The "Hollow Ridge Road" is complete. This road winds around the ridges of the Hollow with a spur that goes up to about 1100 feet elevation. This three mile long trail which goes through deep woods and along steep slopes gives the impression of a rugged pioneer mountain road. The terrain is typical of the many ridges in the Great Valley of Tennessee River. The road is open for horseback riding, mountain biking, and hiking during the Spring and Summer. 

Another new gentle walking trail which runs around the interior of the Hollow is named "Dave's Trail" because it is his "piece de resistance" of all the eight miles of trails on the property. It is approximately two miles in length. This trail travels through the hollow where hundreds of native azaleas bloom in the Spring. In addition to the Native Azaleas, we eventually hope to display a large number of Rhododendron and Azalea species and hybrids as well as numerous Hellebores along the trail. The combination of the different bloom seasons will give us late Winter bloom from the Lenten Roses (Hellebores), early Spring bloom (Native Azaleas) and late Spring bloom (Rhododendrons). This trail is almost finished except for one bridge near the end that we hope to build this year.

The Fern Gully trail is complete. A short hike of about 700 feet one way, it leads off the main Garden path "Vicki Lynn Trail" and follows the creek that feeds the two acre lake at the center of the Hollow finally intersecting with "Dave's Trail". The trail has benches for sitting in this deeply shaded area. There are magnificent large older trees and since this is a "North Slope" aspect it much cooler even in the Summer time. The shade combined with moisture from the Creek has fostered hundreds of Native ferns. We intend to keep upgrading the amount and variety of ferns in this area and possibly expanding the walking trail into other areas.

Just below the large dam that creates "Sunshine Hollow Lake" is a large Bog or Wetland. We are developing this naturally swampy area for use in displaying water-loving plants such as Lotus, Iris pseudacorus, Louisiana Iris, Cannas, Carnivorous plants, sweet flag and others. In 2004 we roughed in a trail around the perimeter of the area. In 2008 we cleared out the underbrush and cull trees and cleaned out the little creek through the area. A little water pond we named "The Casper Pond" because it looks like Casper the Ghost was built also in 2008. Two foot bridges were built in 2009 to access the area from the "Fred Lee Rhyne Nature Trail". Now we will be adding plant material to the area in the next few years.

We will be adding small floating plant islands to at least one of our ponds this year. These "Floating Islands" will contain plants which will use the surrounding water for nutrients. We think that most plants that can be rooted in water or that will grow in moist areas could be used in the "Floating Islands". Examples of some of these are Impatients, creeping jenny, Hosta, Houtennyia, yellow flag iris and many others.

We have added two small ponds of between 300 to 400 square feet to the Dougherty Garden in order to grow Lotus and water lilies. We have several varieties of Lotus in one pond and a lovely miniature water lily in the other.

We have added a new electric fence around the perimeter of our two acres of field grown daylilies and will be adding and upgrading our fencing in other areas as well.