On July 10th club members toured the gardens of Vicky and Mike Shallow in rural Barneveld.
It took us a while to even leave the parking area near their shed as Vicky showed us a shelf of prairie plants she had started from gathered seed. She also gave us a peek at the robin nest with eggs that had been built in one of her flower containers.
A gravel garden, which Vicky states is little if any maintenance was built on a remnant of a gravel pile from a driveway project. Lead plant and wooly thyme are among the thriving plants in it.
Vicky does not shy away from planting perennials such as lavender and hardy begonia which can be borderline hardy here. Near the house, they incorporated stone with various levels and curves, along with just the right complementary plants, to create a visual flow from nearby conifers, dianthus and thyme to large swaths of lavender, coneflower and other perennials and finally a smoke bush.
Thank you so much Vicky and Mike for sharing your lovely gardens with garden club members.
