Garden Walk: Rockford, IL (Post 2)

The 2nd Garden Mom and I visited was the Durkee Garden in Rockford, IL (see our first stop at Chateau Neuf de Fleuve here)

This was the write up in our guide:

"Come experience this backyard oasis!  This English garden has the inmate appeal of an island.   One you've entered through the arbor you will be surrounded by beds of culinary, medical and ornamental herbs.  Stroll along stone paths that lead to a perennial border, dry stream, woodland, garden, bird sanctuary, can container garden.  Sit awhile in one of two patio areas and enjoy the sights and smells of an herb garden grown entirely in baskets.  Or wander to the pond in hops of viewing our resident blue heron."

Takeaway #1 - Yes. Yes Yes.  I truly, madly and deeply love Arbor entrances.

Lovely Arbor entrance to Durkee Garden, Rockford IL

Takeaway #2 - Further confirmation that metal accents and plant labels make a huge difference.  

I fuss and fret over where to put my accents and what kind of labels will look the best (and hold up to my midwest winters), but I've gleamed from the days explorations that where ever I put a piece of art in the garden -it will look like it was meant to be there - because who else will know all the choices I had?  I think too much

IDEA - hang baskets on metal fences (Love It)

Metal art and plant labels 

The pretty salvia 'cage', the hanging candle, the metal flower suet feeder...useful AND crafty

Garden accents that make up the personality of the garden

I enjoyed the curving pathways and the varieties of hardscaping.  It wasn't just the perimeter of the property that was edged and filled with plants, but paths and islands were created that curved around and led into one another.

Takeaway #3 - Don't just use the borders.  Make your own, shaped with islands or divide one long bed with a metal fence along the middle so you need to walk along both sides to see it all.

Dry Stream bed

 Takeway #4 - Use of boulders can have many purposes.  They can edge, they can separate, they can be an inner lining, or they can break the scene.  Use more boulders.

Metal accents, boulders and tall grass with beards tongue

Boulder border and flagstone pathway through bed

Curving pathway, innerlined boulder border with ground cover with hostas

This basket herb garden was very cute.  It had a fall color to it.  I'm not sure how well these baskets hold up to the weather.  Her display was very creative and added personality to the space.  (NOTE: there are even boulders in her basket garden) I know it was a 'she' gardener because she was there serving cold bottled water to the guests trampling her yard!  I've never had luck with herbs.  I love the smell and the ability to go outside, make a few snips, and throw it in the recipe.  It gives me a sense that I could have survived the frontier days.  Yup! The single small ability to snip ones own herbs could have kept me alive and thriving!  Maybe I should try her method.  But I'm sure there are more secrets she has than the artsy display.....

Basket herb garden

I'm not sure what the larger flowering shrub is, a viburnum, maybe, but the darker mounds looks like Wegelia along with Lady's Mantle in the left corner