Ron Scholz and ML Dawald confess their backyard at 401 Lincoln St. might be more of a recycled sculpture park with a garden, than a garden with sculptures.
You be the judge on June 25 during the 16th Garden & Arts Tour sponsored by the Flower Lovers Garden Club. The tour will be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (rain or shine).
Over the years no less than 25 bowling balls have rolled into the area. Some are adorned with stained glass, some merely holding down a rusty farm implement.
A recent recycled feature is a gazebo made from a satellite dish, not the tiny efficient ones you see nowadays, but the ones that were popular 20 or more years ago, that took up the space of a small car in the side yard. If you love rust, you will find lots to appreciate. Several bicycles, long past their prime, serve as props for plantings.
Paths have interwoven themselves among the plantings, mostly so the dog would not get her feet wet in going out to do her business. These meandering trails lead nowhere in particular, just a way to create some interest and less yard to mow.
Among the perennials you will see: Hosta, buttercups, lilies, Moon Flowers, red Bee Balm, Peonies, ferns, Coneflowers, and some unidentified but persistent uninvited guests. Water irises return each year in the little goldfish pond. Annuals scattered about include castor beans, marigolds, zinnias, vinca and elephant ears. Rhubarb is the star of the small veggie garden, while the tomatoes and peppers are the underperformers.
Purchase tour tickets now, maybe for a Mother’s Day gift, at these locations: Progreen Garden Center, Davidson Greenhouse, Country Hearts & Flowers, Milligan’s Flowers, Montgomery County Visitors Bureau, Just Because, Athens Art Gallery and Crawfordsville District Public Library. Athens Art Gallery is a bonus stop on the tour. Tickets are $12 per person and children age 12 and younger admitted free. Proceeds go towards community beautification.
