Whether you’re tight on gardening space or are just looking to create a planting arrangement that is visually unique, vertical gardens are a quirky, fun way to display your verdant friends.

Supplies you’ll need:

• pallet
• staple gun and 5/16-inch staples
• roll of landscape fabric
• roll of burlap fabric
• potting soil
• plants

Directions:

1. Make friends  with a landscape architect (as I did) or ask your local garden center where you can find a recycled pallet.

2. Once you have your pallet, cut two pieces of landscaping fabric a few inches longer, layering them on top of one another and stapling to the back. Fold the excess landscape fabric at the bottom of the pallet over the base for reinforcement and staple. This is to ensure that potting soil won’t spill out of the bottom.

3. Next, cut burlap fabric to cover the landscaping fabric on the back and staple. You don’t need to do this step, but I suggest it for aesthetic purposes.

4. Lay the pallet flat on its back and pour potting soil into the slats, making sure to press it firmly against the pallet walls, but also making sure to leave enough room to plant annuals.

5. As you plant each annual, make sure to surround it with potting soil and secure in place. This is to ensure that when you tilt the pallet on its side, it firmly stays put. I planted nine 1-pint plants per row, totaling 45 plants. I chose alyssum, marigolds, and dianthus for flowers, and dusty miller and creeping jenny for greenery. Be sure to pick different colors, texture and heights for dimension and visual interest.

6. After you are done planting, water plants according to directions.

7. Wait two to three weeks so that roots take hold in the soil. Then turn the pallet on its side and lean against a wall. Voila, your vertical planter.

With the DIY and pallet obsession, I was dead set on turning my pallet garden into a vertical herb garden, but after some research, I found out that some pallets are treated with chemicals. So, be sure not to grow anything edible in your pallet garden to avoid toxins.

Whether you’re tight on gardening space or are just looking to create a planting arrangement that is visually unique, vertical gardens are a quirky, fun way to display your verdant friends.

Supplies you’ll need:

• pallet
• staple gun and 5/16-inch staples
• roll of landscape fabric
• roll of burlap fabric
• potting soil
• plants

Directions:

1. Make friends  with a landscape architect (as I did) or ask your local garden center where you can find a recycled pallet.

2. Once you have your pallet, cut two pieces of landscaping fabric a few inches longer, layering them on top of one another and stapling to the back. Fold the excess landscape fabric at the bottom of the pallet over the base for reinforcement and staple. This is to ensure that potting soil won’t spill out of the bottom.

3. Next, cut burlap fabric to cover the landscaping fabric on the back and staple. You don’t need to do this step, but I suggest it for aesthetic purposes.

4. Lay the pallet flat on its back and pour potting soil into the slats, making sure to press it firmly against the pallet walls, but also making sure to leave enough room to plant annuals.

5. As you plant each annual, make sure to surround it with potting soil and secure in place. This is to ensure that when you tilt the pallet on its side, it firmly stays put. I planted nine 1-pint plants per row, totaling 45 plants. I chose alyssum, marigolds, and dianthus for flowers, and dusty miller and creeping jenny for greenery. Be sure to pick different colors, texture and heights for dimension and visual interest.

6. After you are done planting, water plants according to directions.

7. Wait two to three weeks so that roots take hold in the soil. Then turn the pallet on its side and lean against a wall. Voila, your vertical planter.

With the DIY and pallet obsession, I was dead set on turning my pallet garden into a vertical herb garden, but after some research, I found out that some pallets are treated with chemicals. So, be sure not to grow anything edible in your pallet garden to avoid toxins.

TORONTO, June 25, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Our lawns and gardens seem to be all about the “green” … We spend a lot of green on our lawns and gardens—over $2 billion a year in Canada. We grow a lot of greens—nearly a third of us grow food in our gardens. And many companies now make outdoor gardening products with recycled plastics—this contributes to sustainability and makes our lawns and gardens a bit greener.

A Greener Landscape Ahead

Plastics for years have been replacing other materials in lawn and garden products due to their versatility, durability and low maintenance—plus they resist rotting and shattering, so we can spend more time gardening and less on maintenance, repair, and replacement. And today when we recycle our everyday household plastics, some of them are turned into practical products for our lawns and gardens.

For example, many companies make composite lumber with recycled HDPE plastic, the type used to make milk jugs and most plastic bags and film. This durable lumber looks pretty much like wood, but the plastic makes it extremely durable and nearly maintenance-free. And boring insects have no interest in plastics. Used to build decks, fences, railings and swimming pool enclosures, lumber made with recycled plastics not only looks great and lasts a long time—it also keeps this valuable material out of landfills.

Manufacturers also are increasingly using recycled plastics for landscaping products. For example, landscape pavers made with recycled plastics are used to create patios, decks, walkways and other outdoor areas. They can be installed more quickly than traditional pavers, and each 1,000 square feet of pavers saves 500 scrap tires and 15,000 plastic bottles from landfills, according to a manufacturer. They also use 94 percent less energy and release 96 percent less CO2 in manufacturing than concrete alternatives.

Landscape edging made with recycled polypropylene plastic—the kind often used for yogurt cups and bottle caps—won’t “rot, fade, crack, splinter, or warp,” according to its manufacturer. And planter boxes made with recycled plastics “maintain colour and shape … without weathering, warping, deteriorating, rotting or splintering” … season after season. More gardening—less maintenance.

Greener Tools and Planters

Many essential gardening tools also are made with recycled plastics, including wheelbarrows, compost bins, watering cans, pots, trays, tools, hoses, rain barrels and more. And some companies now use recycled plastics to make planters, stylish outdoor furniture, and other decorative garden accessories. Many of these durable, weather-resistant products are made to stay outdoors year round.

Where space is tight, planters and hanging pots made with recycled plastics from used beverage bottles can create vertical flower gardens and add some food plants almost anywhere—indoors and out. These planters don’t rust, and they can be reused again and again.

Contribute to a Greener Garden

Like a growing number of everyday plastic products—from plastic bags to shampoo bottles—the plastic pots and trays we use in gardening today can be recycled in many places.

• Many Canadian households have access to a recycling program that accepts garden pots and trays.
• Some large retailers, such as Lowe’s and Home Depot, accept used plastic pots at their stores, where they either are reused or sent to recycling facilities. Some even come back as new pots.

Plastics—and more recently recycled plastics—are staking a claim in our lawns and gardens. For good reason. In the often rain soaked, sun scorched, insect ridden environment of our lawns and gardens, plastics make it possible to spend more time enjoying the fruits of our labour—often while contributing to sustainability.

Today’s intelligent plastics are vital to the modern world. These materials enhance our lifestyles, our economy and the environment. For more information visit www.intelligentplastics.ca.

The Canadian Plastics Industry Association is the national voice of Canada’s plastics industry, representing the interests of processors, material suppliers, equipment manufacturers and brand owners across the country.

A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=19551

Darlene Gray
Canadian Plastics Industry Association
905.678.7748 ext. 239

quakertown alive’s garden affaires

Posted: Tuesday, June 25, 2013 7:26 am
|


Updated: 7:51 am, Tue Jun 25, 2013.

Quakertown Alive! holding its third annual garden tour on Sunday

Posted on
June 25, 2013

• 
  
  
  

  by
  
  Stacy Briggs
  

Quakertown Alive! will hold its third annual Garden Affaires tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, giving visitors an opportunity to stroll through six private gardens and outdoor living spaces in and around Quakertown.

Who knows? Perhaps you’ll be inspired by simply viewing beautiful blooms, flowing waterfalls, serene ponds, whimsical ornaments, pristine pools and inviting hardscaping.

This year’s gardens include the Paulovitz property at 1014 Park Ave., the Fulmer property at 316 Park Ave., the Montoney property at 709 Lafayette Drive, the Hellman property at 811 Mill St., the Quay property at 1040 Brookfield Circle and the Hinderliter property at 2175 Weiss Road.

The festivities will begin with the “Art of the Garden” reception from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday in the Paulovitz garden, termed a “beautiful backyard oasis.” It will include complimentary beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres, as well as music sponsored by Jann and Tom Paulovitz and Barbara Knauss.

On Sunday, you’ll begin the tour day at the Burgess Foulke House on North Main Street where the Keystone Quilters will be demonstrating the art of quilting, and featuring an exhibit of floral-inspired quilts, as well as garden-inspired photography and artwork by local artisans.

It’s an opportunity to see one of Quakertown’s historic treasures open to the public through the generosity of the Quakertown Historical Society.

The Garden Marketplace, on the grounds of the Burgess Foulke House, can fulfill the novice and experienced gardener’s thirst for knowledge.

The marketplace’s sponsor, American Native Nursery, will supply information on ecological landscaping ideas such as rain gardens, green roof plantings and native plants. The Bucks County Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer your gardening questions and provide a composting demonstration. The Fry’s Run Watershed Association will be selling affordable rain barrels and educating area gardeners about water conservation.

Other retail vendors such as Bromm’s Lullaby Farm, Cameron McIntosh Pottery, Aquascapes Unlimited Inc. (specializing in wetland landscaping), Kathy Greger handpainted floral glassware, Stone Soup Designs’ garden-inspired jewelry and others will provide visitors to the marketplace with an informative shopping experience.

Visitors can feel free to shop and the marketplace will hold your purchases until you finish the tour. The garden marketplace also is open to the public (no tour ticket necessary).

While there, visitors can tour the new Upper Bucks Visitor’s Center at the Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce Building (formerly the Quakertown Historical Society Barn). Parking for the garden marketplace is in the UBCC parking lot.

Tickets: In advance, they are $15; seniors (65-plus), $12; they can be purchased at Quakertown Alive!, Quakertown Borough Hall, Tana Kaya Boutique, Lion Around Books, Sine’s 5 10 and Richland Feed. The day of the tour, they are $18; seniors (65-plus), $15; they can purchased at the Quakertown Alive! booth at the Garden Marketplace or any featured garden.

Tickets for the evening reception (which includes the tour) are $40 each and can only be purchased at the Quakertown Alive! office at 312 W. Broad St.

Quakertown Alive! is a volunteer-driven, not-for-profit organization founded on the principles of the national Main Street program.

Its mission is to create strong, broad-based partnerships that provide the leadership and resources necessary for a successful revitalization effort in downtown Quakertown. Its ultimate goal is an enhanced quality of life for the residents, business operators and visitors to the borough.

Information: 215-536-2273; www.quakertownalive.com.

More about Garden

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• ARTICLE: ‘Tickle Your Senses’
• ARTICLE: Grow your own food at a community garden
• ARTICLE: Chalfont’s gateway ordinance continues to raise concerns

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Posted in
Entertainment,
Local entertainment,
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Pennridge,
Palisades,
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New hope

on

Tuesday, June 25, 2013 7:26 am.

Updated: 7:51 am.

| Tags:


Quakertown Alive!,

Garden Affairs,

Garden,

Tour,

Blooms,

Waterfalls,

Ponds,

Ornaments,

Pools,

Hardscaping,

Paulovitz,

Fulmer,

Montoney,

Hellman,

Quay,

Hinderliter,

Art Of The Garden,

Reception,

Garden Marketplace,

Burgess Foulke House,

Keystone Quilters,

Quakertown Historical Society,

Upper Bucks Chamber Of Commerce,

Visitor’s Center

Despite what the name might imply, there won’t be any lawnmowers present in Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s new exhibit ‘Composite Landscapes: Landscape as a Photomontage.’ Rather, the exhibit defines landscape architecture and explores the distinction between landscaping and gardening. The former, as it turns out, is an entirely more artistic botanical enterprise.

“Composite Landscapes” reclaims landscape architecture as rooted in art, and the mind and imagination. “We can imagine where and therefore how we live. “These pieces convey the conceptual nature of landscape architecture,” says s Charles Waldheim, Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. “But you don’t have to be interested in landscape architecture.  We want it to be accessible to all museum goers and show the fun behind the creations.”

“Landscaping is specifically human, it’s hard to imagine us without it,” Waldheim continues. “But though all cultures are involved with gardening, which involves the use of plant materials, not all cultures are involved in landscaping, which is spacial.”

The first landscape architects, he says, were artists imagining space.

“Landscape first emerged in painting in western Europe, particularly in the British Isles,” Waldheim explains. “In the 19th century, landscape architecture was a new profession, which fomented in and around Boston and the East Coast. It started in the public realm. The Fens is a good example. It involves the design and shape of a city. In the 1830s, it spun off and really was the beginning of city planning.”

A landscape architect, then, doesn’t necessarily have to have a background in or diverse knowledge of plants.

“Landscape architects work internationally and consult with plant experts locally,” he says. “It’s inconceivable that someone would have knowledge of local plants in the international market place.”

“This is why this exhibit is important,” he adds. “Landscape architecture begins with something that is drawn and involves planning common ground. It exists in the public realm, not in our private gardens. The term has been adapted to homes and leads to categorical confusion that we want to nudge away.”

If you go

June 27-September 2
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
280 The Fenway, Boston
$15, 617-566-1401
gardnermuseum.org

By Neil Sperry

It’s one of my favorite Texas garden perennials, yet compared with day lilies, daisies and coneflowers, purple loosestrife is a newcomer. You seldom saw it in Texas landscapes in the ’60s and ’70s, and only in recent years has it become even the least bit commonplace. But that’s here. In other parts of America, it’s actually a bit too commonplace. We’ll address that concern in a couple of moments.

The things that make lythrum such a valuable landscaping perennial are that it blooms in the summer in cooling bright pink or purple shades, and that it produces vertical spires of its showy flowers. They add height and drama to perennial borders that otherwise might be dominated by the somewhat formless likes of day lilies, Shasta and gloriosa daisies, coneflowers, and mallows. Loosestrife has a more defined form to its growth.

Buy purple loosestrife transplants in local retail garden centers now. You’ll find them with their other perennials, probably in 1-gallon containers and almost assuredly in flower. Figure on planting the clumps 16 inches apart to allow them to grow and fill in.

You might want to call ahead to be sure your favorite stores have them in stock. Once you have them established, you’ll probably be so satisfied with their performance that you’ll want to add more. You can dig and divide the mature clumps into several new plants every few years if you wish, or you can always leave them in place and buy additional plants for other beds.

Plan on purple loosestrife growing to 24-30 inches tall, slightly taller in really moist soils. Give it full or nearly full sun, and plant it in rich, highly organic soil. Nitrogen will encourage it to grow taller and stronger, so its flower spikes will be all the showier. Once it’s through blooming, trim off the spent flower heads to remove any seeds that might form and to keep the plants tidy. The top growth will die back to the ground with the first cold days of late fall, then return spring after spring.

A plant that’s known by the common name of “purple loosestrife” is probably going to be purple, right? Well, not necessarily. The most common variety you see around town each June is “Morden Pink,” and it has obviously parted its way from the purples. “Dropmore Purple” gets you back to the deeper shades, and you’ll find other selections in a rainbow of pinks-into-purples.

If you have a really moist spot in your landscape, perhaps down at the bottom of a hill where water seeps after rains, that would be the perfect home for purple loosestrife. It likes moist soils. It loves the wetlands.

Which brings us to that disclaimer. Lythrum salicaria is a European species that made its way into North America in the 1800s. It liked its new home, and it began to multiply. Exponentially. It is now a noxious invader in the Northeast, Upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest, where it spreads freely, crowding out the native species around lakes and in marshes. It’s actually illegal to sell it in many of the northern states, and they’re going to great lengths to eliminate it.

However, the varieties you’ll find in Texas garden centers won’t operate that way. They’re not self-fertile, so you won’t have to worry about their escaping the space where you plant them. You’ll be free to enjoy them without guilt. They’re lovely perennials that are just waiting for a place in your plantings.

And in case you’ve been wondering how a plant gets named “loosestrife” in the first place, it was widely believed that lythrum was capable of eliminating stresses and strains of everyday life — back in the 1500s!

Neil Sperry publishes “Gardens” magazine and hosts “Texas Gardening” from 8 to 11 a.m. Sundays on WBAP AM/FM. Reach him during those hours at 800-288-9227 or 214-787-1820.

The La Porte City FFA Historical and Ag Museum will sponsor the “Be Inspired” garden walk from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. June 23.

Visitors will be treated to five individual gardens as well as view one business in the process of completing a major landscaping and renovation project.

Gardens featured on the tour are:

Gary and Sherry Sheffler, featuring spacious lawns and gardens and lots of rustic elements.

David and Marcia Snook, featuring an historic porch and cottage garden.

Steve and Deb Wilson, featuring themed gardens and more than 200 varieties of hostas and 250 varieties of day lilies.

Patrick and Brenda Gardner, gardens include mature specimens surrounded by architectural elements repurposed.

Nancy Olson, featuring a pond and grasses.

La Porte City Golf Club, recently purchased by Wally Markham. Guests will be treated to all new landscaping around the Club house and tee boxes as well as improvements inside. Participants may finish the day here and enjoy free hors d’oeuvres from 3 to 5 p.m. and drink specials. A drawing for a door prize will take place at 5 p.m.

Advance tickets are available at Laurie’s Boutique, You’re Look’n Good, LPC Bakery, and the museum. Tickets accompanied by a guide and maps may be purchased the day of the garden walk at the museum, 408 Main St., or Patrick and Brenda Gardner’s garden at 1641 55th St. Tickets are $5 each with all proceeds benefiting the museum.

Emporia’s annual garden tour, sponsored by Lyon County Extension Master Gardener volunteers, has been scheduled for Saturday. There are six gardens on this year’s tour; five private and one public garden all of which will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. After a hiatus in 2012, area master gardeners have worked diligently to arrange a strong comeback for 2013.

Ben and Jessie Stallings
, 1301 State

When Ben and Jessie Stallings moved to Emporia in 2008, Ben Stallings was looking for a place to practice the permaculture principles he had learned while visiting eco-villages all over the country.  Permaculture is a landscape design system that emphasizes the ecological connection among plants and animals, while producing food and other useful products for people. 

None of the ground has been tilled. Stallings uses a technique called “sheet mulching” to prepare the soil for gardening, using cardboard and large amounts of organic matter, and soil fertility is maintained by top-dressing with compost and mulch.

The garden is dominated by a young pear tree, raspberries, strawberries, and chocolate mint. All these perennials were planted the first year along with annual vegetable crops, and no additional planting has taken place since; the perennials have spread under their own initiative.

The other front garden features a grafted English walnut tree and a variety of plants that tolerate the juglone that walnuts produce. At the front of the yard is an experiment involving two ash trees which were susceptible to pests last year; this year one is surrounded by mulch and beneficial plants while the other remains unprotected.

The side yard features three grape vines and two hardy kiwi vines, along with decorative plants, primarily irises.

In the back yard, a convertible greenhouse grows annual vegetables year-round, primarily greens.  In the winter it is covered in plastic; in the summer its fencing supports peas and pole beans.  The permanent greenhouse frame is not an obstacle since the ground is never tilled. The strawberry pyramid is a work in progress. The raised bed in the backyard is growing asparagus and rhubarb as well as a variety of beneficial herbs and some potatoes that have gone native!

Composting and storage of mulch (last year’s leaves) takes place along the north face of the neighbors’ fence, where little will grow due to the frost shadow.

West of the garage are black raspberries, hazelnuts and sunchokes. Stallings also maintains a tomato garden for a neighbor two doors to the north, along the alley.

John Doreen King
, 824 Rural

John and Doreen King purchased the house at 824 Rural the summer of 1986. Lots of work was needed before their family could move in. It took a few years before attention could be turned to landscaping. Each season a project would be started as time and money was available.

John King built a front porch with flower beds on either side of the steps. The area was in deep shade so landscaping began in large ceramic pots. Container gardens are the backbone of their yard as color may be moved where needed as the seasons change. A French drain on the north side of the yard provides better drainage. Tree removal allowed more sun, and a visitor can enjoy clematis, roses, golden aster, crapemyrtle, iris, yarrow. Knockout roses and variegated liriope. Native stone has been put down for walking paths.

The backyard is very small and has been transformed to an oasis. There are rain barrels, a compost barrel, and four raised vegetable beds. A beautiful raised bed with two 8-foot spiral junipers and flowers is along the garage. A wood deck with awning and a cobblestone patio both provide seating. The oasis has hostas and ferns in a secret garden with a clematis covered arbor, yellow climbing roses on a trellis, jasmine, a butterfly bush, Japanese maples, hibiscus and lots of geraniums. Doreen King has a love of taking cuttings from her hanging baskets so there are many Swedish ivy, sprengeri fern, airplane plants and wandering Jew plants.

The herb garden is well established and the scent of rosemary is a favorite. Both the front and backyard have a large variety of plants both annual and perennial. Nothing is wasted in this yard; if it is standing still there may be a plant in it.

Angela Courtney 
Perry-Smith
, 413 Union

Step back into time as one pulls up to 413 Union Street owned by Angela and Courtney Perry-Smith. The home is 134 years old and contains many of the original features. The yard has always consisted of two lots, which makes the property fairly spacious. A detached garage that was added on to accommodate bigger vehicles and a small stable is on the property, which has the original features and is currently used as a gardening shed.

When the home was purchased in 1996, it had been a rental home for several years and was in need of TLC. The Perry-Smiths love to renovate homes and own a lawn mowing and landscaping business so the home has received an entire makeover, inside and out.

After some major repair work was completed on the inside of the home, work began on the outside. The property has huge oak and maple trees and the front yard has a Bradford pear tree. Narrow beds surround the house utilizing both perennials and annuals. The color and texture of plants continues along the fence. The above-ground pool in the backyard reflects Angela Perry-Smith’s work ethic, as she completed the work by hauling and leveling the sand, chat, and stone. Small flower beds have been added throughout the yard.

In 2010, a patio was added using some of the original sidewalk. A sandbox was added on the south side of the pool. In 2011, flowerbeds were placed on the north side of the house. In 2012, the flower ring and windmill and in 2013 flowerbeds and a eco-friendly garden was added to the side back yard. The Perry-Smiths have filled the beds and containers with roses, geraniums, irises, hostas, petunias and a variety of perennials. All the beds are outlined and contain native stone.

The next project will be to enlarge the garden, using eco-friendly techniques and the beds will continue to grow with flowers of yesterday.

Gary Rita Romine, 
2415 Westview Drive

Gary and Rita Romine moved to this location in 1992. The peonies along the north had never bloomed. They transplanted them and with a little TLC they bloom each year. A pine, globe locust, and two Bradford pear trees are located in the front yard. St. John’s wort and Knockout rose bushes align the front of the house. Several annuals are planted in planters to add color.

In 2004 a room was added on and the following year the courtyard was landscaped with addition of a water feature that is stocked with koi. Fountain grass, a dwarf lilac bush and liriope surrounds the water feature. Accent lights and a moon light in the tree accent the waterfall. Hostas, daylilies, clematis, coneflowers, and annuals align the patio and deck. Birdhouses, rabbit stepping stones and bird feeders decorate the courtyard. Annuals are planted throughout the courtyard to add color. The huge cottonwood tree provides a home for a Balitmore Oriole. Gary Romine built a pergola swing stand. The patio is an area that is quiet with the sounds of a waterfall and birds singing. The flowers and plants add to the serenity of the area. It is a great place for morning coffee.

Last year a dry creek was added along the south fence. Hostas, fountain grass, liriope, and a yard bench with begonias are scattered among the rocks. A butterfly bush, forsythia bushes, Rose of Sharon bushes, a burning bush and a snowball bush provide color during different times in the backyard. Planters with annuals and yard decorations are scattered about the yard.

Gary Romine built two raised garden bed and tends the vegetable garden.

John Gail Weakley, 
616 West St

John and Gail Weakley purchased their home nearly 30 years ago, October of 1984. The yard had been neglected with dead shrubs and grass so the first month was spent tearing out and getting ready for winter. The next spring only a few trees were planted, one being the cedar that is still in the front yard, and new grass. When their middle son was approaching High School graduation the deck and patios were added to the back of the house with flower beds and a privacy fence.

That same year, Gail Weakley had traveled to Tennessee and stayed at a bed and breakfast with a formal English Garden. She fell in love with the look and came home with plans of creating a similar space in their back yard. Bricks from the old Olpe State Bank were retrieved from a field and used to create a path to the water fountain. Lots of hard work gave them the look they were after with the use boxwoods around the water fountain.

In 2007 the Weakley’s had two new grandchildren and Gail Weakley decided she wanted a flower and vegetable garden that the grandchildren could get their hands in and dig. To keep the formal look, boxwoods were planted along one edge and an arbor on the other side. Sitting in this garden, it gives you another perspective of the yard, allowing the grandchildren to plant, weed and take an interest in the ground.

Many friends and family have been generous over the years in sharing their knowledge and plants to the Weakley yard. Gail Weakley enjoys the perennials as well as the annuals for summer color, and different shrubs (crapemyrtle, Rose of Sharon, and burning bush).

The back yard especially has been a place of gatherings with family and friends, so it is fitting to have a pineapple, (meaning hospitality) placed on top of their water fountain.

Master Gardener Demonstration 
Garden

The K-State Research and Extension Master Gardener Demonstration Garden on the Lyon County Fair Grounds was built in 1998 by Master Gardener volunteers with the help of many local businesses. The garden consisted of beds made out of different materials to demonstrate various possibilities for constructing landscape or garden beds. An elevated bed was established to allow accessibility for gardeners with physical impairments.

Like most gardens, this one had its challenges. It was established in a drainage area and consequently stayed very wet. Also, being on the corner of the arena, livestock would occasionally walk through the gardens causing considerable damage. In 2005, Master Gardener volunteers made many improvements to the gardens. A drainage area was created at the back of the gardens, a split rail fence was constructed around the perimeter, and soil was amended.

The gardens now serve as demonstration plots for herbs, Prairie Star and Prairie Bloom flowers and ornamental grasses. Prairie Star annual flowers and Prairie Bloom perennial flowers are ones that have been tested across the state and have proven to perform well in the challenging Kansas climate. Lists of these flowers are available at the Extension office, www.lyon.ksu.edu, or www.prairiestarflowers.com.

Tour proceeds are used for horticulture education events in Lyon County. Tickets are $5 and available from any Master Gardener volunteer, K-State Research and Extension office or can be purchased the day of the tour at all tour sites.

The La Porte City FFA Historical and Ag Museum will sponsor the “Be Inspired” garden walk from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. June 23.

Visitors will be treated to five individual gardens as well as view one business in the process of completing a major landscaping and renovation project.

Gardens featured on the tour are:

Gary and Sherry Sheffler, featuring spacious lawns and gardens and lots of rustic elements.

David and Marcia Snook, featuring an historic porch and cottage garden.

Steve and Deb Wilson, featuring themed gardens and more than 200 varieties of hostas and 250 varieties of day lilies.

Patrick and Brenda Gardner, gardens include mature specimens surrounded by architectural elements repurposed.

Nancy Olson, featuring a pond and grasses.

La Porte City Golf Club, recently purchased by Wally Markham. Guests will be treated to all new landscaping around the Club house and tee boxes as well as improvements inside. Participants may finish the day here and enjoy free hors d’oeuvres from 3 to 5 p.m. and drink specials. A drawing for a door prize will take place at 5 p.m.

Advance tickets are available at Laurie’s Boutique, You’re Look’n Good, LPC Bakery, and the museum. Tickets accompanied by a guide and maps may be purchased the day of the garden walk at the museum, 408 Main St., or Patrick and Brenda Gardner’s garden at 1641 55th St. Tickets are $5 each with all proceeds benefiting the museum.

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• Theresa Sneath at 31325 Barton.

“As with any work of art, you start with a blank canvas,” she said. “From day one, after the purchase of my home, I would definitely say my backyard was blank. Thirteen years ago, the transformation began with battling the removal of a stubborn grapevine that entwined itself around the old chain link fence. From there it has taken many years of adding different shrubs, flowering bushes and many perennials to finish my beautiful ‘Garden Portrait.’ ”

She added that gardeners are never truly finished.

“There is always an open hole or empty space,” she said.

• Joi Matney at 31330 Hennepin.

Matney is Garden City Garden Club President Stacy Karafotis’ neighbor and is new to Garden City. She bought a brick ranch and fixed up everything inside and out.

“She had several tress cut down, a new fence put up, added a deck and has started the yard from a blank canvas,”Karafotis said. “She has planted flowers, shrubs and trees and it all looks wonderful. That’s why I asked her to be in the garden walk.”

Matney had a few words to say about her garden.

“I just moved to Garden City in 2012,” Matney said. “New county, new city, new neighbors, new life, new home, new garden. Come watch it evolve”

• Nancy and Sonny Rowles at 202 Lathers.

“In 1964 we moved to Garden City and found an overgrown, barely passable backyard,” they said.

Their effort is ongoing, and men tend to enjoy yard as it honors all branches of the Armed Forces with 18 flags and five emblems.

“You will experience sun and shade areas, annuals and perennials, a pond and a fun space to share with family and friends,” they said. “Come and see this year’s colors and textures.”

It is wheelchair accessible.

• Bobby Summerville at 27923 Maplewood.

“I have lived here since 1981 and raised three great sons through Garden City Schools,” he said. “My wife’s and my passion has always been keep your yard neat, clean and beautiful.”

Unfortunately, in 2008, he lost her to diabetes.

“Her memory has always inspired me to do more planting, pruning and enjoying our yard,” he said. “I might not know some of what I have, but I do have my wife’s inspiration.”