Master Gardeners to show their stuff at McHenry County walk

Posted June 27, 2013 3:24 pm

Annuals and perennials for both sun and shade are featured in the U of I Extension Master Gardeners in McHenry County Demonstration Garden at McHenry County College. The garden also features theme gardens and hardy plants for this region. It will be featured at the July 13 garden walk. Courtesy of MCC

Submitted by McHenry County College

Get out of the house and into the garden — actually, nine gardens — at the McHenry County College and University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners of McHenry County Garden Walk from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 13, starting at the college.

Begin your day at the Master Gardeners’ Demonstration Garden at McHenry County College that offers visitors a little bit of everything in this volunteer-kept space. Eye-popping annuals grown from seed in the college greenhouse are prominent throughout the beds. Also featured are perennial gardens for both sun and shade, as well as theme gardens that showcase hardy plants for our region.

Visit one garden or all nine throughout northeastern McHenry County and discover stunning designs from intimate city gardens to organic farmettes. Master Gardeners will be available at each garden to answer gardening questions.

A highlight this year is a garden in Spring Grove, titled “Feast of Organic Food,” which features five acres of biodiversity including organic vegetable, fruit and herb gardens, and is surrounded by 300 hardwood and softwood trees, totaling 56 species. This location also features specialty gardens, including perennial, bulb, English and Japanese Contemplative.

Another Spring Grove garden, “Tucked into the Fen,” features mostly wooded gardens and sunnier areas that would be considered savanna. The homeowners also planted butterfly gardens.

A “Farmette in the Village of Yesteryear” features an organic 1850s Victorian vegetable garden with brick walkways and several formal gardens. The seven-acre property is surrounded by conservation district land. A white oak in front of the house is one of the county’s oldest trees.

“Art in a Victorian Garden” is another treasure located outside an 1883 Victorian home in Woodstock. This homeowner treats his garden like a painting — creating with color, texture, balance and rhythm. Highlights include 20 varieties of hydrangea, many varieties of clematis and all types of perennials.

Another garden titled “A Visit to Blossom Bend,” in Richmond, is on five acres surrounding a passive solar home with a landscaped berm, complete with various conifers. Some rare plants grow in this garden, along with many species of iris, peonies, alliums and lilies.

Tickets are $17. Tickets may be purchased by calling the MCC Registration Office at (815) 455-8588 or at the garden the day of the event. Note, no pets will be allowed at the tour. For more details, visit www.mchenry.edu/gardenwalk. The college is at 8900 Route 14 in Crystal Lake.

Most visitors will first notice the koi pond and waterfall garden as they enter this Spring Grove landscape during the July 13 garden walk. It also features 15 garden beds, a half-acre native prairie, a bird and butterfly garden, a shade garden and two rock gardens. Courtesy of MCC

This Woodstock garden on the July 13 garden walk features a Chinese garden, a rose garden, farmerÂ’s garden ornamented with antique farm implements and tools. Courtesy of MCC

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