REVEALING THE SECRET GARDENS
Like a reliable friend who can be counted on to relieve a burdened mind and remind you that hope blooms eternal, time spent in a garden is an elixir for even the best of times. During a pandemic set against the chaos of 2020, these special places became important refuges for many who needed to cultivate creativity, consistency and above all, an escape.
A garden can be as simple as a few plants tended in an assortment of pots or an elaborate display of artistry. Instead of spending hours preparing their gardens for garden walk displays, many gardeners have turned inward and explored new expressions of creativity ranging from whimsical to traditional. Enjoy the nurturing insights and advice of some of the region’s most avid hobby horticulturalists.
Annabelle Irey and James Locke - Honoring Family and Beautiful Lives
My husband grew up on a dairy farm in Central New York and loves dahlias. We, along with each of his brothers, still have some of his grandmother’s original flowers. We have an urban garden adjacent to an 1800s Victorian. My husband’s first wife had breast cancer and her final wish was a beautiful garden, so they purchased the lot next door, and it became Mary’s Garden.
When Jim and I married, I lived in the suburbs and he didn’t want to leave Mary’s Garden. I told him that if I were to move, I’d have to dig up my plants before selling my house so they could come with me. That’s exactly what I did. The year 2020 was an unusual garden year. Our dahlias were slow to start, then became gorgeous! We were giving them away to neighbors. We also gave caterpillars and host plants to neighborhood kids because everyone was home. We have over 400 pots, so I was watering a lot. We were also limited to one garden center. Instead of weeding, we spent more time discovering what was growing. Anyone can be a gardener, just do what you want to do and savor it while you can. Don’t worry about zones, just try it. We know that Mary is looking over our garden, making sure it’s good.
Tom Halloran - English Countryside and a Tropical Escape
Unlike a bunch of mowed grass, a garden provides beauty. I enjoy being outside, and tending a garden keeps me active from spring until fall. Giving my garden the attention it needs is a passion. It is not big, but over time, I kept eliminating more and more grass, along with the need for fertilizers and weed killers. I don’t have an ounce of grass anymore.
Around the pool, the feeling is more tropical with annuals like petunias, pepper plants, and trees like my Japanese blood red maples. For 2020, the front yard, which I’d describe as an English country garden is toned down considerably more than my usual, more elaborate efforts. I spent more time searching out annuals at Mike Weber’s Greenhouse. Jen Weber is my go-to garden expert. Instead of buying mature plants, I purchased more plugs. I had far better luck with plugs adapting to the weather conditions than the mature plants. I also noticed a lot more varieties of birds, especially hummingbirds, and butterflies this year. My garden is a place to get lost at the end of the day. I had a few friends over and they got tremendous enjoyment from it. They guessed that I must have spent hours in my garden. And in 2020 … I did!
Joe Hopkins - An Artist’s Living Studio
Working with my hands and dirt is my passion. Each spring, I’m in the nursery to see what captures my heart. In the past, because of our city’s garden walks, gardening had a performative element. This year was more for myself; my own peacefulness and serenity. I did what pleased me. There isn’t really one thing that looks different, but when my husband, Scott Dunlap, and I go into the garden, we feel it. There is a sense of freedom of not having an audience. The garden has become serenity in a world of chaos. There is no pandemic there; no social unrest. It’s just a quiet place to be.
I have a color deficiency and do not see color the way the rest of the world does. I focus on textures and hues fearlessly. My garden is full of vignettes. There is a barn wall with a shade garden. It’s a little slice of heaven. I have a fence painted with coneflowers and a living room setup surrounded by potted plants. This year I took Styrofoam wig heads, spray painted them with very bright colors and stuck plants in them for hair. They are placed strategically throughout the yard. It’s quirky and eclectic. There is a space for every mood.
Ginny Williams - Downtown’s Hidden Treasure
In the midst of downtown high-rise condos and government buildings is a little street a few blocks from city hall, with 16 small Victorian homes. One minute you’re near a large multi-storied federal building, the next, you’re on this enchanting street. Our garden has evolved over time. We found our perfect little house with some plantings and trees and I just built on that.
Garden walks have been a huge inspiration over the years showing me what could be accomplished with different flowers, shrubberies, and trees. With beautiful garden design comes a sense of order and calm and that I treasure. Our garden is an extension of our home and during COVID-19, it has felt like an enclave of safety. Not a day goes by that we haven’t spent some time near our water feature. When I’m in the garden I don’t think about the pandemic and politics. I think of blooms and birds and butterflies. It’s very healing. Another element of 2020 is that we spent more time emphasizing our needs, not those of thousands of visitors. Even in the winter, our garden is pretty because of our anchors: a hemlock and a Cornelian cherry tree. Every yard needs an anchor.
Beth Kreutzer - Growing a Vision of Beauty
We’re in a classic city suburb. Our yard started with just grass. I had a vision of a pond and a deck so we started creating. You can hear the waterfall from the house. Another vision I had was having curtains somewhere in my garden. My husband, Brian, built the babbling brook and the pergola where I hung my curtains. We designed and built everything in our garden! With a corner lot, the whole world sees everything we have there. I make it unexpected with sculptures from various art sales, like my 4.5-foot fire-breathing dragon with an 8-foot wingspan. We use a remote control for the fire. I’m always rearranging things. Now I’m trying to incorporate more native plants in order to encourage as much nature as I can in the middle of a suburb. We’re getting more dragonflies and all sorts of bees. We are also seeing a lot more butterflies, hummingbirds and gold finches.
I’m an accountant and the garden is the perfect balance to my day. It takes me away from the computer and pulls me into a world of beauty. During the pandemic, I ended up working a lot more. Fourteen-hour days were common. Coming home to the garden allowed me to let the stress go. I did not have time to work in the garden, so I just let it help me.