By: Debra Dylan

We Plot By Moonlight

Peter Pan’s Lost Boys could find a perfect hideaway at Mike’s Day Lilies in Powell, Tennessee.

The otherworldly front yard was “dug out by hand with a clay pick,” says Timmy Arnold. The property belongs to his father, Mike Arnold, and it has been in the family for generations. Timmy continues, “Every plant and rock was brought here. We are extreme plant fanatics. My father is like the architect and I’m the laborer.” They’ve been working on the land and the structures for more than 10 years.

View from the driveway. Dead cedar trees were cut to make the railings.

There are two levels of bridges. The lower area was dug out by hand.

Pallet wood was used to build the bridges.

Photos cannot capture the scope of this project.

To escape the heat of the day, father and son “plot by moonlight,” says Timmy. Seating was naturally built into one of the stone walls. It’s perfect for gathering around the fire pit at night.

Timmy Arnold enjoys the natural seating high above a fire pit.

The Gnarly Gnome

The bridges and pathways lead to an impressive backyard workshop built out of pallets. The Arnolds’ woodworking business, The Gnarly Gnome, gets its name from Timmy’s appearance and the magical look of the property.

Workshop rear view.

The workshop table is also made from pallets.

Benches and other wood products are for sale at The Gnarly Gnome.

Mike Arnold paints the artwork on the boxes he makes.

Decorative handmade coffins are great for storage.

The Arnolds collect and sell a variety of salvage, including pallets, bricks, cinder block, and other items. All of the structures and floors on the property were made with recycled items.

Part of a brick driveway runs alongside the pallet collection.

The Secret Garden

The lengthy entryway to the workshop and lily field is lined with a variety of flowering plants.

Timmy regrets planting Trumpet Creeper in the garden. He says, “It grows over everything and it doesn’t do any good to cut it back or to pull it down.” Trumpet Creeper climbed up his grandmother’s vintage satellite dish. Under the dish is a shady sitting area with nasturtium, hibiscus, and gorgeous tie dye morning glories.

The vintage satellite dish dome cover.

Under the dome.

Tie die morning glories on a garden arbor.

A grand circular stone hut is next to the workshop. Wind chimes adorn many of the trails. A pair of grandfather clock chimes hang inside the stone hut.

Only one neighbor has tried to get the Arnolds evicted from their land. Timmy says, “Some people are incapable of seeing magic. All they see are weeds.”

Photos by: Buck Kahler

If you enjoyed this property, you might also enjoy Knox Pallet House, Better Yurts & Gardens, and A Storybook Home.

© Debra Dylan, 2015.