Last week I was delighted to be invited to tour the gardens of Richard and Linda Rapone.
Yes, Richard is a tax collector who posts daily photos of Linda and his plants on Facebook, so I had some idea of what to expect, but it turns out his daily photos aren't enough to convey just how big and beautiful his Union Township landscape actually is.
Richard approaches landscaping differently than I do. He and Linda consider their home a haven, and their arch reads “Garden of Eden.” Different parts of their garden are painted with mementos of events they want to cherish. There are no parts of my garden that remind me of anything other than how many weeds I have to pull.
During the interview phase of the visit, I was able to ask a few questions about how this all started: they have only lived on their three acres for nine years, and apart from some initial help from family members with lawn care, they have done all of the landscaping themselves.
They buy most of their plants locally from Maple Grove, Lowe's and Amish greenhouses, and sometimes order specialty plants from further afield if they are hard to find.
Richard digs holes to put plants in and designs them. He presents his designs to Linda, who gives the final approval. With his talent, he could design for Disney World. My designs are, “Oh, there's an empty space, let's put a plant in there.”
But we all know that once you plant the flowers it's not over. Keeping the landscape beautiful requires a lot of care and that's where Linda comes in. She does an amazing job. Richard's motto is threefold: “I plant, Linda grows, God nurtures.”
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Richard asked me if my wife helps with the yard work, and I replied that her main job is blowing dust off the patio and sidewalks with the leaf blower.
There was a lot there I didn't know. I'd never heard of Saint Theatre, the patron saint of gardening, in my life, but his statue was in the middle of the exhibit. I also got to see a bottle tree, which is a tree made out of bottles, by the back patio, surrounded by wisteria and mock orange bushes.
They noticed some Spanish moss hanging around in the area of Savannah, Georgia they were visiting, and Richard explained that it was fake because it doesn't grow in our area – who would think to put such detailed work into their landscape?
Linda says spring irises are her favorite flower. Richard likes roses, hydrangeas and magnolias. My favorite is a Highwire Flyer rosebush that he has planted in an arch beside the driveway. Maybe I'm old-fashioned; I'd never heard of that rose. It was about six feet tall and full of flowers. I might have to buy one if I can find a place for it.
Their home is at the end of a cul-de-sac and surrounded by woods so it's quiet and very private – the perfect place to relax.
I enjoyed my visit and tour with the Laponesse family – it was the most walking I've done in years. Richard even took a picture of me, presumably to put up at the post office in case I forget to pay my taxes.
Make your space a green space.
