Our Own Garden Walk 2010

July 18th Photo Slide Show

On July 18th we toured four McHenry gardens including our May Garden of the Month and 3 member gardens and had a hay ride on the Schiller farm.

First we visited the home of Tim Wheelock and Betty Richardson on Chickaloon Dr. in Glacier Ridge Subdivision. This beautiful garden was our Garden of the Month in May. It is absolutely jammed-packed with unusual perennials (Jack in the Pulpit, Lady Slippers, etc.). Tim is a WWII vet, and he and Betty spend about 4 hrs. a day working in their yard. Betty also has a prairie garden on her "back 40". They are delightful people and always enthusiastic about showing off their hard work.

Our second stop was the home of Jean and Vern Schiller and their farm on Draper Rd. Although most of us have been to Jean's house at one time or another, Vern brought us out to the lake on their property in the back of his truck lined with bales of hay and it was gorgeous out there.

Next we visited the home of Jane and Jack Thomas on Fairway Drive in town. Jane's garden is lovely. She put a tremendous amount of work into preparing for this walk and had yellow mums and other perennials ready for sharing.

Finally we visited the lovely home of Priscilla Rutter right on McCullom Lake. Although Priscilla is a member now, her garden was Garden of the Month for last October. She has flowers on the roadside, across the road and on the lakefront. And what she's done with containers! There was a ficus tree that was huge and beautiful perennials. She fed us too, some wonderful refreshments - more like dinner!

Thanks to Betty Richardson and Tim Wheelock who maintain the huge lovely gardens in Glacier Ridge, Vern Schiller for calling in the cows, Jane Thomas for sharing her perennials, and Priscilla Rutter who provided food and fun. All the gardens were beautiful.

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