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Crestwood
Civic Club will host
garden tour to benefit scholars
Crestwood’s
Greenes to feature their garden
By
Helen E. McKinney
Contributing Writer
CRESTWOOD, Ky. (June 2008) – Donna
Greene refers to her landscaped gardens as “a small part
of God’s Eden.” With the help of her husband, Bill,
the couple has developed more than 11/2 acres of serene vistas
on their property.
Working in the gardens is “what we enjoy doing,”
said Greene. “It’s good therapy and a way to give
back to the earth.”
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Photo
provided
These
flowers adorn
Donna and Bill Greene’s garden.
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The Greene’s have both sun and shade gardens
on their property, which is rare since most gardens contain
one or the other. A wide variety of plants, shrubs and trees
are planted over the grounds. These include 35 varieties of
daylilies, roses, hydrangeas, iris, peonies, lilacs, stargazers,
clematis, ferns, hostas, rhododendron, azaleas, butterfly
bushes and black-eyed susans, just to name a few.
“Every garden is unique,” said Greene. “What
you have to work with dictates what you use.”
This may be part of the reason the Greene’s gardens are
one of three stops on this years Garden Tour and Luncheon,
sponsored by the Crestwood Civic Club. The tour will be held
from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Friday, June 20. Luncheon seating
times are 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the Clubhouse on 7215
Kavanaugh Rd. in Crestwood.
The Greenes have put a lot of hard work into their gardens
and find wildlife a challenge to the rural area in which they
live. Deer, rabbits, squirrels and raccoons like to forage
amongst their plants.
To combat this problem, Greene uses Deer Out, a concentrated
liquid product that can be sprayed directly on plants and
will last for three months.
Even with this challenge “my husband and I enjoy being
outdoors,” said Greene. “It’s our passion to
plant things and watch them grow.”
Debbie and Greg West’s five-acre lot is the next stop
on the tour. A former daylily farm, the property is home to
more than 500 registered breeds of daylilies, said Debbie
West.
The lilies will be blooming in an explosion of color: pink,
yellow, red, peach, purple, orange, white, tan, lavender and
burgundy. “I like the pink ones,” said West.
The couple “pretty much inherited the daylilies,”
said West, because “we are not experienced gardeners.
We’re new to this.” They have only been working
at maintaining the daylily beds for the past three years.
“I love them, but they are so much work,” she said.
Many songbirds visit the Wests’ gardens, which can be
viewed from under a wisteria-draped gazebo. Another inviting
spot is a prayer garden, complete with benches to sit on to
enjoy the surrounding daylilies, roses, iris, and clematis.
Woodland Gardens of Crestwood is the third property on the
tour. Owned by Ann and Andy Kipp, this two-acre garden features
a multitude of groundcovers, 300 varieties of hosta and thousands
of daylilies.
Landscaping Woodland Gardens has been an ongoing process spread
out over a 30-year period, said Andy Kipp. “It’s
been a mom and pop operation.”
Kipp said their family pitched in to help from time to time,
and “everything is our own idea and design.”
The garden is anchored by a bandstand-style, turn-of-the-century
gazebo. Creek rock paths span the property for 800 feet, which
Kipp bought and laid in cement. He also built seven wooden
and earth bridges among the flower beds. There are many seating
areas scattered throughout the painstakingly landscaped property.
“It’s high-maintenance, but we love to do it,”
said Kipp. The couple’s favorite spot is the gazebo.
“It’s a getaway for us.” It’s also a place
in which the couple can sit and design their next gardening
spot.
Proceeds from the tour benefit the club’s Oldham County
Schools Scholarship Fund. Club members have donated plants
for a plant sale held at the clubhouse, as another fundraiser.
• To purchase tickets for the
Garden Tour and Luncheon, contact Anne Murner at (502) 292-2701.
Tickets are $15 in advance or $17 at the door.
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