My Neighbor’s Garden – July 2014

In the 5+ years I have done this column, this month’s garden is at the top of my favorites list! Judy Hoevet and her husband Ken moved into their home on Laurel Lane three years ago, relocating for the weather and to be closer to family. Although the house was not what they thought they were looking for, when Judy walked into the side and back yard, she knew they were “home.” Although shade-covered and “shrub-” filled at the time, she saw the potential for what has become a “secret garden.”
In thinking about what affected me so much about this garden, it was an interesting study. The garden is absolutely beautiful, and also mesmerizing. Ordinarily, I will usually check over the garden, sit down with the gardener to do the interview, and then look more in-depth. But I had a hard time getting to the “sit down” portion of this one! I kept getting pulled to the next spot, or discovering something else Judy had done and I was increasingly intrigued. The more I looked, the more I loved. What became obvious is that Judy had plants next to each other or tucked where you would not expect to find them, and next to plants you weren’t used to seeing together. Nothing was as it “should be.” Judi had lilies, sedum, phlox, hostas, dianthus, barberries, penstemons…the list goes on and is long, but the symmetry and flow was amazing!
In the beginning, the property was shaded and had buried irrigation, but slowly those problems have been worked on. “Landscaping” shrubs were removed or moved along with a couple of trees removed. The remaining pink dogwood, camellias, clematis, rhodies and lilies became the starting point. Walkways lined with day lilies were placed randomly, and shade-tolerant David Austin roses were added, perhaps next to clematis, or phlox or lilies. All happy and never expected!
The property is a mere 25-feet-wide along the side. A front, side gate takes you into that garden with a pergola mid-walkway creating a “garden framework.” The walk meanders from the pergola on through the rest of the garden. A singular, beautiful and stately hydrangea fills a Tuscan gray pot, while ground cover flower beds beneath quietly offer a pallet to the beauty of the lone piece. One singular “theme garden” (her only) is filled with whites and lavenders, with a pink thrown in because it “needed it.” At the far end of the walk, a subtle short picket fence sections-off a small shaded courtyard holding only a large, red, potted hydrangea that umbrellas gracefully over the surrounding circle. Quiet, simple and perfect.
When talking to Judy, you understand how the garden became what it is. “Each bed has to have good bones,” she said, adding, “each plant must be happy in its spot and give the best bang for the buck.” Judy focuses on texture, color, and something “going-on” year-round. “I am an old-school gardener…I think the garden has to have something happening all the time.” Judy focuses on each and every plant she places and each spot is studied prior to placing anything. Her first consideration is what will do well in that spot, and then what texture and color she wants. Random petunias are even planted based on where a bit of sun dabbles through a shade garden most of the morning… simply tucked into one small spot to take advantage of the light right there. Very specific, very deliberate.
It seems silly to ask her why she gardens, but her answer fits. “I love beauty, and it just makes my soul happy.” With her words, and by the results, you know that when she says beauty, it is coming from a deep, specific, and almost soul-driven spot. I doubt that Judy has ever planted something without truly thinking through the color and beauty of the plants’ potential. She has to find the spot in her garden to let it become what it was meant to be. THAT is what I discovered to be so unique to her garden and why it is “secret.” Not just because it is secluded, and serene, but because she has captured the true “secret” of how a garden becomes its best. Even her comment about the favorite time in the garden had a different perspective: “Mid-morning, when the plants are still happy from the cool of the evening,” which itself speaks volumes. Thanks are not enough for this garden!
Kay is the owner of Blue Door Garden Store, located at 155 N 3rd Street, behind a big blue door. Specializing in garden gifts and decor, she also carries a wide variety of tools, gloves, and organic product. See ad this page.