It finally happened! Every gardener’s dream came true for myself and a member of my loosely knit Garden Friend Network this summer. We were asked to show off our water features and gardens on the Professional Pond Tour June 24 and 25th. We were excited and thrilled, and of course, accepted immediately. The invitation came in early February, and the prospect of a warm weather garden gathering for a weekend was definitely something to look forward to. We began planning our garden plantings and features with enthusiasm and confidence, figuring there was plenty of time to prepare.
As Spring arrived, ground was broken for new beds and compost and dirt were delivered to enrich the soil. Seeds and plants were ordered with a close eye to blooming times so the gardens could be in full glory for the tour. With so much advance time, my goal was to control weeds, make the garden nice and keep it that way for the tour, thus avoiding a mad rush to do everything at the last minute.
Some reflections:

NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU WORK, YOU’RE NOT READY
Although we both had worked hard all season, the inevitable mad rush had to happen. In my case, my large and lovely cannas, hostas and container plants were totally shredded by a severe hailstorm about a month before the tour. Although the plants would eventually recover, there was not enough time before the tour to nurse them back to health. I tore them all out, replanted them in a discreet area outside the fence and commenced planting lots of different perennials in the main garden. With lots of care and fertilizing, they reached a reasonable size in time and displayed a variety of shapes, colors and textures by the pond.

LABEL YOUR PLANTS
I had been on several garden tours lately and seen lots of plants I liked that I didn’t recognize. In the gardens where the plants were labeled, the pleasure of discovery was not overshadowed by frustration at not knowing what the plant was. When the plants were not labeled, it was often difficult to track down a tour representative to ask the variety. For our tour, we found stainless steel plant markers that stick into the ground and can be written on to identify the plant. Many commented that they were appreciative of this, although the plants or trees we didn’t mark were often the most popular. Or people asked us what the plant was even though it was marked!

THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE DETAILS
A neat and tidy garden is deceiving in its simplistic appearance. Once we began preparation, we quickly came to realize how much work it is to achieve that spotless look. Mulch was whisked off surrounding rocks, plant materials and weeds carefully disposed of in wastebaskets instead of being thrown into the back of beds. Our water features were actually among the easiest to prepare as we both have biological filtration systems to keep the water clear, algae free and low maintenance. Almost all guests commented that our water was among the clearest of the 60+ homes on the tour, a very rewarding affirmation of our work.
Garden sculptures and focal points created by art provide the finishing touches for the well groomed garden. The homemade birdhouse and Statue of Liberty sprinkler shown here were among the most noticed and commented upon details in the gardens.

GET PLENTY OF SLEEP
After our weeks of preparation, standing around greeting garden visitors seemed like it would be the easy part. We had over 200 visitors to each of our gardens and although it was extremely rewarding, it was a steady stream all day. We were ready to lay in the hammock when the day was done. Would we do it again? YES! But not this weekend.

Robin Milliken is a Landscape Specialist and Master Gardener
The Master Gardener appears monthly in The Olathe Daily News.
© H&R Lawn and Landscape

Links to other monthly columns: