Beautiful gardens and a good time.
That’s what garden lovers will find on the 4th Annual Leonard Garden Walk on Saturday, June 21, from 11a.m.-4 p.m.
The walk, hosted by the Leonard Summer Festival Committee, will feature six luscious, perennial creative gardens in the Leonard area.
One garden featured on the walk will be Bill and Ilka Olivich’s off Frick Rd.
Their five-acre property is filled with many different gardens, including a beautiful shade garden with brick pavers, iron gates and a fountain.
A large berry orchard and a vegetable garden also make their home on the land.
‘It’s coming together,? Ilka said. ‘It’s a work in progress.
The Olivich’s have lived in Leonard for 35 years and basically started their gardens from scratch. As the couple added flowers and plants here and there, it ‘grew as the kids grew.?
Bill has planted hundreds of trees of varying species and likes to accent the yard with windmills and bird-feeders, while Ilka enjoys to can and pickle her fruits and veggies she grows, especially the ones her grandchildren like to eat.
Ilka has found that getting to walk through other residents? gardens can help her creativity and shows a different side of people’s personalities. ‘When you step behind a house, it’s not at all what you expect,? she said.
Tickets, which are $10, can be purchased the day of the walk at 4363 Forest in Leonard. Proceeds from the event benefit the Leonard Summer Festival Committee.
Master Gardeners will also be available at some of the gardens to answer any of your questions. Refreshments will be served at all gardens. For more information, please call Sandra Walendzik at (248) 628-0897 or Debbie Brown at (248) 628-5586.