If you have a garden that you'd like on the tour or if you know someone whose garden should be on the tour, please contact Maryjean Yengo at 265-9819

Below are decriptions and photos from the 2010 tour.

My husband and I purchased our house five years ago.  The first year I spent just watching the gardens to see what kind of show they would put on.  The yard had a couple of flower beds but they were small with a lot of perennials that just took over the areas that they were in.  That winter I designed the coming season’s gardens.  The first thing to go was the 1956 hedge row that lined the front of the house.  My husband also spent that summer adding a brick pathway.  This project took up the entire summer but it came out beautiful and was worth all the hard work.  The next two summers were spent removing plants and adding more of a variety of perennials.  Some of my favorites are daisies, black eyed susans, and hostas. 

Dara Donaghy Smith

14 Southwick Drive

This particular summer we might refer to Rebecca as an absentee gardener. Although her fingerprints are all over her back yard, she has been spending much of her time in NYC.   Rebecca practiced law in Massachusetts and currently concentrating on passing the N.Y. State Bar exam. Her classes unfortunately took her to the Big Apple so she left her lovely gardens to the loving and capable hands of her good friend and next door neighbor, Dara (who will be hosting both Southwick Gardens on the tour).

Dara, an accountant – keeps all things neat and legible, like her books. She said that she spends pretty much every week-end in the two yards, weeding and trimming, planting and pruning and it shows - as nary a weed can be seen.

Probably the most prevalent flower is the old stand-by hosta yet between the two homes you will find almost every perennial known to this part of the state.

Morning glories, hydrangeas, summer spirea, black-eyed Susans, sedum, Shasta daisies, chives, cushion spurge, green envy cone flowers and double-decker cone flowers, perennial geraniums, even rhubarb,

 Rebecca is a lover of roses and peonies and her gardens are dominated by many of these. She also has small stepping stones throughout her gardens and has artistically painted the name of the flower on each. She also made lovely stepping stones in the shape of leaves.

Through the years with much work and much help and advice I achieved my initial goal.  Some of the plants have special stories while others are just purchases to fill in an empty space in the garden or the calendar.  Daffodils, tulips, lilacs, poppies, peonies, roses, painted daisies, lilies, daisies, hydrangeas, dahlias, hibiscus, black eyed susan, and mums are all there waiting their turn to create smiles both outside in the garden and inside in a vase. 

My garden is all about color.  I use annuals and perennials to create a painters palette.  Come and walk the paths and enjoy a garden that will make your eyes smile

From April to October Bill has over 60 varieties, with some 3,000 individual plants.  From early spring to mid-summer there are azaleas, iris, poppies, blue/white bells, primrose, roses, tulips, daffodils, honey suckle, weeping cherry and crocus... just to name a few.

From July to October he enjoys the  rose of sharon, mums, lilies, hydrangea, hibiscus, sunflowers, daisies, cosmos, marigold, hosta, bamboo, holley, black eye susan, and yellow bud to name a few more.

 He also has raspberries, tomatoes, zucchini, winter squash and a variety of herbs.

Overall Bill mulches all leaves & clippings etc. for use in the garden in an effort to keep it organic he uses only organic fertilizer; no weed killer and no insecticides

Bill believes that gardening should help one develop a sense of peacefulness with nature, and it should be considered fun – not work.  His hope is that this notion comes across to all those who visit his gardens.

Keith, Amelia and their three children moved to the Webster village in March 2010.  Their home was built in 1916.  They are learning what plants they have and how to care for them.  The large front porch is flanked with two Japanese fringe maples.  The back yard features a beautiful stonescape patio. 

A pergola with wisteria opens out to the back yard and the childrens’ play area.  The stonescape features raised beds with perennials.  They are just learning the names of the plants.  Some of these are hostas, climbing hydrangea, black-eyed Susans, coral bells, hollyhocks, roses, clematis and lilies.