Hosts: Gerry and Bonnie Ziegler

The front gardens honor the symmetrical design of the home’s colonial architecture. Annuals are added to enhance the shrubs and perennials framing the front door.  Next to the driveway, a small pollinator pocket and a Dawn Redwood add to the enjoyment of a walk past the Ziegler home.

If you enjoy tips on growing your own food, including the unusual and exotic, Gerry’s vegetable garden serves as an ideal example. His knowledge of plant varieties and breeding results in an annual nutritious, organically grown bounty. Healthy small-space vegetable production means careful planning, crop rotation, and experimentation, some just for fun (ask about lavender cauliflower, artichokes, New Zealand Spinach, and tomatoes of every color). 

Potted trees on the patio greet the summer visitor as you approach the vegetable area: kumquats, Meyer lemon, seedless lime, calamondin, fig, and a Moringa (superfood) tree.

After losing two shade trees, much work went into converting the back yard. Bonnie notes the playful nature of a circular herb garden planted around one large stump.  At the far back, a charming benchmarks the family ‘pet cemetery.’ Nestled in a small patch of shade and pine needles, it offers rest from hard work, or a place for quiet contemplation. Along the north fence, berry varieties add a touch of natural wildness.

Hosts:  Melissa Edwards and Alex Breen

Form and function unite in combining this beautiful garden space with maximized food production. The homeowners’ “cooking around the world” philosophy inspires their plant selections: taste must accompany notable plant structure and interest.  Their outdoor kitchen is designed for enjoyment surrounded by loveliness while they cook. Many container-grown gems house the unusual as well as distinctive varieties of essential ingredients.

This cooking area is also the summer home to a large collection of unique tropical plants and orchids.  Nestled around a charming fountain, they reside near the pergola covered in grape vines and wisteria. The arms of an oak tree create an inviting canopy overall, protecting dozens more houseplants. This patio area beckons a pause for a cup of tea or glass of wine.

The inground vegetable plantings are oriented to ensure full sun exposure during the growing season in order to maximize production for preserving their year-round bounty. This large open area is punctuated by distinctive favorites of Serviceberry, Seven-son-flower tree, and coneflowers to name a few. Their property intentionally welcomes wildlife, even creating small brush piles. The impressive variety that Melissa and Alex have created encourages the visitor to think beyond lawns.
 

Hosts: Heather and Ryan Miller

Heather’s design from the beginning has been to cultivate an “above average, yet attainable garden,” one that fits the needs of her busy family. The space evolved over a period of 20 years as time permitted. With the couple working full time and engaging in many activities, designing for low maintenance was essential as well as having four seasons of interest and beauty.

Great curb appeal greets the visitor.  Attractively designed pots draw the visitor’s eye amid hostas, evergreens for winter interest, blooming shrubs, perennials and grasses. Hard wood mulched beds retain their perfect tidiness throughout the growing season with only minor maintenance. The visitor sees this beautiful plan and thinks, “I can do this!”

In the backyard a large fenced vegetable garden feeds the family and friends. The red barn signals their agricultural roots, and holds tools and garden supplies. This beautiful focal point lends a rural feel, tucked in a corner between the vegetables and a shade garden. Gentle curves make easy mowing.

Mature trees and blooming shrubs provide the bones of the backyard around a large sweep of lawn the Millers reserve for recreation.  The deck was enlarged in 2021 to offer spacious outdoor living, enjoyment, and a place for watching birds and sunsets.  Careful plant selections consider pollinators, including a “bee watering station.”

Host: Lynne Hellmer and Bill Fillman

“Inspired by change,” has been Lynne’s motto in crafting her garden into a display that makes her happy and certainly makes the visitor thrilled! The couple began by selecting an empty subdivision lot with a ‘blank canvas’ on which she could practice budding horticultural skills.  Lynne is quick to point out the mistakes of those first garden creations: too many straight lines, narrow beds, uninteresting shrubs & trees. All dug up and given away.

The visitor is now greeted by a garden filled with too many wonders to list. Lynne’s desire for the “Wow” effect immediately heralds visitors at every turn through the winding paved paths and around the few remaining lawn areas. Several dozen flowering shrubs were installed last year in ever-expanding borders.  The desire for “massive” blocks of color, mimicking public parks, is realized in blocks of deep blue and yellow honoring her Ukrainian heritage.

Unusual conifers of every size and shape beg to be touched and compliment the artistic addition of many extraordinary planters, water features, and cozy seating areas. The entire garden is illuminated offering guests a treat after sunset.  Lynne is often found working on garden plans near the garden shed, in her shady “secret nook,” partially hidden, filled with birds and butterflies, and exuding peacefulness. 

Framed behind an enclosure of Karl Forester Feather Reed Grass, we find one of the loveliest public gardens in CU. Gelvin Garden was dedicated in 1990 from funds donated by Roseanne Gelvin Noel and Philip Gelvin to honor their parents. The plan was to provide a beautiful and peaceful entry to Krannert Art Museum. Museum director Jon Seydl calls Gelvin Gardens the “first and last gallery” of the museum “because they not only house works from the collection but also the gardens are a work of art.” 

Terry Harkness, landscape architect, designed the gardens. Four sculptures by Tom Otterness and several concrete benches invite the visitor to linger. Two Japanese Maples provide additional focal points with their size and color.  Dozens of annuals provide consistent color to augment perennial beds; a wide variety of shrubs and bulbs complete the glorious palate. 

Remarkable features include the dedicated volunteer gardeners who, guided by Master Gardeners, meet weekly over ten months. Their knowledge, persistence, and hard work over many years have turned a formerly neglected garden into a truly exquisite place.  Visitors, often seen on benches sharing coffee and conversations, fulfill the garden’s mission. Students gather here for photos and special events. For others, its quietness offers a respite from the busy world. All who visit leave refreshed.

Host: Michael and Kathryn Burton

Gardens were planned to enhance the heavy shade of mature trees, according to Michael. In the backyard, perennial foliage plants of great variety create a lush greenspace of low-lying plants amidst the mulched earth and paths. Groupings of hostas, such as ‘Big Daddy,’ and clusters of fern varieties are plentiful. Two large Bottle Brush Buckeyes steal the show with July blooms.

The highlight of the backyard is the large wondrous pond teeming with all sorts of life. Waterlilies in four colors catch the eye amidst dozens of colorful coy. Michael says the waterfall immediately beckons children who are allowed to feed the fish!  With their love of forests and wildlife, The Burtons are proud to have created this ‘urban oasis’ where birds, possums, dragonflies, and pollinators are always welcome. Most amazing is the pond’s external filtration system using a series of plastic drums and gravel grades to ensure crystal clear water.

Michael built a deck, a large patio,a fire pit, and several benches in order to enjoy the pond and secluded understory. Early last year, he began landscaping the front yard under the dogwood trees with shade-loving natives. His gardening skills were developed from childhood by his family. A small Pollinator Pocket on the corner of Columbia and Prairie sustains many pollinators.

The Idea Garden, located on the University of Illinois Arboretum in Urbana at 2000 S. Lincoln Ave., is 18,000 square feet of planted space. Volunteers work more than 4,500 hours each year in the garden to provide a source of inspiration, relaxation, and continuing education for our community and its visitors. Since 1997, the Idea Garden has been maintained as an educational tool to demonstrate garden design and maintenance ideas, to encourage novice and experienced gardeners to experiment with new plants and techniques, and as a site for public workshops.

Hosted by: The Champaign County Master Gardeners

Host: Jim and Darlene Kloeppel

If eight months of blooms and a cutting garden beckon you, then the Kloeppel garden is the place to visit!  In 1996 Jim and Darlene purchased the home with a very shady yard of mature old trees. As the front yard trees were lost, Darlene gradually began the transition to sunnier vistas by adding hundreds of blooming shrubs, perennials, and bulbs.

The front yard display lends the neighborhood a scene of peacefulness and beauty. From the front steps or the upstairs windows, the homeowners enjoy the blooms and determine needed maintenance. Maintenance of this very large garden has become more manageable with a system of hoses and sprinklers strategically installed.

A backyard stroll offers the addition of native plants such as prairie aster and milkweed, raised beds for bulbs, and a gazebo made by a friend with a small patio of flagstone reminding Jim and Darlene of their years in Arizona. A small observatory fulfills Jim’s dream and interests of many years as a science editor. Darlene’s annual plantings of ‘cosmos’ complete the picture.  Their often-photographed formal patio between the house and garage is picturesque; the scene is perfected with Darlene’s foundation plantings, artistic potted plants, and a fountain to engage the senses.