The Webster Village Historical Preservation Commission Annual Garden Tour will be held Saturday, July 13, 2013

1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Take a break and enjoy a FREE self-guided tour of our Beautiful Village Gardens

Donations for this event may be made to the Webster Museum

 Scroll down to view the gardens from 2012

Rita Straubhaar & Tom Racco – 1026 Castle Bridge Crossing

Ever since we moved to Castle Bridge Crossing five years ago, we have dreamed to have our gardens be part of a community Garden Tour, and the time has finally arrived for us to showcase our pride and joy.  Every single year we do major work in our yard/gardens.  The first year, we installed a patio and laid the landscaping framework for a berm over seven feet tall, and Tom's raised bed vegetable garden. Then in the second year, we installed pathways connecting the back to the front in addition to the expansion of all the berms around the house and yard.  In the third year we got the hot tub! Fourth year we installed the graceful curbing and privacy trees for additional fencing.  This year is the Garden Tour!  As my Father once said upon seeing the garden, "Welcome to "Paradise". 

Our garden is located on a large suburban lot outside of the Webster Village.  When you enter the backyard garden, you will be greeted by a Wisteria-in-training-to-be-an-archway.  You will see a cornucopia garden of plants including, but not limited to: Korean Fir, Crocosmia 'Lucifer', daylilies of many colors and sizes, Autumn Archer Japanese Maple, False Lupine, Hibiscus, Lavender, 8 foot tall butterfly bush that humming birds love to visit.  As Tom says: "My vegetable garden feeds our stomachs, but Rita's garden feeds our souls". 

Rodney & Linda Kilgore - 1104 Webster Road

Gardening has been part of my life since I was very small.  My parents were both raised by longtime Webster residents who had farming in their blood.  Many of my paternal Grandmother‘s perennials continue to grow in various parts of my gardens even today.

The gardens surrounding our home on Webster Road are filled with herbs, perennials, peonies, alpine strawberries, zinnias, raspberries, hostas, coral bells and vegetable plants.   

We also feature hydrangeas, butterfly bush, peony trees and dogwood.  Two memorial walkways to honor the memory of my parents are highlights of the gardens and provide a beautiful contrast to the variety of plants growing there.

I am an art educator as well as an artist and I find that gardening provides me with a living canvas in which to create beauty.  My gardens are ever changing with the seasons and they provide us with a place to relax and renew our souls. My favorite gardening quote----“One is never as close to God as in a garden”  

Chris & Sarah Beh - 28 Southwick Drive

Our love of gardening began not long after we bought our home.  We have slowly added garden spaces around the house and added a "garden walk" around our house that leads into a patio in the backyard.  In the front of the house, we have a variety of perennials that flower at varying points of the year.  Two of our favorites in the front yard include clematis (a late August bloom) and a hydrangea bush. 

Although both common garden plants, these two plants are special because they were transplanted from my mom's garden after her death -- and amazingly, they are consistently the most healthy and beautiful plants in our garden each year! 

 Also in the front, we have a Japanese Maple tree, two additional varieties of hydrangea, coral bells, rhododendron, astilbe and others.

As the garden walk curves around the house toward the patio, we have a multi-variety hosta bed alongside the house that leads into another garden with lilacs, more hydrangea, hibiscus, sedum, and other plantings.  We also have a vegetable and herb garden bordering the patio -- and for fruit, we added several blueberry bushes.  Daylillies serve as a border plant in several gardens to provide continuity among our gardens.

Beth Kirkpatrick - 139 Curtice Park

My interest in gardening began while helping my grandparents in their flower and vegetable gardens.  It only seemed natural to begin flower gardens when we moved to our home.  Our gardens are often a family project with my husband and sons pitching in with the heavy work, watering, and planning.

My gardens are a continual work in progress since moving plants and rearranging them provides me with relaxation.  I am always fascinated by the beauty of each flower and the fact that they return each spring.  These gardens are nothing fancy; just a peaceful and relaxing place to start or end the day

The majority of the plants are perennials with a splash of annuals for continuous color.  I also try to choose plants that attract birds and butterflies; thereby providing for our winged friends.  Some favorites of mine include :  Blue Flax, Hollyhocks, Red Valerian, Poker plants, Daisies, Cranesbill Geraniums, and many more too numerous to list

Gini Garrell - 44 Gordon Park

Several years ago I collaborated with my good friend Betsy Knapp about adding flowers to my yard.  It has been a work in progress ever since.  She started in the front next to the creek tumbled blue stone walk my middle son and I had put down.  Notice my "water feature" in that area.  You could call it a reflecting pool.  She continued along both sides of the driveway.  After that the garden beside the garage was created.  Three years ago I put an addition on my home which necessitated plantings to continue across the front and down the east side. 

Here and there as time permitted she worked her way around the deck and across the back lot line.  Last fall and this spring our attention has been on the "stumpery" on the back of the house.  I had a pallet of stone that matched the walk to rebuild the front entrance.  When it couldn't be used for that Betsy used it to build the little curved sitting wall that runs along the stump garden.  One year she piled a lot of brush cuttings along the side of the garage nobody sees but just in case someone did, she spray painted it green!  Since last year's tour a bottle tree has been added.  It has 23 cobalt blue wine, water and vodka bottles on it.   There are plans on expanding a garden and perhaps painting a stone wall on the driveway.  It is always great fun!

Nancy & Ray Ferris - 77 Park Avenue

Nancy’s brother and sister are professional artists, but Nancy prefers to use her garden as her canvas.  She is a year round garden who starts all of her flowers from seed, and color means everything! 

She mixes many annuals and perennials to make that possible, and adds that there are never enough flowers! “This is a must see” garden that will be enjoyed by all who visit.

Dave & Betsy Stryker - 54 Elm Street

Our patio is not just a home for the gas grill and table and chairs.  We have created a peaceful oasis in the middle of the village.  The space is bounded on three sides by structure, our house and 2 garages. 

The fourth side is semi-screened from the front yard by a star magnolia, split rail fence and hanging plants.  On the street side of the fence we plan to plant azaleas and hydrangeas. The perimeter of our poured concrete hardscape is planted with hostas, ferns, astilbe, miniature iris and many other perennials.  I use lots of annuals in pots and hanging baskets for color. Dark colored mulch sets off the many shades of green.At one end we have a fountain that provides the soothing sounds of running water to cover the traffic noises. Climbing up a 4x8 foot lattice trellis on the side of our garage is a clematis that for the last 4 years has bloomed profusely from June through October, The vine is centered in a raised bed created using rough hewn granite.