The Leonard Garden Walk is right around the corner, and to tempt your taste buds (no pun intended) here’s a peek at some featured gardens.
Seven gardens total will be highlighted on the July 22 tour, including the gardens of Tobi and Gary Britsch and Angela and Ron Profant.
Britsch’s 150-ft. long fairy garden just may be magical with it’s 40 different species of flowers in bloom.
Forsythia, bee balm, dahlias, phlox, delphiniums and calla lilies can be seen in various vibrant colors, and smell sweet enough to attract the butterflies and hummingbirds it’s meant to.
Britsch said she was asked to be on the tour, but never really thought of her garden as ‘garden walk-worthy.?
‘I work in it every day. It’s actually addicting,? she said. ‘You come out here and look down and you’re like ‘there’s a weed,? and the next thing you know it’s five o’clock.?
The elongated garden at the Britsch residence is also speckled with wooden bird feeders for her and her husband, who are avid bird watchers.
Garden walkers can also enjoy the Britsch’s chemical-free and pesticide-free organic garden.
The 30 x 20 ft. garden has corn, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes and also cabbage growing.
Another featured garden on the tour is the Profant’s English garden, though she prefers it to be called a Memory Garden.
‘It’s (decorated) with all old stuff that people gave us,? she said. ‘It all has stories.?
For instance, a bird bath made by a friend sits surrounded by large perennial plants, while other gifts from friends find a place in the garden.
Profant said her mother passed away while working in her garden, so she feels a connection to her when she’s working in hers.
Profant and her husband used to own a store in Oxford called New Season, which sold decorative home furnishings. She decided to use a lot of those decorative items to add character to her own strolling garden when the store closed.
She uses wooden posts, ceramic tiles from demolished buildings and even an iron gate from the 1800s as fixtures in the garden.
When one first enters the garden laced with topiaries and ivy-strewn step stones, the garden house sits to the right. Inside, Profant grows plants and surrounds the room with other items full of memories.
Traveling on, one will find a gazebo covered in Wisteria, perfect for a shady spot to sit.
Amongst flowers like peonies, roses and hibiscus, another path leads to a sitting spot with a checkerboard painted floor. A tall, cement candelabra adds light to the sitting area.
Further down the path is an ivy-covered well house Profant painted with stucco to get a brick effect. ‘It’s definitely a labor of love,? she said. ‘You never finish and you tweak it all the time.?
Profant and her husband have been working on their garden since they moved in 14 years ago. ‘This garden is definitely blessed by God,? she said.
To see even more beautiful gardens, pick up your tickets ($10) by calling Debi McDonald at (248) 628-7764.
The walk runs from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Proceeds from the walk are donated to educational or environmental projects in the area.