Inspiring gardens: Tour master gardeners’ masterpieces

Published 8:30 am Saturday, May 28, 2022

When purchasing a home, folks generally have a bucket list of amenities they are looking for. Some want a pool; others are more focused on a great kitchen or a basement for use as a play room or man cave. Still others, myself included, glaze over the entirely-too-small laundry room in search of the perfect outdoor space. Give me a patio and a place to plant, and the laundry — well, that’s not even fun in a large room.

Unless you build and landscape the home yourself, you inherit what is already there. While many homeowners are happy to just mow the lawn and hedge the boxwoods into rigid sentry soldiers surrounding the home, many of us start plotting additions and changes as we pull into the driveway.

It can be a little overwhelming, choosing a path to follow. You know you don’t want that tree, those shrubs or whatever the heck that is over there, but what do you put in its place? Sometimes, it’s better to start with a blank slate; however, even that takes a little vision and know-how.

I write a lot of articles about plant selection and placement. What works in the sun or shade, trees for great fall color, evergreen shrubs that flower, bright and beautiful annuals and perennials, what colors complement each other, etc.

Although I try to be as descriptive as possible, if you are like me, you are a visual learner. I liken it to someone telling me how to do algebra as compared to seeing the process in black and white on the chalkboard. That may be a bad example, because algebra! But you get the idea.

Wouldn’t it be nice to walk around someone else’s garden and possibly see a design or the use of a plant that would work perfectly in your garden? Without permission, that may have you not seeing any gardens for a while, but there is a way.

If you are looking for inspiration for your garden, the Limestone County Master Gardeners are hosting a garden tour. The tour includes five gardens belonging to master gardeners, our Charity Garden, the new Athens Limestone Public Library Garden and a tour of the LCMG Greenhouse.

I visited the library garden this past week and it is amazing. Most of the plants are native, which is not really a new fad, but the use of natives is becoming increasingly desirable with Alabama gardeners. I also was rewarded with a bowl full of salad greens from their vegetable garden. The host at this site is Emily Clem, and she is a wealth of information.

Our Charity Garden is planted and harvested by a group of Limestone County Master Gardeners. All the food harvested from this garden is donated to local food pantries. Last year, 2,500 pounds of produce was donated. Henry White generously allows us to use his land for this worthy endeavor, and we are very grateful for this opportunity to give so abundantly to our community. So, if you have questions about how to start a thriving vegetable garden, you won’t want to miss this one.

Each of the five gardens belonging to our Master Gardeners is uniquely different. The garden of Master Gardener Dennis Whitt also focuses on vegetable gardening with a wide variety of vegetables and some excellent growing techniques. There are also raised beds that use Dennis’ own design.

At other gardens, you’ll be treated to rustic paths through a wooded area at one, amazed by another that boasts more than 100 roses, as well as a shade garden, loads of container pots filled to thrill and many beautiful perennials. At another garden you will be treated to a small, whimsical garden respite from the world with a mix of annuals and perennials. Butterflies are drawn to the garden by nectar and host plants.

One master gardener describes her garden as a work in progress. She is a talented gardener who plants whatever strikes her fancy, with a love of color. She is currently filling new flower beds and has designs on installing new hardscaping and landscaping in the front yard. If you’re just starting out, this gal will be on hand to answer all of your how-to questions.

The final stop is at The Greenhouse. This is where all the magic happens! There is a demonstration garden of some of the plants that are usually sold at the annual plant sale, a stunning wildflower garden and a demonstration composting area that is in the process of being built. There will also be a large selection of plants available for purchase.

Tickets are $15 before June 4, $20 the day of the event and can be purchased at Hyatt & Simms on the Square or by contacting Janet Hunt at (256) 614-3530.

Fundraisers such as this one makes it possible for the Master Gardeners to continue to help our community grow together by teaching, caring and sharing. Until next week, happy gardening.