It's Open Garden Weekend in Johnson County. Here's a taste of what you can see.
This weekend is for gardeners — and non-gardeners, novice, seasoned, master, and just everyone.
Put away your trowels, wear your most comfortable shoes, add some sunscreen, and tour 31 gardens on display throughout Iowa City and Coralville on Saturday from 4-8 p.m., and then on Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
You will want a map, which is available at the sponsors who support this Project GREEN Open Garden Weekend: City of Coralville, Forever Green Inc., Green State Credit Union, Hills Bank and Trust, Iowa City Landscaping, Rindy Inc., Sanders Creek Co., Think Iowa City and Urban Acres Real Estate.
Look for the Open Garden Weekend green signs in front of each residence on the tour. The weather bureau is promising lower 80s temperatures and sunny skies for two days of viewing these beautiful gardens.
Tucked away just off Muscatine Avenue and a short strip of Washington Street is 108 Pearl St. Cindy Parsons along with her husband, daughter and mother, work, share and enjoy a large vegetable garden surrounded by an eight-foot black steel fence. Not only is the fence very attractive, but it is also guaranteed to keep deer away.
Raised soil bed rows are used for all the plantings. This allows for better drainage. Beside each row is a walking path of wood chips that make weeding, watering and harvesting much easier.
An impressive addition to the Parsons/Klinefelter's garden is the 1,500-gallon rain barrel they use for watering. A small motor and hose work, but they are planning some time to have a PVC underground pipe directly to the garden.
Parsons says: "The hoop will all be pole beans — it makes a nice shady 'tent' inside, and most of the beans come down through the 'hoop' and they can be harvested from inside the 'tunnel.' The tomatoes are also set up to grow between a double fence of cattle panels, with wooden slats placed in the middle to support the plants as they grow."
Parsons is an active volunteer for Project GREEN, putting many hours into projects. Her mother, Joan Parsons, was one of the original volunteers for this organization dating to 1969. She helps with planting and harvesting, too, in this very large and productive garden.
Going farther east you will find Connie Steele’s garden at 709 Arlington Drive in Iowa City. Steele enjoys working in her yard, which reaches a wooded area in the back.
She says: “I have been developing my garden beds over the past 12 years. Actually, my favorite plants are hostas, of which a wide variety dominate the backyard and the north side. With these, I use a collection of perennials and annuals to add color and interest.”
A large clematis is considered a focal point of the front yard and as much as she loves them, she has just one. Pots of coleus and other annuals add more color to the front entrance. On the south side of the house, she has all perennials, which attract butterflies and give permanent color year after year.
Phillip Mears has been gardening at his 1507 E. College St. residence for 35 years. He says, “I garden from curb to curb.”
I walked all around his house this week as Mears welcomes viewers even if he is not outside. He has rare and exotic plants, but also common plants that we all recognize. Hostas grow well-shaded by a huge, very old sycamore tree, an elm and a buckeye tree. A small pond supports water lilies.
However, Mears sells many plants during the growing season. Each year he gives the sale money to the food banks in Johnson County. Be sure to see this garden as it is unusual, but what it does for the community is fantastic.
There are too many gardens for me to write about all of them, but you will find on the map a brief description of each one. One has been added at 1507 Yewell St. just down from 1411 Yewell already on the tour. Lots of lovely front yard flowers.
Believe me, there is something for everyone in this open garden tour and it is a wonderful way to see Iowa City and Coralville.
Note: St. Andrew garden will be open Saturday evening from 4-8 and Sunday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. as planned. Need another map? Maps can be found at the Ashton house on Park Road and Rocky Shore Drive the days of the walk.
The Plum Grove tasting party is Wednesday, July 13, from 5:30-7 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: It's Open Garden Weekend in Johnson County. Here's what you can see.
