Arlington Heights Garden Walk and Unique Boutique

Friends who have been on the Garden Walk before may recognize this address from several years ago, and may be tempted to skip it. Don’t! Our hosts, Bill and Linda guarantee that previous visitors will not recognize their home, let alone the landscaping and gardens that now surround it.

Bill, a garden club member, reports that about 90% of their landscaping has been changed since 2006-2007. He and Linda added an addition to their home, changing both its front and back profiles. It’s from the new front porch that you can best view Bill’s prized Sutherland Gold Elderberry, or in the spring, see the Dwarf Red Buckeye in its full glory.

In the back, a new patio with walkways and planting beds has been installed. Because two large apple trees in the back of the yard were lost, that area has also been completely redesigned to accommodate new plants and focal points.

Each plant in each bed has been meticulously chosen. Bill confesses that it’s hard to go all winter without gardening…so, to keep his interest active year round, he searches nursery catalogs, gardening journals and internet sites to find choice plants and unique varieties to try just as soon as spring returns and planting season begins.

Be sure to stop on the patio to enjoy the pots that Linda is responsible for creating. There are also before & after pictures available of the remodeling process…and a few pictures of the gardens in different seasons. A details planting plan is also available which identifies every plant in the landscape, should you find one that intrigues you.

Take a mild-mannered biology teacher, give him some land, a love of unusual plants and some time off during the summer, and what do you get? A SUPER man-made garden complete with small pond, entertaining areas, unique shrubs and even some veggies!

Nate has been developing his garden since he and wife moved into this house 6 years ago. As their family has grown, Nate has developed the gardens to reflect the needs of all members of the family…lawn to play on, patios for entertaining, and plantings for beauty and relaxation. Be sure to see the ‘before’ pictures so that you can fully appreciate the transformation!

There is a definite calm in the yard, achieved through the clever organization of the space into different ‘rooms’. Natural, flowing shapes make each of the areas seem effortless. Each has a function and a focal point, making the experience of the yard far larger than its measurements.

A number of unusual trees and shrubs are on the property, including a catalpa, paw-paw and a bottlebrush buckeye…oops! I don’t want to give away too many answers…take the scavenger hunt and see how well you do!

Our mild-mannered teacher has become something of a super-hero to the neighborhood. As he has been working with Mother Nature to nurture his yard, neighbors and friends have noticed. With business partner Matt, summers are now spent in consulting and developing designs for functional, family-friendly landscapes.

What do you do with the yard when your family includes small children, two cats and a dog? The answer is simple: PLAN!

This yard demonstrates that good space planning is once again the key for successfully integrating family and fun into the garden. There is a patio and entertaining area that is nice for the grownups. The crushed granite pathway was installed so the little ones would have their own ‘raceway’ and it helps define the lawn area for their play. On the other side of the pathway, the raised perimeter garden provides a feeling of privacy from the neighbors, while encouraging butterflies and birds to visit the garden. The plantings are full and diverse, without being fussy and they provide interest for different seasons.

In the back corner of the property is a shed that houses all of the tools and materials necessary for maintaining the veggie garden that is located along the back of the property. This fenced area showcases raised beds with brick walkways in between, making access to each bed easy for every member of the family, regardless of their size. Be sure to notice the wildflower garden…truly a delight for our pollinator friends!

While back at the shed…peek over the fence into the yard next door…it, too, is in the process of being transformed. The deck was just added this year, and the gardens are being developed. It is a ‘half and half’ yard, where half of the yard is shady, and the other half is in full sun. Let’s hope that we’ll be invited to come back and see it when all of their projects are complete!

1208 N Drury Lane

When Carol and Greg moved into this home 25 years ago, they made a deal. Greg would care for the half-acre yard, and Carol managed the inside of the home. And then a funny thing happened….about 10 years ago, Greg ‘surprised’ Carol by digging a LARGE hole for a pond, expecting Carol to be excited about his vision. Well….THAT didn’t happen … at least not immediately.

Although she started as a reluctant gardener, Carol now admits to being totally committed to the process. With her input, Greg completed the pond, making it a central feature in their yard. Over the years, they’ve learned to balance trees and shrubs as anchors in their garden beds, and blend both flowering perennials and colorful annuals to create a cohesive landscape. Their teamwork now extends to choosing every element from hand-selecting the boulders to leaving a dead tree to serve as a trellis and choosing artwork and ‘treasures’ to decorate and delight! Their yard, which is always evolving with new ideas and visions, now reflects their passion for tropical plants that are moved into the greenhouse for winter.

Hospitality and warmth are the guiding principles of this garden, with extreme care being taken to make all visitors feel welcome. So, if you’re a hummingbird, check out the vines planted for you near the back door…if you’re a furry friend….find some berries under the mulberry hedge…and if you’re human, take time to enjoy the beauty and the humor of our hosts. You won’t be disappointed.

1224 N Drury Lane

In some families, family heritage is evidenced by a distinctive trait such as a large nose, a square jaw or perhaps a specific eye color. In the Koch family, the love of gardening and growing things is the legacy that we are invited to share. Bill and Suzanne are the owners of Hawthorn Gardens and a sponsor of the Garden Walk, and we’re delighted that they’ve invited us to take a peek into their own private sanctuary!

The Koch’s moved into this home 19 years ago, and their yard has grown and developed over that time to reflect their love of nature and family. The back patio with its koi pond is the very picture of gracious, relaxed living. Family and friends can gather comfortably on the deck or around the fire pit to enjoy the tranquil and lush surroundings. Beautiful plantings and containers bring color and interest throughout the yard.

After caring for thousands of plants at Hawthorn Gardens all day, what do you think a nurseryman would plant in his own yard? Well, a little bit of everything, it would seem. There are some unusual choices, such as the Paperbark Maple that is planted outside the front door, and the Japanese Maple that reigns over the pond but they are balanced with time honored traditional plantings, such as a hosta path and even a veggie garden. Experimenting with new plants and combinations is still part of the excitement of gardening for Bill, so things are always growing, changing, being explored.

There is a sense of proportion, of balance and of timelessness in this garden that welcomes visitors and provides respite from the world. Relaxed elegance, well-chosen plantings and creative inspiration…what better legacy could a garden have to share?

One of the hottest trends in gardening today is planting flowers densely, to create colorful beds, stimulate biodiversity, and to minimize maintenance. Choosing to mix perennial favorites such as lilies with colorful annuals, our hostess has created a lush, vibrant garden that celebrates continuous color from spring through fall.

Specific vantage points from the house have dictated some of the plant choices, so that the beauty of the garden can be enjoyed from both inside and out. Be sure to check out the pictures of the garden in different seasons that are available.

Although Charlene has lived on this property for over 20 years, it wasn’t until about 10 years ago that she began developing the garden. It began as small planting beds, located here and there on her property. As she discovered new flowers, she has added a little bit at a time over the years, and expanded the beds as her perennials have expanded. One guiding principle of this garden is that once you have planted something: let it grow!

The blessing of this cottage-style garden is that it truly does require less routine maintenance, as our homeowner can attest. A health challenge prevented her from getting out into the garden for several months, and yet her garden has blossomed and continued to delight her friends and neighbors during her recuperation. The only schedule maintenance is that every year in late fall, the garden is completely cut down, and top-dressed with compost to insulate it for the winter and to prepare for the next growing season.