The Garden Tour

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Mom’s border garden of begonias and BEETS.

Over July 4th, we traveled to Iowa to see Mom, Sis and the boys (two nephews and a brother-in-law).      I have previously featured a few of their garden specimens for Abigail’s Virtual Flowers so if you are an avid reader, you may see some repeats.

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Prairie clover in one of Mom’s prairie gardens.

Mom and my sister’s family share a back yard.  My brother-in-law has landscaped it beautifully, building a terraced garden from her upper yard to their lower yard.    Mom has her flower beds, lots of fruit trees, some prairie gardens and one fairy garden.

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Fairy Garden complete with bench (and tiny rabbit).

My brother-in-law has an espalier wall with apple and pear trees (that just happens to be in mom’s yard), a water garden, rock garden, outdoor kitchen area (with Big Green Egg), and a patio.

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An espalier of apple and pear trees.

He has also put in a willow archway, a twig built trellis, a M*A*S*H pole for my sister (an uber fan), and a tree house (with help from The Hubs).

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Willow arbor nook.

MASH pole.    They made us a similar one for Christmas last year.

MASH pole. They made us a similar one for Christmas last year.

 

They “share” the vegetable beds.

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An old ladder with petunias in the vegetable garden.   There is something getting ready to vine up the ladder.   Beans, maybe?

Both of their yards have separate grape arbors.

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Mom’s

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The Brother-in-Law’s. It looks like Mom is winning.

Mom and the B-i-L went to classes and became Master Gardeners together a number of years ago.   They both love their gardens and don’t mind infringing on the other’s.   It is hilarious to listen to them discuss gardening projects sometimes.

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Part of the water garden with garden art.

They sound like an old married couple.

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My nephew dreamed up this planter. It is a cedar stump, dug up, cleaned out and turned upside down.

The weekend after the Fourth, both gardens were being featured in a garden tour to benefit the local historical society.

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Planter box on the garden shed.

They spent lots of hours prepping and planting and weeding for the tour.

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Roses and lamb’s ear.

There were some disagreements and squabbling.  🙁

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Alpine strawberry runners on top of a creeping juniper.

 

There gardens always look immaculate to me, though.

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A milk can turned planter. This is from my grandfather’s dairy where mom grew up.

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One of many clematis vines.

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I believe this is a type of coreopsis.

My cannas never look as good as mom's.

My cannas never look as good as mom’s.

Calla lillies among garlic scapes.

Calla lillies among garlic scapes.

Mom's water garden with an antique pump.

Mom’s water garden with an antique pump.

I am a bit biased, but I think they had the best showing.

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Just a bit of color.

Abigail, you pick any and/or all of these flowers you want today.     Giggles and smiles…

 

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