife and Master
Gardener next door, Hilda
Chilton.
“We’ve just had the best time
with our vegetable garden,” says
JoEllen.
Another, more large-scale
community garden is shared
by neighbors at Cuscowilla on
Lake Oconee, and one woman’s
potting shed serves as the community
garden’s headquarters
and central command. Maggie
Waggoner, avid gardener and
president of Cuscowilla’s Garden
Club, can almost always be
found in or around her storybook
potting shed behind her house. A
desk she pulled from her uncle’s
basement affords her the perfect
space to create detailed plans for
the nearby community garden
that comprises a large vegetable
garden, cutting garden, and
raised beds. Her view from the
desk overlooks her own backyard
garden, and lets her survey the
progress of her favorite Moonflower
vine as it begins to creep
up the stacked stone chimney
next to an outdoor kitchen.
The outdoor kitchen was
incorporated into the plan for