As I toured the gardens of the 2011 Kankakee Kultivator's Garden walk, I was struck by the same concept. Had you given me any of those yards, I probably would have come up with something completely different (and assuredly, more weedy) than the homeowners.
What a treat to see the fruits of their creativity and effort. Each garden had lessons for me. Let me share a few:
Dave and Becky Williams proved to me that I need to quit whining about my small yard. For a dedicated gardener, size is no hindrance whatsoever; merely a different kind of challenge. The passion they share for gardening shines clearly in their innovative vegetable garden. In contrast, my vegetable garden is not so much a labor of love as a labor of necessity. And it shows. If I can pull a red tomato from a field of lamb's quarters, I declare success. The Williams' garden, however, was nothing short of a retreat. And believe me, when I look at my own, I'd dearly love to retreat to theirs.
Kathy Bessette's vast woodland landscape filled the shadows with color, texture and creativity. Over the years, I've encountered many homeowners who are thoroughly flustered with similarly shady backyards. The combination of tree roots and lack of sunshine provide enough deterrent to keep them from creating beauty. Kathy was not easily offset. Her powerful imagination envisioned the world of hosta and perennials residing beneath the shade and a good amount of determination brought it to life. Where some may have seen limitations, she found possibilities.
As someone who is losing the battle to weeds (yes, I know it's only June) in her current vegetable garden, I have a great appreciation for the immaculate beds of David and Cheryl Bishert. I love that they simply used grass clippings (naturally nitrogen-rich and notably free!) to mulch and keep interlopers at bay. Large tomato cages were ready to handle our bulky Illinois growth, unlike the cheap tomato cages I employ, which are overgrown by the end of July.
A small stroll from the Bishert's brought me to Rick Hoekstra's vineyard. Lush grapevines abounded. Here I discovered the easiest of all the take-home-messages: Mmmmmmmm.....Moscato! I found a wine to enjoy when the work is done.
At this point, let me say that this particular day I had been mislead by the weather forecast (not uncommon for me this year). I donned blue jeans in the morning, expecting a cooler day. The resulting 89 degrees of heat and humidity did not agree with my denim. Babysitting fees were racking up and so was my internal thermometer, and I thought very heavily about heading home after the vineyard. I'm so glad I didn't.
