Walking with the Masters

June 21st, 2014

My very first Master Gardener's Garden Tour!  

I was nothing short of twitter- pated!

Thanks to Rose (another Central IL blogger,) for the invitation.  I was hoping to run into her, but I had no idea how many people would be there.  Seems like the University of Illinois has a booming Master Gardener program!

It was over an hour drive from home, so Hubby and I left the house before 7am (early for us on a Saturday) and welcomed the summer solstice by melting in it's heat - but,  it was worth it because we were surrounded by beauty.

Not really knowing what we were doing, we started at the open park Idea Garden.

Idea Garden in Champaign, IL on Master Gardeners Garden Walk

We loved the plant labels, and sections of like-kind plants.  Made me feel a little less neurotic for wanting to label my stuff.  Well, if it IS neurotic, at least I'll be in good company.

Amsonia 'Arkansas' next to the orange and red fire pokers with a Dwarf Alberta Spruce behind.  Oh  year - and a
dead tree painted bright yellow

 One of the great things about this Garden walk, for me, is that it gave me a chance to see, in 3D, mature plant size and colors.  Seeing them in wonderful companionship was an added bonus.  I realized that I plan most of my designs on tiny close up photos and single season plant photo ID cards.
So, if this how big MY Amsonia will get….I have some moving to do.  Wow.  It's beautiful.

Idea Garden Champaign IL.  Sprirea, Amsnoia and big Smoke Bush in the back with lots of annuals

These were some of the colorful choices my Hubby pointed out that he'd like us to have.  If he is encouraging me to have MORE - Yeah - I'll record that with my camera!  Just point, and I'll shoot.

Striped Giant Reed Grass, Agave 'Blue Glow', Dwarf Alberta Spruce, Euphorbia polychema 'Bonfire' Cushion
Spurge (Annual), Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron' Japanese Blood Grass

I had NEVER seen the Striped Giant Reed Grass before .  It looked like variegated corn stalks.  I found  out just a little more @Louis the Plant Geek.  He calls it Peppermint Grass.

Ten feet tall, with two-foot leaves widely-bordered in white.  No ornamental grass provides more of a show!  'Peppermint Stick' is the ne plus ultra of variegated grasses.  It's the tallest, with the biggest leaves and the broadest stripes.  

The outer gardens were my favorite at this stop.  It was lush & full (just the way I like it) and I was soaking up all the plant combo ideas!  I was pondering Joe-Pye Weed for a few weeks, but was unable to find it anywhere around home.  Once I laid eyes on an almost full grown specimen - I was set in a resolve to find and capture one. As it happens, I did find one at a local Garden Center in Champaign (who was generously giving the Garden Walkers a shopping discount!!).  It wasn't the chocolate variety - but I bought it anyway!

Eupatorium 'Little Joe' Joy-Pye Weed

Echenecia purpurea 'Tiki Torch' Coneflower

 Really like the purple ground cover.  I'm not positive about the name - I may have gotten my tags mixed up.

Angelonia Archangle dark purple

 I want one of these.  Or two

Pinus Mugo 'Teeny'  Dwarf Mountain Pine

I thought of doing a couple posts because I took so many pictures (200+).  Mind you, some of them were several different angles of the same area.  I wanted to be able to go back and recreate the idea in my own space.  Plus, my camera and I were not getting along on this day, my focus was all wrong and many of my good photos have peoples legs - or other awkward human parts, in them.

Alas, one tour - one post.  I've decided to intentionally make it easier on myself (even though it makes me feel wimpy admitting that is the reason - but this girl does have to work a day job!!)

This next garden was marvelous.

Lysimachia 'Yellow Loosetrife',  Coneflowers and Salvia

Each of these 8 gardens were so different.

So skillful.  

So beautiful.  

But each in their own way.  

Our 3rd stop was a blogger (among other things).  His Blog is From the Soil.  What Christopher Tidrick did with his space released from me the fear of not knowing the rules.
Walking around I realized there are no rules.

Is this a landscaped house, or a house holding up the landscaping.  Either way - it makes one hit the breaks

 I broke out of the small weighted space of following what I'm supposed to do, and was given the feather light freedom of doing what I think might work.
Inspiration AND freedom.  I had a good day.

I have a vision of my side yard completely landscaped, and this home had the closest version to the one in my head.  I was so excited to see it come to life.  Even better, my Hubby says, "Hey we can do something like this."
Ha!  Ya bet we can. I just hadn't told him I was planning this all along. Another major score today -and this is only the 3rd stop!

Lovely shade combinations

 Brunnera 'Jack Frost' peaking through Heuchera, host and other shade plants

I appreciate Christopher's design.  Just as I'm beginning to feel overwhelmed with the complexity of my surroundings, there is a touch of whimsy.  A family of reading frogs, a mushroom garden guide.  Even this red pot, just tall enough to show it's color.  I read that these are commas to a garden.   They are slight pauses to the eye, that let you take everything in, and give you a breath to move on.

Hosta, Brunnera, Coleus creating a nice reading spot for the frog family

I always wonder how people come into their garden whimsies.  I'd like to think they are picked up inside trips and have a memory of a certain place.  Maybe a long standing inside joke amongst friends or family. 

That's what I'd like to think.  I get mine at the hardware stores, or from other peoples yards.  I don't steal them - I pick up what's not wanted.  Cuz who wants to pack a stone ornament in a suitcase and pay extra to fly it home?

Sneaky Spy Frog

This immediately made me think of the sun I found in Mexico for my fence.  I loved it.  It was perfect.  It was too big to fit in my suitcase or the overhead compartment.  My fence still has no sun, because I've not found one to come close to my Mexican sun.

Hot sun over shaded fern on a stump

Visit his blog From the Soil

Bright Shade Garden

Love these hostas

There were a few stops that I admired but did not photograph.  Some dirt lovers go a completely different direction than me.  I respect and admire, but don't need to photograph.  There were 8 stops in all and my 5th stop was the most bizarre.  This was nothing close to my style, yet I marveled at the choices and displays of this MG.  This is the home of Ernie Marin and Bill Capel in Champaign.

Things that make you go "Hmmmm"

Small Iron Garden gate

 It's the little touches that can thrill me and hurl me into a frenzy of ideas.  I like the gate guarding the dirt growers.  Hardly draws attention to itself.

I have no idea what this is.  But it's lovely.

This appears to be something like a Foxglove, but looking at all the exotics - I doubt that's what it is.  I'd call it Spanish Foxglove.  Anyone know what this is?

More whimsy

Hundreds of pots all over the yard.  The stucco house and the tropical leaves were an instant transport to another region of the world.  It's amazing.

Tropicals in pots

Gardens with personality

Pieces of the desert were everywhere

Potted cacti

There were pots like this one below full of water with water plants growing from them.  Who would have thought?  I enjoyed the DIY pillars to raise the pots. That is a trick I'm taking home with me!

Water pots on pillars

He had Thistle taller than me.  For the photo of the purple thistle flower, I was literally looking up at the flower.

This is the back of the home.  This was such a beautiful neighborhood.  All the houses had character and history to them.  This home was a standout, not just the plant choices, but the colors, texture and the lines were different from it's neighbors.  It did not stick out like a sore thumb, it just caught the eye.  I heard someone say the owners have an atrium inside.  Me thinks an interior peak at this house may be just as incredible as the outside.

The gardening shed (Or that's what it looked like to me)!  Being a Realtor, my first thought is the condition of the roof, and the calculated lifespan.  But, as a gardener (wanna-be) I smiled at the coziness of the structure.  It nestled in and became part of its environment.  Adorable.

Gardening Shed that blends in

My mom knows the name of this - which impressed me.  I've never seen the likes of this one. And I forget the name.

These next photos are from the Garden of Carol Koenecke-Grant.  She says "Plant what you love."  

Hosta Galore!!

 I felt a kinship to this garden.  Maybe it's because because it was built on gifts from friends.

Lush and full of interest in color, texture and height

Maybe it spoke to my proclivity towards Hostas, Ferns and their shade loving companions.

Shepherds hook with lantern poking through shade loving plants

Maybe it was because it wasn't a vast working space but a small backyard.

Bird bath with shade loving plants

Whatever it was, her space had a calming affect; made me want to sit and breath slowly.

She had a peninsula garden with a large tree providing it's shade.  Some of the Hostas were HUGE!  So many people were stopping and commenting on the size.  Carol was asked what she feeds her Hostas.  Nothing.  She feeds them nothing.  This MG must have some gooooooood soil!  I put this photo in just give the comparison to the man standing next to Huge Hosta!  She did not have labels, so I was not sure which hostas she had

Carol's house was next door to Annette and Patrick Donnelly.  We walked from Carol's backyard, over the Donnelly's driveway and into their gardens.  In my meanderings I may not have separated their gardens in my photos.  So, some may be mixed up.  To my defense, one environment led seamlessly into the next, and I was just enjoying the path.
I believe this is the garden shed and the photos of the Donnelly's space - which was also lovely and gave me several ideas to come home and try.

Who would not LOVE this gardening shed?

Simple yet brilliant.  What to do with extra hardscape materials?  Why, make your own mini mountain, of course. Build up a corner and use pots!  I love love love this!
At a 2nd glance, I realized this created space was a wonderful hiding spot for the rain barrel which is holding the Wondering Jew.  A 2nd wave of brilliance!!

A hill made of flagstone with potted ferns hiding a rain barrel

Another rain barrel against the house.  Funny.  I've been starting to wonder how and where I would use one of these.

Another lovely landscaped side yard with a winding pathway!

This did it for me.  I did go out and buy one of these (once I saw them go on sale at Menards).  What convinced me was - at the bottom  they have a split soaker hose connected to the rain barrel!  All you have to do is turn the knob and open the water ways and the barrel waters your bed for you!

Mind blown.

Why didn't anyone ever tell me about this?

Do you have any idea how much time this saves.  How much less water I have to use?

Just how many of these things can I put around my house.

Rain barrel with soaker hose connected

Hosta 'Final Summation' and Lysimacia 'Creeping Jenny'

Good thing this was my last stop because my imagination was in hyper drive and I could not wait to get home and sit in my yard and plan plan plan!!!!!
How many of these walks can I go on this summer?
I want more!!!