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McHenry County Garden Walk 2013

Corrine and Bob Roth of Spring Grove

The University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners of McHenry County and McHenry County College presents Garden Walk 9 to 4 p.m. July 13.

There are nine gardens that can be visited on a self-guided, daylong tour, which begins at the Master Gardeners’ Demonstration Garden at McHenry College in Crystal Lake. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $12 and tickets are available the day of the Garden Walk for $17.

I look forward to this day every year. The brochure you receive with your ticket provides directions to each site and a brief preview of what is there. Each garden is characterized with a catchy title meant, I am sure, to add a little intrigue to your experience.

Blake and Candy Mueller’s garden is in Woodstock and called “Art In A Victorian Garden.” Blake Mueller, a retired high school art teacher brings his artistic talents to to his cottage garden outside his Victorian home. He says, “ I treat the garden like a would a painting - I create with color, texture, balance rhythm and more.”

The “Rooms with a View Garden” in Woodstock by Joey Tallurico and Steve Scully garden was originally built on a pig farm. This very fertile property features a number of garden rooms. Joey Tullurico says ”There is a Chinese garden, a rose garden and a farmer’s garden ornamented with antique farm implements and tools.” The gardens are predominantly perennials but lush container gardens and unique antiques are featured throughout the property.

“Paradise Carved Out of a City Lot” is in McHenry was created by Matt Olk and DeAnne Warner. They have more than nine different kinds of hydrangeas. “We like to plant things that provide color all season long,” says Matt Olk. “On their quarter acre city lot they have loads of perennials such as daylilies, tiger lilies, Russian sage, yarrow, hollyhock and lambs ears.

“From Succulents to Shade” in Spring Grove by Wendy Wu has 15 garden beds, a half-acre of native prairie, a bird and butterfly garden, a shade garden and two rock gardens. “I have worked in the horticulture business for 15 years,” says Wendy,”at a wholesale perennial nursery and as the owner of my own business, Perennial Poetry. So I am all about teaching gardeners. My main focus is to teach people about perennials and their proper placement.

“Tucked into the Fen” by Bob and Corinne Roth in Spring Grove built their home in 2007, the builder cleared only 30 feet around the house The rest was a mess of trees, invasive species and weeds. After working on a shade garden and vegetable garden near their house, they met with Laurie Ryan a plant ecologist with the McHenry County Conservation District at Glacial park. She taught them how to landscape with native plants. Bob and Corinne have a sign in their garden with the quote “May all your weeds be wildflowers.” They mean that. Bob says “I hope our visitors see how you can do lovely landscaping with native plants.” They ought to know.

Also in Spring Grove is the garden of Rich and Wendy Tobiasz featured under the title “Feat of Organic Food.” The Tobiasz garden is the product of years of scientific study. Rich is a local expert on organic farming and sustainability. The mixture of vegetables, fruits and herbs with husbandry of chickens, goats and sheep shows who bountiful the earth can be to those who cultivate it with care.

Yet another dreamscape is the garden of Rommy Lopat and John Drummond in Richmond titled “Farmette in the Village of Yesteryear.” Surrounded by hunt club and Conservation District land, the landscape looks virtually unchanged since it was first farmed in the mid-1800’s.  Under the passionate care of the owners the farmette features a renovated farm house, antique windmill, barn and chicken coop combined with Victorian Era vegetable garden and formal gardens.

Finally, we come to the garden of Lou Emmons for “A Visit to Blossom Bend.” Here is another example of how care for the environment can unite home and garden into a place of both conservation and beauty. The use of berms and tree cover around the house shows a practical and beautiful way to keep heat out in the summer and in in the winter. Surrounding the Emmons home are gardens with a great variety of plantings as would be expected given that Lou and her husband have been in the business of selling perennials as well as designing and installing gardens.