Garden Tours

Please welcome our newest addition to our festival -- Garden Tours!

The following will be on tour:

Paul Angelo’s Garden  

This eclectic garden is a must-see.  Set on the grounds of a 1912 English country-style home, a walk around the property will find various themed gardens, starting with the Rose Garden on the south side.  From there you enter the back yard to find a large, classic Herb Garden framed by a vintage wrought iron fence.  The back yard is dominated by a 300-year-old oak tree, whose ancient branches throw dappled shadows over a variety of evergreens and ground foliage.  Look for hostas, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Solomon’s Seal and ginger, along with selected shade perennials.

The yard is well-appointed with an eclectic mix of statuary from around the world. This backyard setting creates an extended living space with a well-equipped built-in outdoor kitchen and two hand-crafted dining tables spanning more than 20 feet.  A cozy fire pit situated on a sandstone patio accents the yard’s center.  On the north side, a tranquil Oriental Garden invites you to stroll its stone path, while under a grove of larch trees lies a collection of hydrangeas, hostas, weeping spruce and a Japanese maple.

A purple beech tree crowns the formal front garden.  Topiary trees of purple birch and blue spruce flank the front walk.  Pacasandra, boxwood and pyramidal holly accent the front porch and lava rock Hindu statues are positioned throughout to create interest.

Bogie’s Garden

Twenty years ago Bogie and his partner bought this 1910 Arts and Crafts home, knowing they had work to do.  At the time, there was no garden to speak of in the back; no place to relax after a day of renovating. Bogie began building.

At first he created the fish pond, filled it with koi and surrounded it with a sandstone patio, salvaged from some ruined sidewalks in the neighborhood.  He added a flowering crab and some landscaping.  Then, fortune smiled on him.  The lot at the back of his house came up for sheriff’s sale and he bought it for $44.50 – a steal! Bogie continued to build.

He wanted a garden that had the look and feel of a park:  opened and relaxing, a place for the two dogs to play.  In order to enclose the area, he installed a wrought iron fence that stretched to Maplewood.  Then he planted roses, wisteria, dogwoods, wild cherry and natural grasses to soften the sharp lines of the fence.  A trumpet vine that had once covered the pavilion outside the house was moved and draped itself over a post, while a huge Irish rose bloomed with white blossoms all summer long.  Finally, Bogie created the beds, using a combination of hostas, day lilies and yuccas, interspersed with annuals, to add a splash of color throughout.

Look closely as you wander through this calming oasis in the middle of the community.  Along one side of the garden a large wild grapevine twists and turns against the fence; its cousin adorns the neighbor’s garage.  Bogie’s tomato garden thrives in the warm sunshine, promising a rich harvest at summer’s end – perfect for serving with slices of mozzarella and a glass of wine at the table housed within the wrought iron pavilion.  Or, relax in the hot-tub, a must after a day working in this gracious garden with double-Bogie charm.

Cy’s Garden  

Ever wish you had a secret garden?  In the front yard of Cy’s garden, bulbs and flowering trees burst forth, welcoming another year in the garden, giving the viewer an inkling of what might be in store.  Mosey up the driveway, peak back behind this delightful 1905 Sears Craftsman home with its horseshoe gables and find a different world.

When Cy bought the house, there was nothing in the yard; and yet the long, narrow property gave him a clean palette on which to create his remarkable garden.  A lover of gardens since planting his first rose (Peace) at 8, he has managed to coax a cast of vibrant plants into their best dress in a relatively small area.  To do so, he brought in 20 tons of topsoil to raise part of the area and form the undulating shapes you see.  He then tackled the hardscape:  the paths, terraces and the fishpond.

Cy’s love of color, contrast and the exotic work their magic on the casual observer.  Watch, as a meandering path leads you back through a remarkable scene.  Look for varieties you may never have heard of:  sun spire and butterfly magnolia with ther yellow flowers, Stewartia, Russian lilac and styrex (Pink Chimes).  Paper bark maple, bug leaf magnolia, tree peony and kerria.

Wander past Cy’s arbors – one covered with clematis, the other sporting a swing where you can while away the summer hours with a book.  Or simply sit and watch the fish in the 17’ x 12’ pond where abundant water lilies, water iris and other aquatic plants reside.

Although he thought about tearing down the garage, which was in a dilapidated state, a bonus from Historic Preservation convinced him to restore it.  The restored building now houses tools and other necessary garden equipment.

As you leave, notice his mother’s wild grapevine beehive on the back porch.  Then amble back down the drive past daylilies and lupines – back to reality.