The most frequent question I am asked concerning my garden is "How long have you been at this?"

​

I have loved flower gardening since I was about ten years old (that means 60 years) when my family moved from the city - Muskegon - to a farm near Sheridan. The farm had been abandoned for a few years. My mother gave me a section of land to have a 4-H garden and I was hooked. (When I went to camp I hired my younger brother to weed my garden for ten cents. I came home and my flowers were gone but I had the neatest row of similar weeds!)

​

I, my husband and children moved to this farm in 1960 and the yard had little lawn. There was hayfield right up where you see the lawn edging, close across the back, and about ten feet from the house on the north side. In those days I read from landscape literature that one was supposed to have the vegetable garden near the back door and landscaping on your living room side. So my flower gardens were made in 10 - 12 food wide beds on the north side and vegetables were planted on the south driveway side for about 12 - 15 feet out. When I started college (with 5 children - the youngest started kindergarten & the oldest started high school) I couldn't keep up with hand weeding the beds so I asked for more land off my husband's hay field for vegetables. I moved my flowers (I couldn't give them up!) in the rows where vegetables were and rototilled between them. Thus, the row garden got started! 



I decided it would be nice to have the fruit trees, berries, asparagus, etc. in the same area so more land came off my husband's field.



I believe it was in the early to mid 1970's when more room was needed for the Iris I had ordered so I needed again more land from the south field. Row by row a little more was added to my garden.



The basic backbone of my English Cottage Style Gardens are the ornamental grasses, small trees and shrubs, Iris and Daylilies. (I have 400 different Iris & over 200 different Daylilies). I have the philosophy that "I don't know a plant until I grow it."



When I retired in 1993 I begged for 50 more feet off the south field and hired Sidney kids to hill up the soil so I could have raised rows to guarantee good drainage and these rows were further apart than the beginning rows. In 1996 I added 3 more rows where deer statues are now.



In the 1999-2000 year I asked for another large area off the field because I wanted to thin what I already had by removing every third row and putting in more crosswise paths. I also drew out my plans to get away from the straight rows east to west and design something different on graph paper but still tie it all together. We Master Gardeners also needed a larger area for our plant sale.



In this plan I have three theme garden areas. The one is the "FAIRY GARDEN" including fairy names, world and/or food. (The Silver Globe is the Fairy Mirror.) For example: The Fairy Rose, Fairy Tale Pink Daylily, Sugar Cookie Daylily, and Lolipop or Stargazer Lily. Another is the "PERENNIAL OF THE YEAR GARDEN" in the horseshoe shaped outer area around the pond area. The third one is the "MILLENNIUM PATRIOTIC GARDEN" around the flag pole. Only red, white or blue flowers are allowed in this one. The gazebo was added.



In the fall of 2001 or 2002 I added the last area because when sitting in the gazebo it seemed like one should look out ALL sides and see a flower garden. (This area now includes the "ROYALTY GARDEN".") My husband gave up the rest of the south field and we had it all sprayed with Round-Up. Our first intentions were to plant the rest of the field with wild flowers but discovered if properly done it was more work than we initially thought.  We gave up that idea. 



I'M GOING NO FURTHER​ out in the south field!!!!! My aim now is to redo some of the area I already have. It's a long process because the fall is the only time I have to work on this. The rest of the year I'm busy in the garden, in the greenhouse or with the plants on the tables north of the house that are for sale. I sell the plants to help support the cost of my workers and to keep up the large gardens. That's the story!



My future plans are to fence in three sides of the garden to keep deer out so I can plant more of my favorite flowers - the tall fragrant lilies. I also need to redo the pond area - rebuild a wall on the back side of it and hopefully get electricity to the area. I have eight black, metal arches/arbors ordered and I'l like to install more birdhouses about the garden.



THANKS for walking through my gardens. I hope you discovered a new plant to love and learned something new. Come back again! The first week of June and the second week of July are the most colorful.



2012 Update: The fence is in on 3 sides, electricity is in to the gazebo and pond, and the pond wall is in. The metal arches are in place, and additional birdhouses are up with cat deflectors (squirrel baffles)! Redoing is an ongoing activity. Iris are located mostly in every other row with lilies in between. The other rows are Daylilies, Peony and other perennials. Another theme garden is planned, too - "FAMILY TREE GARDEN". As you walk by this area on your way to the gazebo, know that it is not a pet cemetary!

​

Enjoy!

- Elaine