By Joette Kunse
Special to the Clarkston News

A visit to beautiful gardens is a sign of summer in Clarkston.
The Clarkston Garden Walk is scheduled for next Wednesday, July 20 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. with six fantastic gardens on the walk.
Bob and Michelle Bennett will be opening their garden for visitors during the walk. The Bennetts have been in their Clarkston home for about 25 years. They say their families, neighbors and friends have gifted them with several of their plants to aid in their landscaping. They like remembering the people who gave them each plant.
Their hostas are in their third generation and were a gift from Bob’s great grandmother, and the Rose of Sharon bush was from another relative.
Bob’s dad purchased a blue spruce for the couple when their son was born. It has grown tall over the past 20-plus years.
The Bennetts say that when they purchased the house, there were a few bushes and no flowers in the yard, but Michelle comes from several generations of gardeners and she especially credits her grandmother for love of gardening.
When visiting the Bennett’s home, you will find it packed with flowers, plants, bushes, and a newly-planted tree. All the bushes and grasses provide many hues of green with color from the flowers. The dark purple clematis adds color another hue to the color.
On the north side, Michelle has created a garden in memory of her mother who passed a couple of years ago. The Bennetts’ favorite summer gathering place for friends and family is their patio with seating surrounding the fire pit. They have added lighting to the area with laser lights similar to those that project on a side of the house at Christmas. These laser lights are directed at the tree canopy over the seating area and provide twinkling lights among the leaves above.
The Bennetts love fresh vegetables and herbs. On the south side, with direct sun, they have planted raised beds with their favorite fresh vegetables and herbs. Michelle says they have a blackberry bush in the garden and while mowing, she’ll stop and pick some blackberries for a treat.
Tickets for the Garden Walk are $15 until Tuesday, July 19, and are available online at www.clarkstongardenclub.org, as well as at Bordines on Dixie Hwy, the Gateway on M-15, and the Clarkston Independence District Library on Clarkston Road.
On Wednesday, July 20, tickets are only sold on the grounds of the library. Visitors to the Garden Walk purchase their tickets, then come to the library to receive a program with the addresses of the gardens.

PHOTO: Michelle and Bob Bennett show off their garden. Photo: Provided by Joette Kunse