On June 5 our members toured the gardens of Harriet and Glen Ridnour.
Harriet titled her program "Gardening on a Budget" but innovation and cleverness prevailed. Harriet and Glen explained that their property had been the site of a church. Rocks, rubble and other remnants of the past have been exposed through the years when gardening.
Harriet's well composted cherry tomatoes are planted where her mail carrier can pick some when walking by. The fence provides a backdrop to her perennial and annual border and vines including Sweet Autumn. She transformed turf into a symmetric herb garden with paths and a stone sculpture from Maine in the center. Glen has recently turned a swath of turf into a meadow for habitat and visual interest while cutting down on mowing.
Harriet pointed out a number of objects, many from England, now repurposed for utilitarian purposes such as containers. An old wooden ladder serves as a trellis for cucumbers to climb.
Just as the tour was ending it started to rain and the screened-in porch accommodated the well-attended group with comfortable seating and a refuge from the rain for our meeting and treats. A big thank you to Harriet and Glen for hosting!
