On July 9, 2023 our club held it’s Garden Walk for all our members. We had 5 gardens to visit with a potluck lunch at the last garden. It was a beautiful day and everyone had a great time and got a tip or two for their own gardens.
The Gardens of Linda and Wally Groble
We have lived here for 20+ years and we now have over 12 garden beds full of sun and shade perennials. There are arbors with climbing Clematis and there are Hydrangeas in the back and front of the house. The Hosta’s, Cone Flowers, Bee Balm, Phlox, Coreopsis and an endless assortment of plants thrive in the rich soil. There are also bird houses, bird feeders and a number of bird baths to keep the birds happy. We enjoy spending time in the garden together working and planning what to add or what to move. There is always something to do, like pull weeds! Despite the weeds, we enjoy maintaining our own little piece of paradise.
The Gardens of Kathy Johnson
My yard is very eclectic. There are rustic areas and some sitting areas to relax and read a good book, or just relax and watch the birds and smell the flowers. Enjoy the sound of the relaxing fountain. There are lots of little characters hiding in and around the plants. Explore the yard and see if you can find all the fairy gardens, fairies and gnomes hiding among the plants. I have been gifted with many wonderful perennials from friends and family. I have Irises, Day Lilies and Columbine that my husband’s grandmother gave us in 1978 when we bought our home. Welcome to my garden!
The Gardens of Theresa Cool
Although I love a challenge, we definitely underestimated the time, energy, and expense that would be needed when moving into our half acre lot. With several micro-climates, from heavily neglected and shaded woods to very basic foundation shrubs, it took almost 10 years to arrest the invasive weeds, volunteer trees, poison ivy, buckthorn, and more – OH MY! Most of the current shrubs and perennials have gone-in over the last 5 years. I’m always experimenting with new plants and locations, testing how much sun we get with such large oaks. And I’ve been blessed with wonderful friends, family, and neighbors that have allowed me to divide Hosta’s, Hydrangeas, Quince, and a litany of perennials. Of course, every winter, I fall in love with this or that in catalogs, and end up with MANY tubers, seedlings, etc. to plant every year. And with the winter sowing that TVGC has given me confidence in, I’m now tempted by seeds. This past winter, I planted over 4 dozen jugs of seeds, perennials, annuals, and bushes. It’s a good thing that I’m still adding new beds! Even though still a work in progress, we consider our yard a quiet retreat in “historic downtown” Bartlett. Aside from enjoying what works, I love being closer to nature and the earth. We love using our yard for reading, playing croquet and bocce ball, grilling, or just having a nice fire. The birds, butterflies, rabbits, and squirrels also seem to enjoy.
The Gardens of Maria Sniegowski
I want my garden to be something of a mini-adventure with winding paths, a little wild in places, and some surprises along the way. Some of the little treasures displayed are from dear friends that have passed away but their memories live on in the plants that were given to me. A garden to me is about new growth, joy and even a few weeds along the way that reminds me that with beauty there’s a need to tend and care for what’s important to us.
The Gardens of Sue Neely
My garden, my place of refuge.
I believe my interest in gardening began when I was a young teen. My mother loved gardening and had many of her favorites planted in our yard, so that is where it all began. My first plant was a jade plant that I kept in my room. My garden is a place of calm and peace, a place to express myself and have it my way. It has become a retreat, somewhere to clear my mind and relax. As I work in my garden the cares of the world seem to melt away. It’s where I can work in the soil and watch my efforts come to life. It’s a place to reconnect with God and be amazed at his creative beauty, and the complexities of how each plant and flower is formed. I can sit surrounded by nature, hear the bird songs, listen to the fountain flowing, see the humming birds and finches visit the feeders and listen as the wind chimes give off their musical harmonies. I can take in fresh air, sip ice tea, read a novel or take a nap…peace…contentment.
The Gardens of Kathleen Eddy
The best features of my garden are in the backyard, which includes a perennial flower garden for the pollinators, a vegetable/fruit/herb garden, a fairy garden, and a small pond with a waterfall and 2 Goldfish. I enjoy decorating the garden using my sons (ages 32 and 34) discarded toys (dinosaurs and golf balls) and then rediscovering them the next spring when I clean up the garden. A lot of gardening ideas come from our fellow garden club members. They inspire me to try different ways of gardening. My yard is too small for full size fruit trees so I tried espaliering 2 apples trees as a way to maximize garden space (growing the branches horizontally). Last year I added an espaliered pear tree, plus a dwarf pear (did not espalier this one), for shade over the pond and to keep the fish cool. I’m also playing around with a hugelkultur (a mound of discarded tree branches, and other plant material as a raised bed). My garden is a work in progress. I hope you enjoy it.
